DAGUPAN CITY (PIA) – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Ilocos has adopted several measures to address the threats posed by the El Niño phenomenon on the country’s water supply, which may greatly affect the yield and income of farmers.
 
NIA Ilocos regional manager, Engr. Gaudencio De Vera said the agency is working with other agencies such as Department of Agriculture, National Power Corporation, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), San Roque Power Corporation, local government units, and irrigators associations to prepare for the impending effects of El Niño.
 
De Vera assured that there will be regular monitoring of the level of dams and even reservoirs to know the right amount of water that can be given to farmers this coming planting season.
 
This is in line with the strategies to minimize the impact of the El Niño phenomenon as the occurrence of below normal rainfall is expected to result in a dry spell or drought.
 
The construction and use of solar-powered irrigation systems are also being intensified now that they will be of great help as extreme heat is being experienced and the provision of water pumps to the affected farmers is being considered.
 
“There were already two in Sta. Barbara town and one in Lingayen town to address the impact of El Niño,” De Vera said, adding that more solar-powered irrigation systems are set to be installed in San Carlos City and the towns of Malasiqui, Binalonan and Pozorrubio.
 
Meanwhile, projects in Sta. Barbara and Lingayen towns are ongoing, and those in Mangatarem, Aguilar, and Binalonan are up for bidding.
 
“We envision that every town will have the solar project as we have seen its performance, that is it is reliable to supply water to farmlands,” he said during the Pantongtongan Tayo virtual presser of PIA Pangasinan.
 
De Vera said they are also set to distribute 500 units of water pumps as contingency in areas seen to be severely affected by the El Niño.
 
“We plan to purchase water pumps that will be given to the farmers through their association. I have directed our field staff to identify areas that would most likely be affected, especially those in the downstream who will surely lack water so they are the priority in this project,” he said.
 
PAGASA on Tuesday raised the El Niño Alert status as it expects the weather phenomenon to emerge in the coming months starting June.
 
“Recent conditions and model forecasts indicate that El Niño may emerge in the coming season (June-July-August) at 80% probability and may persist until the first quarter of 2024,” it said in a statement.
 
The state weather bureau explained that it raises the El Niño Alert status when present conditions show that the development of the phenomenon in the next two months has a probability of 70% or more.
 
PAGASA warned that El Niño may cause below-normal rainfall conditions, which could negatively affect some parts of the country. 
 
The bureau also said it will continue monitoring the development of the climate pattern, and reminded the public to implement precautionary measures against the impact of El Niño. (JCR/AMB/PIA Pangasinan)