• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Office of the Provincial Agriculture (OPA) was asked yesterday by Provincial Administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz to come up with detailed interventions on how to minimize the effects of the El Niño weather phenomenon to farmers in Negros Occidental.
The OPA proposed a budget of P15 million to mitigate the effects of dry spell on Negrense farmers.
Diaz, however, described the proposal of OPA, headed by Edmundo Raul Causing, as “so vague, so generalized.”
“I wanted them to come up with areas that are going to be affected by El Nino, and what is their intervention,” he said.
Causing earlier said that they have already conducted a survey of the large areas of rice fields, and met with farmers to listen to their plans and suggestions that could minimize the effects of dry spell, and how the provincial government can help them.
We will not just give them the P15 million if they are not ready with their research. They have to go to the area where there is a problem on water irrigation, Diaz stressed, after scrutinizing the OPA project proposal.
Rep. Emilio Yulo III (5th district, Negros Occidental) earlier called on the Department of Agriculture, Sugar Regulatory Administration, and the provincial government for the conduct of cloud seeding operations to combat the ongoing dry spell.
Sharing the sentiments of Yulo, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson disclosed that cloud seeding is one of the options to alleviate the dry condition, pointing out there is still cloud cover and some Negros areas are experiencing rainfall.
While there is an amount set aside for intervention, Diaz said they will not let go the money if there is no clear direction where the intervention is going.*
