MANILA, Philippines — Pampanga, one of the areas in the country projected to have a dry spell due to El Niño, is preparing measures to help its farmers cope with the phenomenon.
The province is assessing all agricultural areas and their irrigation system to find the best strategy, according to Pampanga Third District Board Member Jun Canlas, who is also the national chairman of the Provincial Board Members of the Philippines.
“We are talking with our municipal agriculturists so that we can learn, especially from the farmers, what problems we’re facing. In that way, we can take the necessary steps,” Canlas said in Filipino on Monday during the Laging Handa, a televised public information program of the Presidential Communications Office.
The province is also undertaking an information dissemination campaign to local government units (LGU).
Canlas emphasized the importance of the participation of LGUs in distributing information on water-saving technologies to make better use of water resources.
The province, he added, was also collaborating with the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to ensure adequate irrigation.
According to Canlas, the provincial administration is coordinating to ensure that farmers are prepared to deal with the effects of El Niño, which is expected to last until early 2024.