‘San Miguel, Bulacan farmers affected by El Niño’

MANILA, Philippines — Farmers in San Miguel, Bulacan are now feeling the impact of El Niño, according to the town mayor.

In a radio interview, Mayor Roderick Tiongson said that a drop in palay production is expected due to limited access to water for irrigation.

“We were supposed to have a second crop. We were not able to do it because of limited water. We don’t expect to harvest that much,” Tiongson said.

“There is water. We are dependent on deep wells, but these are not enough, especially with El Niño. Even if we build water impounding facilities, they will not address the problem,” he added.

San Miguel is the largest producer of rice in Bulacan.

Tiongson said farmers are encouraged to plant alternative crops like corn and vegetables, which need less water compared to palay.

Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Arnel de Mesa said the DA has allocated an initial P250 million to fund solar irrigation projects to cushion the impact of El Niño in the agriculture sector.

De Mesa said priority areas are those likely to be hit severely by El Niño.

He cited the latest report of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration that the western portions of Luzon and parts of Northern Luzon would be affected by El Niño.