SAN CARLOS CITY, Pangasinan – The city government has secured PHP179.14 million in external agricultural assistance to help farmers and livestock raisers prepare for the possible impacts of a strong El Niño.
“Beyond our local resources, we strengthened our partnerships with the Department of Agriculture, Philippine Rice Research Institute, National Irrigation Administration, Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. and other agencies,” Mayor Julier Resuello said in an interview Wednesday.
He said the funds would support irrigation, hybrid rice seeds, fertilizers, cash assistance, crop insurance and other interventions for farmers and livestock raisers.
Resuello said the city would first consult farmers to determine their needs amid the threat of prolonged dry conditions.
He tasked Vice Mayor Joseres Resuello, who is also a farmer, to lead the consultations.
“It should be a consensus coming from the farmers. We are ready and we have the funds but we cannot decide yet unless we hear it from the farmers,” the mayor said.
More than 50 percent of the city’s residents are engaged in farming, Resuello said, adding that agriculture remains a major pillar of the local economy and a source of livelihood for many families.
Gener Quitlong, chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) office in Dagupan City, said a strong El Niño is forecast to affect the country, including Pangasinan, from the last quarter of 2026 through the first quarter of 2027.
Speaking at a forum on Wednesday, Quitlong said 90 percent to 95 percent of numerical climate models forecast a strong El Niño.
He said Pangasinan typically receives an average of 215.9 millimeters of rainfall in October, based on records from 1991 to 2020. This October, however, rainfall is forecast to range from 50 mm to 100 mm.
November rainfall is projected to reach only about 40 percent of the long-term average of 53.9 mm, he added.
Quitlong urged communities, particularly those outside areas served by the Agno River, to prepare for possible water shortages.
“I hope in other places not along the Agno River, should prepare because they are the ones who will suffer more. There will still be rain but in the form of thunderstorms. The problem with thunderstorms is that it does not bring enough water,” he said.
Quitlong urged residents to conserve water amid the threat of a strong El Niño. (Liwayway Yparraguirre and Hilda Austria/PNA)
