Pagasa: Capiz now experiencing dry spell
The province of Capiz is already under drought condition after experiencing five consecutive months (from August to December) of below normal rainfall, Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported.
Aside from Capiz, the Pagasa said Aklan and Guimaras provinces in Western Visayas along with Benguet, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Batangas, Aurora, Quezon, Marinduque, Mindoro, Romblon, Sorsogon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Northern Samar, Biliran, Davao del Sur, South Cotabato, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat are now in the middle of a dry spell.
“Rainfall condition for the month of December was unusually way below normal in most areas of Luzon,” the agency also announced on its latest climate outlook.
Pagasa also said Northern Samar is in near-drought condition, and is likely to experience below normal rainfall for five consecutive months.
The only storm that formed near the country in December was tropical depression Vinta (December 2-3), which just passed through the northeastern border of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), did not affect the country.
An El Niño is currently on its way to its peak, which is expected to wreak havoc, particularly in agriculture and water sector in the coming months.
Pagasa noted the El Niño weather phenomenon, characterized by low rainfall and dry spells, was already felt last December.
Earlier, National Irrigation Authority (NIA) called on farmers to use water wisely with the onset of the El Niño phenomenon which started to dry up most of the rivers where irrigation waters come from.
In an advisory sent to The News Today, NIA Regional Office warned that water supply for irrigation started to reduce last November 2009 and is expected to last until March or April this year due to the El Niño.
It said most of the rivers, which are the sources of irrigation waters, have started to dry up so the cooperation of the farmers is needed in order to counter the effects of the drought.
It can be noted that many farmlands in Western Visayas depend on water coming from the government’s irrigation systems.
Julito Pamiroyan, Senior Irrigation Development Officer, said that they have already outlined activities in anticipation of the dry phenomenon. Among which are the regular maintenance of irrigation facilities especially canals to maintain continuous flow of irrigation water to farmlands and water scheduling for the 3rd cropping season.
“Rice planting for the 3rd cropping is also discouraged especially in downstream areas to avoid damage in crops. Instead farmers are advised to plant other crops like monggo, peanuts and other nitrogen fixing plants not only for food production but also as means to bring back the fertility of the soil,” said Pamiroyan.
Pamiroyan appealed to farmers to be cooperative and follow the water distribution schedule (on rotational scheme) especially those in the upstream to allow the irrigation water to flow downstream so that farmers in outlying areas can avail of it. They are also urged to participate in the maintenance of irrigation canals and repair if necessary.
The Pagasa warned that the weather phenomenon may affect the country’s climate throughout the first half of 2010.
The Pagasa said that weather systems that may influence the climate for January 2010 are the northeast monsoon, the tail-end of the cold front, ridge of HPA (high pressure area), and easterly wave.
It said there a slim chance of occurrence of one tropical cyclone this month.
Below normal rainfall condition can also be expected in most parts of Luzon and Visayas.
Drier conditions can also be observed in portions of western, central and eastern Mindanao.
Barely spared from lash of El Niño are provinces in southern part of Mindanao, with near normal rainfall. (with reports from PNA)
