THE Department of Agriculture is set to start cloud seeding operations in areas heavily affected by El Niño.
DA Assistant Secretary and spokesman Arnel de Mesa said concerned bureaus are already coordinating with the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), Office of Civil Defense, and Philippine Air Force on the cloud seeding activities.
“Cloud seeding is our last resort. So far, cloud seeding operations (have been) done in Quirino, Isabela, specifically in the Magat Watershed. They are still on standby for seedable clouds,” de Mesa said.
“If there will be seedable clouds, in coordination with Pagasa and Philippine Air Force, cloud seeding operations will be done,” he added.
The official noted that among the hardest hit regions by El Niño is Western Visayas as the total damage to the agriculture sector there has reached P1.02 billion.
Aside from Western Visayas, also affected are the whole of Luzon, including the Cordillera Administrative Region, Regions 1 (Ilocos), 2 (Cagayan Valley), 3 (Central Luzon), 4-A (Calabarzon), 4-B (Mimaropa), 5 (Bicol) and Mindanao, including Regions 9 (Zamboanga peninsula), 11 (Davao) and 12 (Soccsksargen).
