El Niño dries up farmlands in Luzon, Visayas

Thousands of hectares of farmlands in some Luzon and Visayas provinces are cracking due to insufficient irrigation and intense heat brought by El Niño.

According to a "24 Oras" report by Marisol Abdurahman on Friday, the National Irrigation Administration reported that water levels in Pantabangan Dam continue to deplete, causing up to 13,000 hectares out of the 147,000 hectares of farmlands in Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Pampanga and Tarlac to lose water supply.

In Negros Occidental, El Niño has also left over 2,000 hectares of fields parched worrying farmers waiting for the next harvest season.  Rice fields and irrigation canals have also dried up in parts of Zamboanga City.

Data from the Office of Civil Defense reported that eight provinces are already experiencing drought,  which means that there was a below-average rate of rainfall in the area within the past five months.

It added that the number may rise as more provinces reel from the dry spell come March and April. Meanwhile, water levels in other dam reservoirs is expected to fall below average.

“Ngayong March and April, maaaring mas dumami pa yung mga lugar na makakaranas ng mas konti dun sa normal [na pag-ulan]. Maaaring may reduction ng about more than 60% or more na dun sa normal nilang nararanasan na ulan,” said weather specialist Joey Figuracion.

(This March and April, it's possible that there would be more area that would experience below average [rainfall]. It's possible to have a reduction of more than 60% or more than the normal rainfall they usually get.)

Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said it would focus and prioritize water security.

The Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Social Welfare and Development also offered assistance programs for farmers affected by El Niño. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/LDF, GMA Integrated News