Wet summer gives the farmers an opportunity to proceed with the season for corn planting, while bracing for another mild El Niño starting either July or August—the supposed time for rainy days.

The rainy days, however, moved earlier this month until end of May—the supposed dry season.

In the recent meeting of the Technical Working Group of the provincial government, Leonard Samar of the local office of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported that a mild dry spell will again haunt Bohol either by June or July—the supposed start of the rainy days.

Another forecast shows that the mild El Niño will extend until end of this year where the temperature can go in the average of33.6 degrees Celsius.

Samar also relayed the PAGASA forecast that farmers can expect rain in May, citing unusual climate pattern this time.

The PAGASA forecast has been made the reference for the TWG to recommend the cloudseeding to be postponed to July-August when the mild El Niño phenomenon resumes.

However, the provincial government already prepared the requisites for the cloudseeding that would cost P2.3 million.

Pamugas, officer-in-charge of the Provincial Agriculturist’s Office, said the bidding can already proceed this week.

It already started to rain this month, but Pamugas advised farmers to avoid taking risk with palay this time.

The next rounds of rain will be good signal, but only for corn farmers.

Land preparation for palay can proceed only in the second or third week of May, and by then, the seeds will be ready, Pamugas said.

The palay will only take 115 days to grow, anyway, he added.

Farmers—both in rainfed and irrigated areas—have to take advantage when abundant rain comes to proceed with the land preparation, considering that the National Irrigation Administration (NIA)-7 will only release dam water for the maintenance to maximize the stock of water and not for land preparation.

Engr. Maximino Servillon of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) Provincial Operations Center farmers have to observe this arrangement with NIA-7, considering that the dams in Bohol are of catchment design unlike in other provinces where there are run-of-the-river dams.

Servillon cited that the Inabanga River could be a source for a run-of-the-river dam if NIA-7 decides to construct one.

Meanwhile, the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) already approved the upgrading the Malinao dam with the budget of P653 million.

NIA-7 Regional Director Mario Sande saidn increasing the height of the Malinao dam by two meters will also increase its capacity from the present five million cubic meters to 3.11 million cubic meters.

With increased capacity, the Malinao dam can collect enough water that can last even in a period of two to three months without rain.