• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
As the water level at the Bago River Dam shows indication of declining, the Federation of Irrigators’ Associations Central Negros-Bago River Irrigation System (FIACN-BRIS) has assured thousands of rice farmers that irrigation services will remain stable amid the looming threat of El Niño.
FIACN-BRIS president Pedro Limpangog said on Tuesday, July 7 the federation is closely coordinating with presidents of various irrigators’ associations to ensure the proper and equitable distribution of irrigation water.
“We are exerting efforts with our irrigators’ association presidents to properly manage the distribution of water so that our crops will not be affected,” he added. Limpangog said rice production across the irrigation system remains on schedule, with farmers in the North District just beginning their planting activities while crops in the South District have already reached the vegetative stage.
The Bago River Dam serves as the main reservoir for the Bago River Irrigation System. It provides vital water supply to 30,000 hectares of rice farms tilled by about 8,000 farmers in central Negros.
Although the water level at the Bago River Dam has decreased, available supply remains sufficient to meet irrigation requirements, Limpangog said.
Drawing from previous El Niño experiences, he noted that the federation has adopted several water conservation strategies, including equitable water allocation and the promotion of the alternate wetting and drying (AWD) technique.
Limpangog said many farmers have reported increased rice yields while using less water through the AWD method.
He also reaffirmed the federation’s support for the government’s P20 per kilogram rice program, with rice sales expected to continue next week in La Carlota City.
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Irene Bel Ploteña said earlier that Pagasa state weather bureau’s latest forecast indicates that Negros Occidental, along with other areas on the western side of Luzon and the Visayas, is expected to be spared from the severe dry spell conditions typically associated with El Niño.
Although Pagasa estimates a 92 percent probability that El Niño will develop during the June-July-August season and persist into the early part of 2027, the agency forecasts near-normal rainfall across most parts of the country from June to September.
It also projects normal to above-normal rainfall over the western section of the country from July to August. | GPB
