Farmers in town that Mt. Pinatubo ravaged won’t give up agriculture

BACOLOR, Pampanga—In this town ravaged by Mt. Pinatubo’s 1991 eruptions, farmers like Moises Dimabuyu want the services of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) back 20 years after the disaster.

For lack of irrigation water, Dimabuyu on Wednesday shoveled the ground to direct water from a nearby creek to his less than 2-hectare rice land. Rains have filled the creek and he’s taking advantage of the available water.

“Rice seeds need a lot of water,” he said.

His neighbor, Ricardo Butui, relied on rains to feed his three-hectare rice farm. On Wednesday, the stalks are heavy with palay that are ready to harvest.

“If there is sufficient water, land preparations cost would be lower,” Butui said, recalling that he spent P30,000 a hectare.

Dimabuyu and Butui are 2.5 kilometers from the transverse dike in the middle of the U-shaped FVR Megadike, Pampanga’s main defense against lahar. Yet, they persist with farming despite the danger because their lands in the villages of San Antonio and Concepcion are all they have.

Far down Barangay Concepcion, Paterno Manlapaz uses the little amount of water that flows from a creek fed by the Pasig-Potrero River to water his vegetables.

Down the transverse dike, everything is green—rice, mango orchards, sweet potatoes, sugarcane and vegetables of all kinds. But within or outside the dike, everybody relies on the rain to make agriculture work even when the volcanic-laden soil is acidic.

“You can never find very patient people except us, farmers, in Bacolor,” Manlapaz said.

In San Antonio, 31 farmers have returned. In Concepcion, at least 30 farmers are back for good. Many return during the wet season but only to farm.

“This explains why few farmers have settled in for good. That’s why our villages have not been revived fully. There’s little irrigation,” said Manlapaz, also a barangay council member.

The creek, which is the original irrigation canal, is less than two meters wide and not over 12 inches deep.

But Bacolor has continued to be a productive area despite the disaster, said Mayor Jomar Hizon.

For instance, 2,035.8 ha in nine villages within the FVR Megadike are used for the production of rice, corn, gabi (yam) and sugarcane, reports from town agriculturist Nestor Pineda said.

These areas are also used in growing livestock and poultry.

In the 11 villages outside the dike, at least 1,275.7 ha are cultivated, data showed.

“Our people farm under difficult situations. It reflects their determination. Our people really deserve support from the government,” Hizon said.

Over 3,000 farmers would benefit if NIA restores its services in Bacolor, he said. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon