Cloud-seeding operations start in Bohol

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — With the start of the planting season, a series of cloud seeding operations, of two rounds a day for two to three weeks, have been carried out starting January 13 by the Bureau of Soil and Water Management.

According to Larry Pamugas, OIC of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, majority of the farmers cultivating 55,850 hectares of ricefields—26,151 hectares are irrigated and 29,699 rainfed—are still in the land preparation stage as of now and need abundant water supply.

The BSWM cloud-seeding team started Thursday morning with one sortie or seeding flight, using 20 sacks or 500 kilos of vacuum dried fine salt loaded per flight.

The team was supposed to start the cloud seeding operations last Monday, but it was only able to do it on Wednesday, “due to the change of wind direction,” which was going eastward and leaving the targeted areas, Malinao and Bayongan dams, with nothing but blue skies, said Pamugas.

The team later reported to Governor Edgar Chatto that “seeded areas were east northeast of Malinao Dam, east-northeast of Bayongan Dam, Dagohoy, and Alicia agricultural areas.

Rainfall occurrence were observed after two to three hours in the Dagohoy area and the towns of Pilar, Antequera, Maribojoc, Cortes, Corella, Sikatuna, Tagbilaran, Dauis, Panglao, Trinidad and Talibon, said its report.

The cloud-seeding operations were also intended for the four major dams in Bohol (Malinao Dam in Pilar, Bayongan Dam in San Miguel, Zamora Dam in Talibon and Capayas Dam in Ubay) to store enough rain water for the farmers.

Finally, they spotted cumulonimbus clouds and monitored the favorable wind direction on Wednesday, prompting them to push through with the cloud-seeding.

Pamugas further explained that, in the new protocol, the cloud seeding operations will utilize a two-engine aircraft to be manned by two Philippine Air Force pilots, based on the advice of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.  (FREEMAN)