DA on rains: Too much, too late

MANAOAG, Pangasinan – When it rains, it pours.

The monsoon rains brought about by storms “Chedeng” and “Dodong” may have staved off an impending drought but they also brought problems for farmers, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said here yesterday.

The rains in Northern and Central Luzon came in excessive volumes that resulted in flooding in some areas. Ironically, neighboring provinces including Cagayan and Isabela are still parched and dry, Yap said.

The agriculture department warned that crop yields would suffer this year because the dry spell delayed planting.

Yap stressed that while the rains were a big relief, they were too late, since planting now would mean that farmers would harvest their crops from October to November, when typhoons are at their strongest.

During the three-month dry spell, an initial P200 million was released for Central and Northern Luzon for the repair and rehabilitation of irrigation channel systems, he said.

Yap said cloud seeding operations to induce rain were stopped in Region 1 but will continue in the provinces of Cagayan and Isabela, particularly in watershed areas to supply much-needed water for the dams.

On the other hand, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said they might recommend resuming cloud seeding operations in some drier parts of the country.

Science and Technology Undersecretary for research and development Graciano Yumul said the forecast of good weather conditions in the coming days stressed the need to resume cloud seeding operations in some parts of the country that received minimal rainfall even after Chedeng and Dodong.

Reports indicate the region lost about P1 billion worth of agricultural crops during the three-month dry spell. Its four provinces – Isabela, Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino – account for at least 40 percent of the country’s palay and corn production.

Yumul said they would recommend against cloud seeding operations in Regions 1 and 3 since they received “ample” amount of rainfall in the past days.

Earlier this week, the Department of Science and Technology ordered the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) to suspend cloud seeding operations following the monsoon rains spawned by the two storms.

Weather branch chief Nathaniel Cruz of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the active low-pressure area spotted east of northern Luzon last Thursday has weakened.

Cruz said the presence of a high- pressure area in Mindanao brought good weather conditions in Luzon.

“There is a high-pressure area in Mindanao. It is slowly moving northwards. Once it is in place, we may have no rains again,” Cruz said.

The water level at Angat Dam rose above the critical level after days of heavy rain triggered by two successive storms.

Angat’s water level increased at a record rate of 45 centimeters per hour since Wednesday to reach 180.10 meters on Thursday.

Tropical storms Chedeng and Dodong successively entered the country this week and induced the southwest monsoon, which brought heavy rains over the western section of Luzon.

The heavy rains, though, caused flooding and landslides in some areas of southern and central Luzon, including Metro Manila, leaving a number of people dead and displacing thousands.

A farmer in Ilocos Norte was killed while his two children were injured after they were pinned down by a concrete wall during heavy downpour.

Authorities identified the fatality as Remillo Ravelo, 50, of Barangay Baroyen in Bangui town. Injured were his children, German, 18, and Rerimar, 12.

Ravelo became the latest casualty of the monsoon rains brought about by the exit of Dodong from the country.

Five people were killed Thursday in storm-related incidents as Dodong headed out to Taiwan.

Chedeng and Dodong induced the southwest monsoon rains that flooded most parts of Metro Manila and several provinces, leaving 11 people dead earlier this week and forcing the suspension of classes in two days of continuous rains since Monday. -With Helen Flores, Jun Elias, Ric Sapnu, Ding Cervantes, Dino Balabo, Cesar Ramirez, AFP