El Niño may last until year’s end

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu is experiencing drought conditions and it looks like residents here may need to endure these conditions longer.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) told The Freeman that the weak El Niño, which causes these conditions, is likely to persist until August.

 "Weak El Niño is still present and there is 70 percent chance that it will continue until August 2019," said PAGASA Mactan chief Alfredo Quiblat.

But this isn’t the worst news.

Quiblat said predictions are also showing that there are chances the weak El Niño may last until the end of 2019.

"There are chances but the uncertainty of this forecast is still high," Quiblat said.

An El Niño is a natural event characterized by the unusual warming of the tropical Pacific.

Cebu has experienced a scarcity of rain for the past four months, which is “below to way below” the average of normal monthly accumulated rainfall.

"The latest meteorological assessment shows that Cebu is already under drought conditions," he told The FREEMAN.

State of calamity

Cebu remains under a state of calamity status because of the crippling effects that the weak El Niño has caused to its agricultural lands, fisheries, and water supply.

Last month, the Cebu City Council placed the city under a state of calamity so it can use at least P27.5 million in calamity fund.

The city’s agriculture department recorded around P27 million damage in agriculture.

Councilor Dave Tumulak said the city will provide hoses, water pumps, water drums, seedlings, farm equipment, and vitamins to the estimated 14,000 farmers in the city’s upland barangays.

Aside from damage to crops, households and establishments in about 16 urban areas have experienced scarcity in water supply that the Metropolitan Water District and the Bureau of Fire Protection had to supply water manually to these areas.

A month earlier, the Provincial Board also placed the province under a state of calamity following visible damages and losses that the El Niño has caused on crops, livestock, fishery products, and water supply.

The declaration enabled the provincial government to set aside funds meant to provide immediate relief and assistance to the affected localities and communities.

The declaration also authorized Governor Hilario Davide III to augment or realign any item within the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management (PDRRM) plan to the priority needs identified.

A technical working group of PDRRM has said that damage and loss to crops, fish stocks, and water resources has reached around P100 million. Of the estimated amount, P25 million accounted for impact on agriculture, particularly on corn products.

PDRRMO also said at least 27 of the 51 local government units in the province have declared damages and losses.

These are the towns of Asturias, Alcantara, Aloguinsan, Alcoy, Argao, Balamban, Dumanjug, Sogod, Dalaguete, San Remegio, Sibonga, Tuburan, Tabuelan, Daanbantayan, Medellin, Bantayan, Carmen, Madridejos, Santa Fe, Consolacion, Compostela, Boljoon, and Minglanilla.

The rest are the cities of Carcar, Danao, Mandaue and Toledo.

At least 891 farmers from 11 LGUs declared P7.5 million in damages to their corn products.

Some of the produce and plants have withered. Fish catch have also reduced significantly and an outbreak of the dreaded crown of thorns (dap-ag) have been observed. And water levels in Cebu’s river systems have subsided while some deep wells have dried up. (FREEMAN)