Agricultural damage from El Niño in Central Visayas has exceeded P222 million, impacting about 4,000 farmers and 4,246 hectares across the region, according to DA 7, NIA 7, and BFAR 7 officials.
Regional agencies are releasing quick response funds, preparing 62 hours of cloud seeding, providing fuel subsidies to fishers, and collaborating with social welfare and labor departments on livelihood programs like Tupad.
Pagasa forecasts a 81 percent chance of a very strong El Niño through January 2027, prompting water rationing warnings from MCWD as Cebu rainfall drops significantly and dam capacities decrease.
CROP and livestock damage from the ongoing El Niño phenomenon in Central Visayas has passed P222 million as agencies prepare cloud seeding and aid and forecasters warn the dry spell will worsen.
Officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) 7, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) 7 and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) 7 said during a forum hosted by the Philippine Information Agency 7 on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, that about 4,000 farmers and 4,246 hectares have been affected so far.
Gerry Avila, DA 7 field operations division chief, said the agency has released a quick response fund and is preparing two rounds of cloud seeding totaling about 62 hours. Operations could start late this month or in November. The DA urged farmers to enroll with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. to secure financial assistance.
Dry months ahead
On June 9, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) issued an advisory declaring El Niño conditions were present in the tropical Pacific.
Pagasa has also said there is an 81 percent chance of a very strong El Niño developing between October 2026 and January 2027.
Cebu rainfall is forecast at 57.9 percent of normal in November and 35.6 percent in February 2027. Rainfall in Central Visayas fell 52 percent in September, and the Metropolitan Cebu Water District has warned that rationing may become necessary if El Niño worsens.
Water levels in regional dams have dropped, NIA 7 said. Maria Donesa A. Autida, section chief, said the dams’ small capacity means the water available for irrigation “will really decrease.”
The agency is using GIS software to map drought-prone areas. It is also working with the social welfare and labor departments on livelihood programs such as Tupad.
As for BFAR 7, Joel Clapano, Cebu provincial fishery officer, said the bureau has set up a regional disaster risk reduction and management team and is giving fuel subsidies to fishers.
Nationwide, El Niño had caused P6.87 billion in agricultural damage and affected more than 223,000 farmers as of late September, the DA said. The figures are still subject to validation.
The 2023-2024 El Niño caused P15.3 billion in losses. / ABC