Villar calls for El Niño funds

Senate President Pro Tempore Manuel Villar Jr. called on the Department of Budget and Management yesterday for the "expeditious release" of funds to minimize the impact of El Niño.

He said delaying the release of the funds might adversely affect the country’s farm output.

"In preparing for El Niño, timing is everything. Whatever funds allocated for El Niño preparation must be released before it is too late," he said in a statement to the press. Villar chairs the Senate committee on food and agriculture.

A panel on El Niño created by the Department of Agriculture said the country would need nearly P900 million to ease the weather phenomenon’s effects on agriculture.

This will be used to improve irrigation systems, build wells, cloud seeding operations, and an information dissemination campaign, among others.

"There must be no slacking in this very important matter, so the budget department must act fast in releasing the P898.53 million needed to effectively combat El Niño," Villar said.

As early as now, several provinces are beginning to reel from the initial effects of El Niño, he said. Batangas, parts of Cagayan, Pangasinan, Mindoro, Nueva Ecija, Palawan and South Cotabato are experiencing a shortage in rainfall.

Villar said irrigation-related projects should be completed by the end of the month before the El Niño dry spell hits full force.

According to the Department of Agriculture, the full impact of El Niño will be felt during the last quarter of the year. Rainfall is expected to decrease from five to 20 percent during that period.

The department recently held a conference to map out a plan that would lessen the impact of El Niño. – Aurea Calica