MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) yesterday said drought-hit areas in the country would experience light rain showers in the next two days because of the passage of the cold front.
Pagasa deputy administrator Nathaniel Cruz said, however, that the showers would not be enough to blunt the effects of the El Niño phenomenon, which is expected to be felt until June.
“We should be thankful for the rains brought by the passage of the cold front. But the effect of El Niño is still there,” Cruz said in a phone interview.
He said cooler temperatures have been recorded, particularly in areas affected by the dry spell.
Last Wednesday, rain poured all day in the towns of Santa Praxedes, Claveria, Sanchez Mira, and Ballesteros in Cagayan, as well as in the coastal areas of Isabela after four months of drought. Intermittent rains also fell in Nueva Vizcaya.
“This is our first time to have day-long rains since (December) last year. At least our parched farms finally got a taste of rain,” said a bibingka (rice cake) vendor in Barangay Siam-Siam in Claveria.
The long downpour, however, failed to significantly increase inflows into the Magat Dam from the Magat River located at the Isabela-Ifugao border. Water level in the dam dipped yesterday to 153 meters from 155 meters last Monday.
Warm weather will again prevail over the weekend because of the high pressure area. Temperatures in Metro Manila will range from 24 to 34 degrees Celsius. In Tuguegarao, temperature is expected between 21 to 29 degrees.
Last week, Pagasa recorded the hottest temperatures in Metro Manila at 35.8 degrees Celsius and in Tuguegarao at 37 degrees Celsius.
Pagasa had warned that temperature in the metropolis could reach 37 degrees Celsius in April or May. Temperature in Northern Luzon provinces, on the other hand, is expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius.
El Niño is the abnormal warming in the equatorial Pacific usually characterized by below normal rainfall.
Several provinces in Luzon and Visayas have been placed under a state of calamity after incurring extensive agricultural damage up to P8 billion.
Meanwhile, cloud-seeding operations in drought-hit Central Luzon have been postponed because of lack of thick clouds and preventive maintenance of planes.
Angat Dam manager Rodolfo German said cloud seeding is needed in the 63,000-hectare Angat watershed to replenish the dam’s water level, which dropped to 187.56 meters yesterday, nearing the critical level of 180 meters.
The Angat Dam in Norzagaray, Bulacan supplies 97 percent of Metro Manila’s potable water requirement as well as the irrigation needs of farmers in Bulacan and southern towns of Pampanga.
Dr. Redentor Gatus, the regional director for agriculture in Central Luzon, said the Bureau of Soils and Management (BSM) had conducted 165 cloud seeding sorties nationwide from Feb. 1 to March 6, resulting in rainfall in the target areas.
Cloud seeding was most successful in the Magat Dam watershed in Bagabag, Nueva Ecija; Umiray watershed in Quezon, and Silay City.
Ifugao province has been placed under a state of calamity after the drought destroyed P70 million worth of agricultural, livestock, and fisheries products in the province, mostly in the towns of Banaue and Alfonso Lista.
Kalinga province is also expected to be placed under a state of calamity after the dry spell destroyed P142-million worth of crops.
The drought damaged hundreds of coffee trees in the province, which is famous for its Kalinga brew. – With Dino Balabo, Charlie Lagasca
By Helen Flores
(The Philippine Star)
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