LOREN URGES PUBLIC TO CONSERVE WATER
AS EL NIÑO THREAT LOOMS

Senator Loren Legarda today reiterated her call to conserve water as the El Niño threat looms over the country's agriculture, and food and water supply.

The Department of Agriculture warned the public that the prolonged drought would drastically cut down the production of local crops, like rice, corn, sugar cane, vegetables and other agricultural products.

Officials say three provinces in the central region have started to feel the effects of the El Niño phenomenon by having below normal rainfall. The provinces of Capiz, Aklan and Guimaras in the central Philippines have had below normal rainfall since August and have already started experiencing drought.

Further, the Dam in Pantabangan is already meeting the challenge of mitigating the effects of the El Niño phenomenon as its last report from National Irrigation Administration (NIA) that Pantabangan Dam had 1.53 meters of water to spare for continuous irrigation of 102,550 hectares of rice land in the province while other Dams in Luzon like Magat Dam in Isabela is now negative 17.5 meters from its rule curve; San Roque Dam in Pangasinan, negative 7.68 meters; and Angat Dam in Bulacan, negative 8.49 meters.

Loren, chair of the Senate Committee on Food and Agriculture, recently filed the resolution after the weather burea announced that the El Niño phenomenon or prolonged drought has already hit the Philippines and may last for six months until May also said that "we must act together and prepare ourselves to havoc this crisis."

"The agricultural adaptation program must ensure more investments in agricultural research and infrastructure, improved water governance and land use policies, better forecasting tools and early warning systems and a strengthened extension system that will assist farmers to achieve economic diversification and access to credit to make significant improvements in our food security goals. More over, lets all help each other and start with simplest things – conserving water, planting tress, that helps big changes happen," said Loren.