ILOILO – Farmers cultivating rainfed lands in Iloilo Province have been urged to suspend rice planting as worsening El Niño conditions threaten further agricultural devastation.
With crop losses already approaching P290 million and more than 9,000 Iloilo farmers affected, Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) acting head Geron Magbanua warned that planting rice without reliable irrigation could expose farmers to further losses.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) forecasts prolonged rainfall shortages extending into 2027.
El Niño has already damaged approximately 6,000 hectares of farmland across eight municipalities, with the full extent of the agricultural destruction yet to be determined.
The reported losses cover rice, corn and high-value crops in Lambunao, San Enrique, Dueñas, Banate, Janiuay, Bingawan, Lemery and Concepcion towns.
Magbanua stressed that the figures remain preliminary because other municipalities have yet to submit their assessments, while damage to livestock and poultry has not been included.
Of the affected municipalities, only Dueñas and Lambunao have so far declared a state of calamity.
With the dry conditions expected to persist, Magbanua advised farmers dependent on rainfall to temporarily abandon rice cultivation in favor of heat-tolerant, high-value crops.
“Ang rainfed (farmers) gina-recommend nga indi magtanum sang palay kay based sa pronouncement sang PAGASA, limitado ang ulan starting October this year asta sunod nga tuig,” he said.
The provincial government, meanwhile, has begun implementing measures to cushion the impact of the prolonged dry spell.
These include distributing solar-powered water pumps, developing small water impounding facilities and helping farmers secure crop insurance through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC).
Magbanua said the provincial government had allocated funds to the PCIC even before the anticipated severe El Niño to ensure farmers could obtain insurance coverage against agricultural losses.
He urged farmers to register with the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) through their respective Municipal Agriculture Offices to facilitate access to crop insurance.
Meanwhile, PAGASA projected that Capiz could experience drought beginning November, while Iloilo, Aklan, Antique and Guimaras may experience dry spells.
Guimaras is also expected to face drought by December, with drought conditions forecast across Western Visayas during the first quarter of 2027.
A dry spell generally involves two to three consecutive months of substantially below-normal rainfall, while drought develops when rainfall deficiencies become more severe or prolonged./PN
