No seedable clouds for Negros, experts confirm

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY – The hope for cloud seeding to alleviate the drought-stricken lands of southern Negros has faced another setback, as experts from the Department of Agriculture (DA) regional office have once again dismissed the possibility.

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson relayed the experts’ findings to reporters, stating that the clouds in the region lack the necessary moisture to make cloud seeding viable.

“We were hoping it could be done, and we asked them to reconsider,” Lacson expressed, referencing a recent discussion with DA regional officials.

The conversation with the DA followed an encounter with 5th district Rep. Dino Yulo, who presented collated photos of what he believed to be seedable clouds in the area.

Despite these visual reports, the DA remained firm in their assessment.

“The main reason is there are no seedable clouds,” explained Lacson.

Lacson communicated that experts from the Bureau of Soil and Water Management have noted the insufficiency of moisture in the clouds, which renders cloud seeding futile.

“Kulang sa moisture so talagang masasayang lang,” he recounted being told of the futility of cloud seeding under current conditions.

The governor underscored the reliance on scientific explanations, indicating that not all visible clouds are suitable for seeding.

He also mentioned the experts’ assertion that even if seeding were possible, it would not result in the desired level of precipitation. “It will not result in the rain we want,” he concluded.