ANGELES CITY– Rice farmers in Central Luzon survived El Niño phenomenon’s drought with a three percent increase in harvest from some 309,028 hectares of farmlands in the region.
This, even as Rusy Abastillos, weather specialist of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) told Punto that there is yet no assurance that the rainy season will come this month to fill in dams for irrigation.
Remy Duran, monitoring officer of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), said that water level at the Angat dam, which is the major source of domestic water for Metro Manila residents, was noted yesterday at only 173.35 meters depth.
Duran said this is much lower than the critical level of 217 meters and the “operational level” of 190.93 meters. Irrigation water from the dam was totally cut off last April to prioritize the potable water needs of Metro Manila.
Department of Agriculture (DA) regional director Redentor Gatus noted, however, that despite the drought and the withdrawal of irrigation from some dams, rice harvest output in Central Luzon was higher by three percent than the average five metric tons per hectare.
“The initial target for this year was to increase rice production by 10 percent but the three percent is good enough considering the natural calamities that hit the farmers,” he said.
Gatus said that the government was able to rehabilitate farmlands affected by last year’s floods and, upon the onset of drought this year, installed “supplemental pumps” for irrigation.
He noted that Pantabangan dam, which irrigates thousands of farmlands in the country’s Nueva Ecija rice granary, was not seriously affected by El Niño and provided enough irrigation.
“We already have positioned seeds for the next planting season which will be done as soon as the rainy season starts,” he said.
Weather specialist Abastillos noted, however, that there is yet no indication that the rainy season is at hand, even as she cited earlier forecast of a delayed onset due to El Niño.
“What we have observed is that the El Niño phenomenon is phasing out,” she said.
She also cited daily monitoring of rainfall showing rains limited mostly in Mindanao. “Rainfall in the country’s western side remains below normal,” she added.
Abastillos noted, however, that historically, delay in the onset of the rainy season does not go beyond the middle of June. She cited records indicating that the latest onset since the 1980’s was during another El Niño phenomenon in 2006, when the rains started in the second week of June.
This, even as Rusy Abastillos, weather specialist of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) told Punto that there is yet no assurance that the rainy season will come this month to fill in dams for irrigation.
Remy Duran, monitoring officer of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), said that water level at the Angat dam, which is the major source of domestic water for Metro Manila residents, was noted yesterday at only 173.35 meters depth.
Duran said this is much lower than the critical level of 217 meters and the “operational level” of 190.93 meters. Irrigation water from the dam was totally cut off last April to prioritize the potable water needs of Metro Manila.
Department of Agriculture (DA) regional director Redentor Gatus noted, however, that despite the drought and the withdrawal of irrigation from some dams, rice harvest output in Central Luzon was higher by three percent than the average five metric tons per hectare.
“The initial target for this year was to increase rice production by 10 percent but the three percent is good enough considering the natural calamities that hit the farmers,” he said.
Gatus said that the government was able to rehabilitate farmlands affected by last year’s floods and, upon the onset of drought this year, installed “supplemental pumps” for irrigation.
He noted that Pantabangan dam, which irrigates thousands of farmlands in the country’s Nueva Ecija rice granary, was not seriously affected by El Niño and provided enough irrigation.
“We already have positioned seeds for the next planting season which will be done as soon as the rainy season starts,” he said.
Weather specialist Abastillos noted, however, that there is yet no indication that the rainy season is at hand, even as she cited earlier forecast of a delayed onset due to El Niño.
“What we have observed is that the El Niño phenomenon is phasing out,” she said.
She also cited daily monitoring of rainfall showing rains limited mostly in Mindanao. “Rainfall in the country’s western side remains below normal,” she added.
Abastillos noted, however, that historically, delay in the onset of the rainy season does not go beyond the middle of June. She cited records indicating that the latest onset since the 1980’s was during another El Niño phenomenon in 2006, when the rains started in the second week of June.
