Cloud seeding contractor ‘did not deliver’ – OPV

Liza Quirog, Provincial Agriculturist of Bohol, informed the Bohol Chronicle that Mr. Junne P. Abejuela and
his company Pegasus Air Services did not deliver P2.5 million out of the P7.0 million contracted cloud seeding
services despite being awarded contracts in 2023 and 2024.

Per Quirog, the first contract worth P2.5 million pesos was awarded on October 27, 2023, following a bidding
process in July of same year.

This agreement stipulated 42 hours of cloud seeding flights at a rate of P53,000 pesos per hour.
Another contract for P4.5 million pesos was reportedly without bidding on June 4, 2024, providing for 50
hours of cloud seeding at P81,000 pesos per hour.

On November 29, 2023, Mr. Abejuela wrote proposing changes to the agreed-upon terms, including a switch
from a twin-engine aircraft to a single-engine plane, which she said was not written in the contract’s specifications.
“By the end of 2023, Mr. Abejuela had still not provided any cloud seeding services,” Quirog said.

Cloud seeding, a weather modification technique used to induce rainfall, is seen as a key strategy in the
Philippines’ efforts to mitigate the impacts of El Niño.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has warned
that El Niño conditions could persist until the first quarter of 2024, potentially leading to reduced rainfall and
drought in parts of the country.

The provincial Capitol led by Governor Aris Aumentado had earlier insisted that failure to implement the
cloud seeding project as planned could leave Bohol province, known for its agricultural production, vulnerable to
weather-related challenges.

The procurement process took a long time, after the bidding in July 2023, and the Contract Agreement on
October 27, 2023, the Notice to Proceed was given to Pegasus Air Services on November 24, 2023 as represented by
Mr. Abejuela and was given 5 days to deliver the services for cloud seeding.

“During the BAC [Bids and Awards Committee] meeting, some members required Mr. Abejuela to have a
ready contract to rent an airplane.

The members assumed he had access to an airplane, but Mr. Abejuela’s plane was not guaranteed during the
bid opening,” a member of BAC’s Technical Working Group revealed.

Quirog revealed that she furnished letters to Abejuela on December 6 and December 16, 2023, reminding him
of his contractual obligations and the need to commence cloud seeding operations to address the ongoing El Niño.
However, she said in spite these communications no cloud seeding was conducted.