The Department of Agriculture (DA), along with other agencies and the Interagency Task Force on El Niño, has started implementing measures to contain the impact of the impending drought on food production and agricultural stakeholders.
Among the measures carried out by the DA include the repair of and rehabilitation of irrigation canals. Over 740 kilometers of the targeted 843 kilometers have been fixed or built as of November, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement.
Laurel said 40 units of small-scale irrigation systems have been revamped, covering 1,477.5 hectares to improve water distribution efficiency.
The Bureau of Soil and Water Management (BSWM) has also requested P112 million for cloud-seeding operations in 2024 to augment water for crops during low rainfall periods.
Cloud seeding sorties will be a joint effort with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Department of National Defense (DND). Both are expected to provide crucial information and aircraft for seeding operations, the bureau noted.
The DA will also introduce alternative livelihoods to farmers, animal raisers and fisherfolk.
Under the Philippine Native Animal Development Program, the government plans to distribute over 56,000 animals to 297 farmer groups and 470 individual farmers.
Meanwhile, fishermen in the Bicol, Central Visayas, and Zamboanga Peninsula regions will receive aid in the form of alternative livelihoods and climate-adaptive technologies.
The DA also encourages rice farmers to adopt alternative wetting and drying technology, which has proven successful for over 1.2 million farmers across 9,210 hectares as a water-saving farming technique. This reduces water usage while maintaining yields.
About 17,660 hectares of rice fields are targeted for the quick-turnaround strategy. In this approach, farmers immediately replant rice after harvest, capitalizing on the remaining soil moisture before the dry spell intensifies.
The Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) has also allocated P1.8 billion to insure 916,759 farmers and fishermen.
PCIC has earmarked P500 million for credit support under the Survival and Recovery Loan Program for potential calamity victims, including those affected by El Niño.
PCIC has covered 1.27 million farmers between June and November 2023, constituting roughly 76 percent of the target group.
“We are leaving no stones unturned in our effort to ease the impact of El Nino on our farmers and fishermen as well as consumers by ensuring food production is sufficient and supply is secure during the expected dry spell that could affect a majority of provinces and millions who depend on agriculture and fisheries,” said Laurel.
He added the DA’s goal is to minimize El Nino’s impact on farmers, fishermen, and consumers by maintaining sufficient food production and securing supply during the expected dry spell.
“By proactively implementing these measures, the DA strives to mitigate the El Nino’s impact, ensuring food security and protecting the livelihoods of millions of Filipinos who depend on agriculture and fisheries,” he said.
El Niño will be the biggest challenge the world will face in 2024, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian warned yesterday, adding there is a huge possibility that countries will curb exports of basic commodities to ensure their own food security.
“By extending the modified tariff rates of basic commodities, our less fortunate constituents will be assure of continuous access to affordable food products for their families,” said Gatchalian, noting President Marcos’ signing of Executive Order 50.
Due to this, the senator said the government should continue to invest in agriculture through modernization and mechanization to boost productivity of the agriculture sector.
A party-list member of the House of Representatives, meanwhile, has lauded the passage on third and final reading of House Bill 9663 creating the Department of Water.
Rep. Wilbert T. Lee of AGRI party-list said that establishing a national framework for water resource management would boost efforts to attain food security in the country.
“We are glad we are one step closer to our goal of having a dedicated department that would promote universal access to safe, adequate, affordable, and sustainable water,” said Lee, a principal author of the bill.
The lawmaker said he is grateful to the House leadership led by Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez for supporting the bill.
The Bicolano lawmaker stressed the importance of having an effective and sustainable water resources management program that will allow the country to cope with the effects of climate change.
It would also ensure adequate water supplies to serve the needs of a developing and growing country like the Philippines, particularly in achieving food security, he added.
“The United Nations (UN) has said that water is the key to food security,” Lee said, noting that for this year’s World Food Day celebration, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) chose to highlight sustainable water management as key to the future of food.
According to the UN, irrigation uses close to 70 percent of all freshwater appropriated for human use.
The FAO estimates that meeting growing agricultural demand under climate change will require an additional 40 to 100 percent more water than would have been needed otherwise.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) says water scarcity affects not just the quantities, but also the quality, variety, and seasonal availability of foods that can be produced and consumed.
“At local and farm levels, water constraints can push producers to employ polluted water sources that may then compromise or contaminate food supplies,” the CSIS said.
