DA, Caraga RDRRMC, eye cloud seeding to solve water crisis amid El Niño dry spell
By Nina Jonalyn G. Diamante
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — The Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga and the Caraga Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) are pushing for a P6.2-million cloud-seeding operation to mitigate a worsening water crisis and protect agricultural lands affected by the prolonged El Niño phenomenon.
The operation, scheduled for October to November, aims to relieve drought-stricken areas across the region—including Agusan del Sur, where over 26,000 hectares of farmland have been damaged, affecting thousands of local farmers. Several local government units (LGUs) across Caraga have already been placed under a state of calamity as water shortages and dry conditions continue to impact farming communities.
“The cloud-seeding proposal originated from Dinagat Islands Governor Nilo P. Demerey Jr., who requested DA’s assistance after the province declared a state of calamity in August due to severe dry conditions,” said Gerlie Antipaso, agriculturist II of DA Caraga.
However, a technical evaluation by the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) from September 14 to 17 revealed that Dinagat Islands has only around 300 hectares of eligible agricultural land—falling 700 hectares short of the minimum 1,000-hectare requirement to approve a standalone cloud-seeding operation.
To meet the minimum threshold, DA Caraga expanded the proposal during a September 18 exit conference with local stakeholders, including Agusan del Norte Representative Dale B. Corvera, the Butuan City Agriculturist, and representatives from the Lone District of Butuan—which is also currently under a state of calamity. The agency proposed expanding the target area to cover the rest of the Caraga region, scaling the initiative to benefit all five provinces.
Other local chief executives also welcomed the initiative. “San Jose is in dire need of rain, especially after we found out that we have no natural water source within our municipal territory,” expressed Mayor Ruben D. Zuniega of San Jose, Dinagat Islands.
“Cloud seeding would be a very timely intervention and an immediate remedy to our need for rainwater. It will significantly help in sustaining our water sources,” he added.
DA Caraga presented the regional plan during the Caraga RDRRMC’s third quarter full council meeting on September 24. While DA faces budget realignment constraints to fund the P6.2-million operation, Caraga RDRRMC Acting Chairperson and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Caraga Officer-in-Charge Lorene Sia-Catedral advised the agency to tap the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) Fund.
“Given that we are facing a crisis needing immediate intervention, and with the impending threat of Super El Niño later this year, we encourage our fellow national government agencies to seek financial assistance through our NDRRM fund to augment their respective response operations,” Catedral shared, recommending a council resolution to expedite the request.
As the December to March 2027 cropping season approaches, the DA is mobilizing targeted interventions to restore farm productivity in El Niño-affected communities. Beyond immediate relief, these efforts aim to build long-term climate resilience, safeguard rural livelihoods, and secure food supply across the region. (NJGD, PIA Caraga; Photo courtesy of DA Caraga)
