Sally Furniss
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Philippines ?Bracing for the Worst? in Drought
Romeo Ranoco/Reuters
By CARLOS H. CONDE
Published: February 19, 2010
MANILA ? A drought in the Philippines has destroyed millions of dollars worth of crops, reduced the country?s water supply and is threatening widespread blackouts as power companies contend with low water levels in hydroelectric dams, officials said Friday.
?It is such a difficult situation because we have just survived the typhoons in October that destroyed 1.5 million metric tons of rice and countless basic infrastructure,? Joel Rudinas, an under secretary at the Department of Agriculture, said Friday. ?We are bracing for the worst.?
At a news briefing on Friday, Charito Planas, a spokeswoman for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, asked Filipinos to use buckets to recycle bathwater for additional uses, like flushing toilets.
The damage to crops is now estimated at more than $61 million, and Mr. Rudinas said the Philippines, already the world?s largest importer of rice, has imported an additional 2.4 million tons because of the drought.
Nearly 400,000 acres of farmland have already been affected, and agriculture officials expect the drought to continue, perhaps until July.
Mrs. Arroyo said on Tuesday that she was concerned about the fall in farmers? income, but assured Filipinos that the food supply would not suffer.
The government has begun cloud-seeding operations in hard-hit areas, particularly the north, and has allotted some $20 million to aid farm and fishing in at least 14 of the country?s 80 provinces.
Two weeks ago, Mrs. Arroyo signed an order that effectively ordered the rationing of water, asking utility companies ?to maximize the limited supply of water.? Other government measures include the drilling of more water wells and the purchase of thousands of irrigation pumps. Some parts of the country, particularly the southern region of Mindanao, are almost certain to experience power cuts.
Carlito Claudio, an official with the National Grid Corp., told a House energy committee hearing this week that he expected two- to three-hour blackouts every day, possibly until the national elections in May. The comment prompted election watchdogs to urge the Commission on Elections to establish safeguards to prevent fraud. In previous elections, blackouts have often occurred while votes were being counted.
At least one lawmaker has suggested that Congress give Mrs. Arroyo emergency powers, including the authority to tap private power generators to supply additional electricity to the National Power Corp., the government-owned firm that generates much of the country?s electricity.
The Philippines suffered a severe drought in 1999 and two milder dry spells in 2004 and 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/20/world/asia/20phils.html
Romeo Ranoco/Reuters
By CARLOS H. CONDE
Published: February 19, 2010
MANILA ? A drought in the Philippines has destroyed millions of dollars worth of crops, reduced the country?s water supply and is threatening widespread blackouts as power companies contend with low water levels in hydroelectric dams, officials said Friday.
?It is such a difficult situation because we have just survived the typhoons in October that destroyed 1.5 million metric tons of rice and countless basic infrastructure,? Joel Rudinas, an under secretary at the Department of Agriculture, said Friday. ?We are bracing for the worst.?
At a news briefing on Friday, Charito Planas, a spokeswoman for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, asked Filipinos to use buckets to recycle bathwater for additional uses, like flushing toilets.
The damage to crops is now estimated at more than $61 million, and Mr. Rudinas said the Philippines, already the world?s largest importer of rice, has imported an additional 2.4 million tons because of the drought.
Nearly 400,000 acres of farmland have already been affected, and agriculture officials expect the drought to continue, perhaps until July.
Mrs. Arroyo said on Tuesday that she was concerned about the fall in farmers? income, but assured Filipinos that the food supply would not suffer.
The government has begun cloud-seeding operations in hard-hit areas, particularly the north, and has allotted some $20 million to aid farm and fishing in at least 14 of the country?s 80 provinces.
Two weeks ago, Mrs. Arroyo signed an order that effectively ordered the rationing of water, asking utility companies ?to maximize the limited supply of water.? Other government measures include the drilling of more water wells and the purchase of thousands of irrigation pumps. Some parts of the country, particularly the southern region of Mindanao, are almost certain to experience power cuts.
Carlito Claudio, an official with the National Grid Corp., told a House energy committee hearing this week that he expected two- to three-hour blackouts every day, possibly until the national elections in May. The comment prompted election watchdogs to urge the Commission on Elections to establish safeguards to prevent fraud. In previous elections, blackouts have often occurred while votes were being counted.
At least one lawmaker has suggested that Congress give Mrs. Arroyo emergency powers, including the authority to tap private power generators to supply additional electricity to the National Power Corp., the government-owned firm that generates much of the country?s electricity.
The Philippines suffered a severe drought in 1999 and two milder dry spells in 2004 and 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/20/world/asia/20phils.html