Closure of city airport causes delay in the resumption of cloud seeding

The closure of the Tagbilaran City Airport had caused a delay in the resumption of the Cloud Seeding Operations (CSOs) in the province of Bohol.
This surfaced after the aircraft being used in the seeding flight operation must be based at the Bohol Panglao International Airport and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAAP) won’t allow that the vacuum dried salt and the aviation gasoline could be stocked within the perimeter of the airport.
Leon Parac, Jr. cloud seeding focal person said that stocking the salt and aviation gas outside the perimeter of the airport could really cause the delay in the operations considering the distance that could hamper the smooth operations.
Parac said that Gov. Edgar M. Chatto had already sent a formal letter to CAAP Central Office through Atty. Rafael A.Tatlonghari CAAP/Airport Manager, Bohol Panglao International Airport requesting the said office to provide space for free at the airport for the command center in the operations and for the salt stocking.
He said that the cloud seeding operation that was started last November 8, 2018, has caused rains to several towns in the province.
Engr. Donesa Autida from the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) reported on their weekly monitoring of the four major dams in Bohol and they have noticed an increase in water level elevations.
She said that on Nov. 5 monitoring, the water elevation of Bayongan Dam in San Miguel was registered at 45.02 meters (ms.), Malinao Dam in Pilar (151.88 ms.), Capayas Dam in Ubay (35.71ms.), Talibon Dam in Talibon (27.2 ms.). While on Nov. 12, the Bayongan registered at 46.65 ms., Malinao (151.72ms.), Capayas (35.71 ms.) and Talibon (27.36 ms.).
And on Nov. 18, 2018 monitoring, the actual water elevation of Bayongan was 46.40 ms., Malinao (151.37), Capayas (35.89 ms.), and Talibon (27.51 ms.).
The registered a decrease of the water level of the Malinao Dam happened because the irrigation water was diverted to Bayongan Dam and consequently released to the service areas for land preparation.
However, the Technical Working Group (TWG) on El Niño and La Niña Task Force said that even though the province lately experienced rainfall brought about by Low-Pressure Area and Tropical Depression, Bohol still needs the CSOs so that the water elevations of the four major dams would reach to spill elevations.
Based on the Nov. 21 monitoring after the Tropical Depression Samuel, the actual water elevation of Bayongan was 42.42ms at par with the spill elevation of 52 ms., Malinao at 151.78ms. against 152 ms., Talibon at 27.51 ms. against the 30 ms. spill elevation, except for Capayas Dam where the water level is full at 36.50 ms.
Dr. Pamugas instructed the PAF personnel who accompanied the two pilots in the operations to dispense salt over the seedable clouds in any areas in Bohol and not to be selective only over the watershed areas as long as it would produce artificial rain that pours in the land areas in Bohol to ensure that the Boholano farmers could plant rice, corn and other agricultural products.
The 45-hour CSOs will be conducted in two rounds. The first round ran from Nov. 8, 2018, and supposed to end on Nov. 18; while the second round should have been conducted from Nov. 19 to Nov. 27, 2018. Another set of 42-hour CSOs sponsored mainly by the PGBh is set to start soon. (Atoy Cosap)