EFFECTS OF EL NIÑO

EFFECTS OF EL NIÑO BEING FELT ACROSS THE COUNTRY

The El Niño dry spell has been causing losses to agriculture and tourism across the country, from farmlands up north to poultry farms and tourist destinations down south.

In Benguet in northern Philippines, water sources for mountain farmlands planted with potato, cabbage and other temperate vegetables have begun to dry up due to El Niño, threatening the country’s “Salad Bowl."

“There will be changes in the characteristics of plants. Pests and diseases are also possible," said Lolita Bentres, provincial agriculturist of Benguet.

In Ilagan, capital town of Isabela province also in northern Philippines, the Pinsal Falls in the Ilagan Sanctuary, a popular tourist attraction among locals, has begun to dry up also due to El Niño.

“Kung dati ang lapad niya isang buong kurtina, ngayon siguro kalahating kurtina na lang siya. Parang kalahati po ‘yung tubig na nawala (Before, the falls were as wide as a curtain. Now it’s probably just half-a-curtain wide. It’s like half of the water has been lost)," said Billy Perez of the Ilagan Sanctuary.

A seven-foot-deep swimming pool inside the sanctuary, which used to be open to the public, has been closed after the spring where it gets its water supply dried up.

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As of March 2, Magat dam was already 26.51 meters below its average level of 183.29 meters, about half a meter below its 157.19-meter level on March 1.

"The level of Magat is critical. As a result, upland agricultural areas can no longer be supplied with water. Only low-lying areas will be served," she said in Filipino.

Magat Dam is a major source of irrigation water for Cagayan Valley provinces and supplies additional hydroelectric power to the Luzon grid.

Susan Espinueva of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (PAGASA) Hydrometeorological Division said the government should also closely monitor Angat Dam in Bulacan province since it was already 6.07 meters below its normal level of 197.78 meters.

The water level of Ipo Dam, also in Bulacan province, went down further to 100.63 meters on Tuesday from 100.75 meters the day before, while the La Mesa dam in Quezon City fell by about a centimeter to 79.89 meters on Tuesday from a day earlier.

The Angat-Ipo-La Mesa water system provides irrigation to Bulacan and Pampanga provinces and supplies potable water to Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, the water level in Binga Dam in Benguet province has dropped to 562.55 meters — 11.45 meters lower than its average level of 574 meters. The Ambuklao Dam, also in Benguet, was 11.72 meters lower than its normal level of 752 meters, while the water level of San Roque Dam in Pangasinan was 2.71 meters short of its normal level of 250 meters.

All three dams are major producers of hydroelectric power for the Luzon grid, and San Roque also provides irrigation to hundreds of square kilometers of farmlands.

Meanwhile, the current level of Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija province was pegged at 202.3 meters — 6.14 meters short of its normal level.
All dam levels were “below normal and near critical," said Espinueva, adding that the steady decline was a "critical trend" because the country has yet to feel the drought’s full effect.