El Niño threatens 96,000 hectares of Antique farmland
By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique — More than 96,000 hectares of crops in Antique face water stress and possible yield losses as prolonged dry conditions threaten farm water supplies ahead of a looming Super El Niño.
As of April 2026, about 43,363 hectares of rice, 1,337 hectares of rain-fed corn, and more than 52,000 hectares of high-value crops in the province were identified as likely to be affected by reduced rainfall in the coming months.
El Niño is a climate pattern marked by above-normal sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, and it typically brings below-normal rainfall to much of the Philippines.
The Antique provincial government said agriculture is among the sectors most vulnerable to prolonged heat and water shortages, which could reduce crop production and farmers’ income.
The province is drawing lessons from its experience during the 2024 El Niño, when agriculture sustained substantial losses.
Broderick Train, officer of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said the province recorded agricultural damage of PHP 347.8 million in 2024.
“The risks are proven to be real, and the conditions are expected to grow in this period. So, we have to act now and prepare for the worst,” he said.
Train said the province is using its previous experience with El Niño to strengthen early preparation and coordination among government agencies.
The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist is preparing rice seeds and fertilizer.
The office is also promoting farming practices that use less water, including alternate wetting and drying, an irrigation method in which rice fields are allowed to dry periodically instead of staying flooded.
Farmers are also being encouraged to consider crops better suited to dry conditions, such as cassava, mung bean, pepper, and sweet potato.
Eleven local government units and 216 barangays reported water shortages during the first quarter of 2026, prompting interventions such as water rationing, water deliveries, and deployment of deep-well pumps.
No active water shortage was reported in the province from May 1 to Oct. 5, according to the PDRRMO.
The provincial government has reconstituted its El Niño Task Force, which brings together government agencies and stakeholders under six clusters covering social and public safety, agriculture and fisheries, water, health, energy, and environmental management.
Comments (0)
LEAVE A REPLY
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts!
Related Articles
AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT FERDINAND R. MARCOS, JR. AND THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM
Sicogon Island: 16 Years Of Promises, A Community Still Waiting Dear President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and the Honorable Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform: We, the residents and members of the Sicogon Island community in Carles, Iloilo, respectfully appeal to your office to look into the long-standing issues surrounding the Sicogon Joint Venture
NGCP denies delaying Visayas ancillary services contracts, cites plant outages
By Rjay Zuriaga Castor ILOILO CITY — The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) rejected allegations by the Department of Energy (DOE) that it is delaying the execution of ancillary services, which the agency argued contributed to recurring power shortages and rotational brownouts in the Visayas. NGCP, in a statement shared with Daily Guardian,
Water fix: MPIW to lay 208 km of pipelines
ILOILO CITY — Metro Pacific Iloilo Water Inc. (MPIW) aims to install and replace 208 kilometers of pipelines from late 2026 through 2027 to improve water services for about 221,000 residents of Iloilo City and Iloilo province. MPIW has allocated about PHP 5 billion in capital expenditures, with 85% earmarked for