Press Release

The cloud seeding operations (CSOs) that were started last Thursday afternoon have brought rains over the watershed areas in the province of Bohol.
Leon Parac, Jr., cloud seeding focal person said that as of yesterday there were already four seeding flights over Malinao Watershed areas of the slated 45 hours CSOs
The CSOs is sponsored by the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh), Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Soil and Water Management (DA-BSWM), DA-Regional Field Office (DA-RFO7), Philippine Air Force (PAF), and Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA).
Parac said the first round of CSOs starting last Thursday up to November 18 using the vacuum dried salt (15-200 microns) has produced artificial rains from light to moderate over municipalities of Pilar (where the Malinao Dam located), Dagohoy, Carmen, Batuan, Corella, Balilihan, Tagbilaran, Cortes, Loay, Albur and Sikatuna.
While the second round using the 30 microns powder salt will be conducted from November 19 to November 27, 2018, he added.
Parac explained that after the 45-hour CSOs have been completed, another 42 hours of CSOs sponsored by the PGBh will be conducted.
The aircraft from Royhle Airways based in Dumaguete City has been used in the operations being piloted by Captain Madhu Puliyankalath and Captain Rahul Nair.
Capt. Puliyankalath said an average of one hour and 15 minutes have been consumed in one seeding flight.
Puliyankalath emphasized that the salt can be dispensed over seedable cloud, below the cloud, in the cloud and cloud-side relative to wind direction.
Engr. Corazon D. Ditarro from BSWM who manages the CSO Bohol Command Center based in Tagbilaran City Airport said the PGBh, PAF, PAG-ASA and BSWM ensures that every seeding flight could produce artificial rains to the target watershed areas.
Ditarro said that in the operations, the PAG-ASA through Robert Z. Quinto, Team Leader, Engineering Group, PAG-ASA’s Cloud Seeding Operation-Bohol is adopting a science-based approach by utilizing PAG-ASA’s state-of-the-art tools such as Doppler radar and radiosonde technology to monitor the development and movement of potentially seedable clouds.
As such, PAG-ASA has been conducting upper air observation by releasing a weather balloon every 7:30 a.m. from Nov. 9 to 28.
Quinto said in his letter to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) who also asked permission or clearance to release weather balloon that the conduct of CSO in Bohol is in response to the request of the PGBh due to water shortages in the most areas of the province which poses significant threats to agriculture.
Gov. Edgar M. Chatto as early as August this year wrote to PAG-ASA and BSWM humbly requesting to allocate funds for the conduct of CSOs aside from the P2.4 million approved allocation from the PGBh for the 42-hour CSOs after the PAG-ASA forecasted that in the last quarter of 2018 and early next year Bohol has been among of the provinces that would be affected by El Niño.
Gov. Chatto wants to ensure that the Boholano rice farmers could plant rice in the next dry cropping season. The intervention, among many objectives, is also expected to help retain the title for Bohol as Rice Granary of Central Visayas. (Atoy Cosap)

CLOUD SEEDING OPERATIONS: Captain Rahul Nair (first right photo) and Captain Madhu Puliyankalath pilots of the aircraft from Royhle Airways being used in the cloud seeding operations are in a ready position at the Tagbilaran City Airport for the next seeding operation last Friday to the watershed areas in Bohol. While Engr. Corazon D. Ditarro (left photo stated with sunglasses) from BSWM manages the CSO Bohol Command Center based at the City Airport to communicate the PAG-ASA personnel who monitor the seedable cloud in the target areas in Bohol to ensure that every seeding flight would produce artificial rains.

The Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office (DA-RFO) 7 joins the nation in celebration of the “Rice Awareness Month” this November.
Lorebien Lagapa, Provincial Rice Seeds Coordinator in Bohol said the celebration has to be highlighted with the Riceponsible Fun Run from Bohol Wisdom School (BWS) down to Plaza Rizal this city on November 24, 2018 to start at 4:30 a.m.
Lagapa said the first to arrive at the Plaza Rizal would receive 50-kilogram sack of brown rice; 25 kgs. for the second and 15 kgs. for the third to arrive.
She stressed that once all the participants will be at the Plaza Rizal they will perform a zumba dance and will receive one kilo of brown rice each and will be served special brown rice chicken arrozcaldo.
Lagapa said the first 300 runners who would register early at the BWS on Nov. 24 will receive one free t-shirt each.
The provincial rice seeds coordinator bared that among the objectives of the activity are: rice awareness, “riceponsible” consumption of rice, valuing hard work of the farmers and giving them appreciation, and advocacy to conserve rice.
In the campaign to conserve rice, Gov. Edgar M. Chatto has instructed the OPA on whatever program to be conducted to recite the rice pledge right after the singing of hymns. The pledge emphasizes the “riceponsible” consumption of rice at home, at restaurants and at parties.
Bohol has 56, 913 hectares (has.) of which the 23,993.68 has. are irrigated and the 32,919.53 are rain-fed, making Bohol a Rice Granary of Central Visayas wherein 70% of rice supply come from the province. (Atoy Cosap)

BOHOLANO OUTSTANDING AGRICULTURAL ACHIEVERS. The Boholano Outstanding Agricultural Achievers awardees are all smiles after receiving awards during ceremonies of the Outstanding Agricultural Achievers awards Search sponsored by DA-RFO7 last Monday at the Bayfront Hotel, Cebu City.
Foto: MARICEL C. BARLOSO

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