Cloud seeding now awaits

local “Notice to Proceed”

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA)--After receiving an initial damage report of P125.7 million in crop damage due to El Nino, Boholanos are now awaiting for the local issuance of the notice to proceed, before the contractor can start bringing in the plane for the farmers to hopefully start the dry cropping.

Office of the Provincial Agriculturist supervising agriculturist Gertrudis Fuentes bared this update at the recent Kapihan sa PIA, Thursday.

The good thing is that, since the cloud seeding operations is by local procurement, the issuance of the notice to proceed need not go for approval outside Bohol, she confirmed.

It may be recalled that the Provincial Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) has been allocated in its 2026 budget, some P5 million in preparation for climate-change mitigation initiatives, including cloud-seeding operations and agricultural support during dry spells.

This, according to Provincial Administrator Asteria Caberte, in reports is for 31 hours of cloud seeding operations, which the Provincial El Nino Task Force has tagged for emergency procurement procedures.

On the other hand, the OPA in Bohol also confirmed funds from the Department of Agriculture Bureau of Soils and Water Management, which is also equivalent to 29 hours of cloud seeding flights.

With initial reports of only 11 hectares of rice lands harvested by the end of August, the OPA said as much as 4,304 farmers from 13 towns have been initially reported as affected.

She also said the Provincial Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Information System, which tracks the encoded data of crop damages from municipal encoders, has showed that in the 13 towns, a total of P125.7 million in crop damage has been reported.

Of this amount, 93 percent represent damages in rice crops during the May to July cropping.

Fuentes also said that corn accounts for the 3 percent in the P125.7 Million damage, while damaged high value commercial crops make up the remaining 3.68 percent.

For rainfall-enhancement cloud seeding, the OPA said the key point is the presence of suitable clouds with enough moisture and the right atmospheric structure.

The past months have been so hot that days were characterized as generally cloudless, that cloud seeding becomes futile since it cannot create a rain-producing cloud from clear sky.

The country’s sate weather bureau notes that cloud formation depends on moisture, temperature, pressure and air movement, factors that were totally absent over Bohol skies in the past months. (PIAbohol)

ANYTIME NOW. Bohol OPA supervising agriculturist Gertrudis Fuentes, at the Kapihan sa PIA bared that the proposed cloud seeding operations can happen anytime, with the notice to proceed coming within Bohol and not from outside authorities. (PIAbohol)