PHL Readying El Niño Contingency Plans

Manila– The government has earmarked P1.3 billion for the construction of small-scale irrigation facilities, as it intensifies preparations to cushion the possible effects of the looming El Niño phenomenon especially in the agriculture sector.

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., in a Palace media briefing on Monday, said the Department of Agriculture (DA) has increased its investments on the establishment of small water impounding facilities, and rehabilitation and construction of new irrigation systems to help guarantee agricultural water even during the summer season.

Coloma said these irrigation facilities aim to benefit areas where small and poor farmers are located.

He said the department is also working closely with the state bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to intensify cloud-seeding operations to induce rain in major watersheds and drought-affected farming communities.

Coloma said DA’s Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) has completed 15 trips across the rain-deprived municipalities of Aglipay, Maddela and Nagtipunan and Magat watershed areas in Isabela province.

“The DA said these cloud-seeding operations have prevented damage on some 4,155 hectares of corn farms across the province, of which 3,490 hectares are in reproductive stage and 665 hectares in the vegetative stage,” he said.

Apart from cloud-seeding operations, Coloma said the country has prepared other interventions, such as the provision of shallow tube wells and drought-tolerant crop varieties to farmers in any part of the country that will be affected by dry spell episodes.

“The government is taking concerted action to ensure food security for our citizens and to mitigate the possible effects of the projected onset of the El Niño weather phenomenon in the country,” he noted.

Further, Coloma said that aside from contingency measures for the agriculture sector, the Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) are working to ensure stable power supply and commodity prices.

As it appealed to the public to save water and electricity, Coloma said government officials and employees are involved in conservation efforts.

“Kailangan po iyong pairalin natin iyong diwa ng bayanihan. Ang gagawin po natin sa ating kani-kaniyang sambahayan at komunidad ay malaki ang maiaambag sa pambansang pagkilos. (We need to promote bayanihan. What we can do in our households and communities have big contributions to national action),” he further said. (PNA) LGI/LDV