BRACING FOR EL NINO
NATIONAL Irrigation Administration (NIA) regional offices are primed for the impact of the weather phenomenon El Nino.
According to NIA Administrator Eddie Guillen, field preparations are in place for a systematic response during call time.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC), up to 46 provinces could be affected to which the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Bataan, and Cavite could be hit hardest.
Measures include water delivery schedules, utilization of alternate wetting and drying (AWD) technology, diversification of crops and the use of early maturing and drought-resistant crop varieties.
And with the convergence of other national government agencies, Guillen expressed confidence that the country can overcome all challenges El Nino can bring.
Recently, NIA met with the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), NDRRMC and other agencies involved in agricultural sector and disaster management.
Also in attendance were local government units (LGUs), Irrigators Associations (IAs) and the general public.
The water administration head said that the agency also conducted some strategies to include preparatory activities such as weekly monitoring or updating of local field conditions (dam hydrological data and dam discharge) among other preparations in the agricultural side.
Originally, the normal cropping periods for wet and dry seasons were in the months of May and November, respectively.
However, in the adjusted cropping calendar, these were moved to as early as the months of February and September, respectively.
NIA also maximizes and optimizes non-vulnerable areas where production inputs will be provided to increase production and compensate for the possible damage and losses in areas at risk of the El Niño phenomenon.
