Fields in Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, and Bulacan are cracking and drying because of the hot weather and the lack of water supply from the Pantabangan Dam.

The Pantabangan Dam, the main source of water for irrigation, is reportedly experiencing a shortage, affecting the service areas of the National Irrigation Administration-Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System (NIA-UP-RI-IS).

Around 40,000 hectares of farmland have been affected adversely by the heat, according to a group of farmers.

Dante Lazatin, chairman of the Irrigators Association in NIA-UP-RI-IS, claims that 50,000 hectares were affected.

"Meron tayong 50,000 na hectares na affected pero mababawasan yun kasi meron kami sa lugar ko [na] ang pinapatubigan is more than 2,200 hectares, may less sa akin na 800 mawa-one hundred percent ko rin kasi may catch basin po ako," Lazatin said.

Lazatin said they are rotating the water supply, but due to delays, the land has suffered from severe drought.

“Grabe ang bitak kasi niro-rotate namin [ang tubig] although hindi sana magkakaganun [pero] delay lang ‘yung tubig kaya inabutan [na ng] sobrang pagka-drought ‘yung lupa. Sabi ko nga, ‘dun sa may pera, suportahan niyo ng shallow tubewell habang inaantay natin yung excess na tubig [pata] makakapagbukid din tayong lahat,’" he added.

Meanwhile, in Ilocos Norte, some farmers have shifted to planting tobacco from traditional crops like corn and mung beans.

The majority of fields remain unplanted.

“Pagtiyagaan namin ang water pump kasi wala kaming ibang pagkukuhanan ng tubig," Crispin Padron, a farmer, said.

Farmers are worried about possible yield losses this year.

Danilo Arado, Senior Agriculturist and Provincial Rice Coordinator, emphasized that the decrease in crop yields cannot be attributed directly to the El Niño.

"We cannot directly attribute yung pagbaba ng ani sa El Niño. Tinanong ko nga [sila] kung bakit bumaba yung yield nila sa previous croppings sabi nila naubusan ng tubig," he said.