El Niño (Part 2)

EL NIÑO (Part 2)

By Anton Antonio

October 19, 2015

El Niño has been a phenomenon that has been with us since time immemorial.  That being so, why should be alarmed by the one that supposed to hit the Philippines in the last quarter of 2015 and is projected to extend up to the first quarter of 2016.  Well… this one is abnormally for a longer period of time and, paired with global warming, it could wreak havoc on Agricultural productivity.  The Philippines, being a predominantly agricultural country, depends largely on agriculture to spur economic development and, more important, food security.  A food security problem may not be the concern of the few rich and upper middle class but will definitely impact severely on the lower middle class and poor sector of Philippine society.  I hasten to add that the latter sector of our society translate to about 70% of the population.

North Cotabato, one of the poor provinces in the country, could be a microcosm of the kind of problem El Niño possible brings.  Please read this researched material…

“FARMERS, BUSINESSES IN NORTH COTABATO BRACE FOR EL NIÑO…

September 7, 2015

NORTH COTABATO – A retired agriculturist in Barangay Kiwanan in Midsayap town, North Cotabato owns a backyard lot where she plants a variety of vegetables and sells it in the market.  To ensure the quality of vegetables, she uses a technique called mulching.  Mulching is a protective covering, usually using organic matter such as leaves or straws, to prevent water evaporation.  This helps retain the soil moisture especially during summer season.  Rufino de Guzman, one of the backyard caretakers, says it takes three weeks for the soil to dry up.  Mulching protects their plants especially now that El Niño is fast approaching.  In the meantime, other businessmen in North Cotabato have been adding more generator sets amid the rotational brownout in some parts of the province due to still a limited power supply.  They also began using LED lights as power rates also increased.  Rolly Sacdalan, who owns a grocery and department store in Midsayap town, said that if the El Niño phenomenon will be as bad as that took place in 1997, their sales may be affected.  This means they might have to cut certain costs and layoff employees.”

Environmental scientists and environmental science practitioners and experts have been mouthing a dooms day scenarios on the impact an extreme and protracted El Niño occurrence.  Government and the agricultural industry should have an alternative program to mitigate the impact of El Niño.

Thoughts to promote positive action…

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REFERENCE:

abs-cbnnews.com, (2015). “Farmers, Businesses in North Cotabato Brace for El Nino”. Retrieved on October 19, 2015 from http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/09/07/15/farmers-businesses-north-cotabato-brace-el-nino