Cloud seeding brings rain to Bicol provinces

Juan Escandor Jr.
Inquirer Southern Luzon

March 11, 2010

NAGA CITY, Philippines – The cloud-seeding operation undertaken by the Department of Agriculture appears to have brought rains to Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon provinces in Bicol.

“It seems that the cloud-seeding operation is already bringing rains but we have to fully determine yet if it is also brought about by some atmospheric factors,” Marilyn Sta. Catalina, acting agriculture department regional executive director, told the Inquirer over the phone Thursday.

Sta. Catalina said they started the cloud-seeding operation on March 6 and so far they have already done 18 airplane sorties in Albay, Sorsogon, Camarines Sur and Masbate.

She said they targeted 70 hours of flight seed the clouds with salt, with an estimated cost of P2.5 million.

Sta. Catalina said they would assess the situation as to whether to continue or not or fully implement the target number of hours of seeding after 30 hours of flight time.

She said the cloud-seeding operation was only a mitigating measure to limit the damage of the dry spell that has dried up hundreds of hectares of rice and corn farms.

Bernardo Alejandro, regional director of the Office of Civil Defense, said in an interview here that the dry spell has already brought P250 million in crop damages all over Bicol, with Camarines Sur as the biggest loser with P124 million damages recorded.
Alejandro said the OCD could only undertake information dissemination campaign and monitor the developments.

For the past three days, gentle rains have wet parched dry lands here and this Thursday heavier rain drenched Camarines Sur and Albay in the morning.

Sta. Catalina said they hoped that the coming of rain could still save farms that are not yet totally damaged and that they were ready to help the farmers recover.