Cloud seeding on June if no heavy rains until end of May

The Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) will conduct the Cloud Seeding Operations (CSOs) in Bohol if no heavy rains that happen in the province until the end of this month.
During the El Niño Task Force Meeting last May 10, 2019, Leonard Samar from the local Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) reported that based on the El Niño and Climate Outlook, the provinces of Bohol, Cebu and Southern Leyte in Visayas have experienced dry spell.
Samar said that according to PAG-ASA El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Alert System Status, the week El Niño continues to persist in the Tropical Pacific; majority of climate models suggest El Niño condition to continue through June-July-August 2019 season.
While based on the model forecasts, it indicates weak strength El Niño conditions for the May-August and has continued into September to December 2019 season.
Leon Parac, Jr., CSO focal person said last week there were 18 towns in Bohol had experienced moderate to heavy rainfalls namely: Candijay, Bilar, Ubay, Talibon, Getafe, Bien Unido, Calape, Dagohoy, Sierra Bullones, Danao, Sagbayan, Carmen, Batuan, Catigbian, Guindulman, Duero, Jagna, and Pilar.
However, Parac said that according to the rice technicians the rain water could easily absorb to the ground and could not be used for land preparation for the next cropping season.
He said that supposed to be at the middle of this month the farmers have already started the land preparation or the sowing of rice seeds to ensure for planting on the first week of June.
Parac disclosed that last May 15-16, 2019, he at the OPA and Engr. Edwin Reños from the BSM had conducted the joint area assessment of the service areas of the four major dams in the province of which they found out that the present water level conditions could not suffice to be used for planting if there will be no heavy rains to happen to elevate the water level conditions of the dams.
As of May 17, 2019, the water elevation of Malinao Dam in Pilar was 151.79 meters (ms.) against 152 ms. at full; Bayongan Dam in San Miguel – 44.58 ms. against 52 ms. at full; Capayas Dam in Ubay (33.14 ms.) while at full is 36.5 ms. and Talibon Dam in Zamora, Talibon-25.82 ms. against 30 ms. at full.
Parac bared that as of now there are standby funds intended for cloud seeding from DA-BSWM worth P25 million(M) which was already down loaded at the DA-Regional Field Office 7 and the P2.3M from the PGBh which was already approved last year and the notice to proceed (NTP) was already processed by the Bids & Awards Committee (BAC) of the provincial government and only the signature of the governor has been waited.
The province of Bohol has 86,913.21 hectares (has.) of rice lands of which 32,919.53 has. are rainfed and 23,993.65 has. are irrigated. (Atoy Cosap)

DAM WATER ELEVATION. The Bayongan Dam in San Miguel, Bohol such photos are taken last May 15, 2019 during the joint OPA and BSWM assessment shows that the water level could not suffice to be used for planting in the next cropping season. Photo by Leon Parac, Jr., OPA STAFF