Drought 2019: An Insidious Disaster Wreaks Havoc in the Countryside

According to a peasant woman in Camarines Sur , her entire arm could fit into the cracks of her rice field which yielded a mere 18 kilos of rice after a cavan of palay was milled. The rice grains were smaller and cracked easily while most of the palay grains were empty. For her family’s 2 hectare farm, only 40 cavans of palay from the usual 80-120 were harvested barely covering interests for loans and land rent. Proceeds were intended for her children’s secondary education and some capital for themain crop this July, but these plans are now impossible.

PAGASA warnings have always been an irony for its acronym that translates as “HOPE”. There is certainly no hope in its announcements of an extended “ El Nino” and all the bad news it brings. The full blown El Nino will last from 8-12 months of an extended dry season, delayed onset of rainy season, fewer tropical cyclones and below normal rainfall. This spells more bad news for farmers praying for

rain for their main crop of rice this July . Rain is also the cure for a coconut tree pest called “cocolisap" and is needed for other food crops to grow. Even rootcrops barely thrive in parched earth unless planted much earlier before drought sets in.

The Advocates of Science and Technology for the People ( AGHAM – Diliman ) presented in a forum last May 2019 the science behind the El Nino, which is a naturally occurring phenomenon of changing sea surface temperatures. What is being experienced now is only a weak El Nino. However, climate change is aggravating its effects specially in localized places near the Pacific, thus the severe drought.

In series of fora organized by the AMIHAN ( Women Peasant alliance ) in partnership with the CCNCI and PNFSP, the farmers shared their woes. Most rice fields are rainfed and during dry months, deep wells are tapped using diesel powered pumps. This year, most of these wells have dried up and the best efforts to pump what is left of the ground water entailed a huge expense for fuel. In Eastern Visayas, the fields were parched since October 2018 so that the farmers were never able to plant rice. According to farmer’s organization SAGUPA, this affected the entire region. The NDRRMC roughly estimates 15,146 affected hectares of land but the organization says that the real figure is actually much higher. It was only in April that a state of calamity was declared in the northern part of Samar but no aid was given to the farmers.

Widespread hunger was how farmers described the situation in Bicol, particularly in Camarines Sur, Albay, Masbate and Sorsogon. Lower rice yields to only half of the usual harvest was observed. Rice grains were smaller and reduced to powder when milled. Even corn fields have dried up and could have been a fair substitute for rice as staple but the harvests were more dismal. Farm animals are dying – pigs give birth prematurely and these offsprings do not survive; free range chickens known to be resilient succumb to the heat. Cows and carabaos also suffer from extreme heat and lack of food. As early as February, a state of calamity was declared in Albay followed by Camarines Sur. But the farmers have not received any assistance or aid and were told that an election ban on fund releases is being enforced.

People are also afflicted with infections due to lack of water for hygiene and sanitation. Occidental Mindoro is currently devastated due to drought. A mobile ocular survey done by CCNCI from Abra de Ilog to San Jose revealed hectares of dried up rice paddies with withered rice plants. Dried up creeks and river tributaries were also seen. The people even lament that they do not have drinking water. With no income, several families have migrated to Oriental Mindoro to work as farm

wage earners in onion and garlic fields, or towards Batangas as construction workers, stevedores or househelp. Women are double burdened being tasked to prepare food for the family and appease the cries of their hungry children.

Other organized peasants who attended the forum from Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and Mindanao echoed the same situation in their localities. This disturbing trend is a national calamity that is slowly killing our farmers, slowly destroying our farms and sources of food. It is a serious threat that needs to be addressed swiftly. It is an anthropogenic disaster wreaking havoc on the most vulnerable but least responsible for climate change.

Aggravating the calamity are painful realities in the countryside since the declaration of

Martial law in Mindanao and militarization in other provinces that led to widespread human rights violations. According to UMA (Unyon ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura), there are now 207 extrajudicial killings of farmers involved in peasant campaigns during the Duterte administration. Harassments and intimidation continue specially in the areas covered by Executive Order 32 placing the entire islands of Negros, Bohol and now the Bicol region under a virtual martial rule. Cooperatives and climate change adaptation initiatives were dismantled while several local organizations were vilified to be fronts of the armed left.

Systemic are the chronic problems in agriculture that continue to worsen each year. Copra and rice prices have dipped to its lowest this year . Local farm produce continue to fetch low prices due to massive importations that compete with their products in the market. The recently passed Rice Tariffication Law has practically killed the rice industry . The DA has even boasted that rice stocks are sufficient for the coming rainy months—mostly imported rice from Vietnam and not the local rice bought from the farmers. TRAIN law has increased the costs of farm inputs and crude oil needed for

irrigation. The farmers are also hurting from the inutile “free irrigation act” that only favors the big landowners and not the small peasants reeling from the effects of drought.

As if these are not enough, massive land use conversion stands to obliterate farmlands – the expansion of the NAGA Airport will demolish prime agricultural lands in Pili, Camarines Sur; Naga to Matnog railway likewise; palm oil plantations have increasingly displaced rice and food crop farms in Mindanao. Mining continue to threaten agricultural land also in Bicol (Camarines Norte, Masbate ) and Mindanao. The National Greening Program or the NGP is a false solution for the food insecurity of Aetas in Central Luzon. Their food crop farms are being demolished to give way to commercial plantations.

Responses of government came late. Rice and other crops were already planted when 42 local government units declared states of calamity due to drought. Only token aid were given to farmers and these were even fought and begged for. For all the areas mentioned, the farmers themselves had to act to get government to respond. Regional and provincial peasant organizations trooped to the local Departments of Agriculture, Social Welfare and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management. They aired their demands before Local Government Units. They sought dialogues and implored for relief and assistance to the worst calamity to hit the country for this year. Some rice

subsidies were given to famished families after dialogues in Bicol, Eastern Visayas , Cagayan Valley, Leyte and Mamburao were done. Seeds and implements were also given to farmers in the six provinces of Bicol. But all of these will not suffice. Because of the extended drought, government must realize that the farmers cannot plant a main crop. Hunger and want shall worsen and continue for the entire year. Subsidies and aid will not be enough.

Resounding is the statement that climate resiliency must be achieved through a comprehensive approach to climate change and its effects. Dr. Chito Medina, a keynote speaker in one forum and the CCNCI’s Board Chairperson emphasizes that climate change adaptation or CCA must be geared towards true resiliency and not as mere reactive measures. He further reiterates that CCA as an organizational task must be incorporated in PO programs and given due focus. Political campaigns and policy critiques must be continued to address the systemic hindrances to genuine agrarian development that will pave the way for successful adaptation, mitigation and resiliency. Government must mobilize all resources possible, including the elusive People’s Survival Fund for the drought stricken farmers. All government agencies present in the various dialogues were brought to task – the LGU’s, Departments of

Social Welfare, Agriculture, Disaster Resiliency, Irrigation and the Climate Change Commission. They have promised action but the people’s vigilance is needed to ensure results.

This will be a continuous struggle and the CCNCI, AMIHAN, PNFSP, CDRC and the people’s organizations, advocates and network will work as one movement to meet this crisis head on.