Cloud seeding efforts across Negros Occidental have drawn recognition from sugar industry workers following a 28-day operation that provided assistance to farms affected by drought. The campaign, carried out through cooperation among the provincial government, the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Bureau of Soils and Water Management, and the Philippine Air Force (PAF), completed 38 sorties covering 52 flying hours and used 456 bags of salt as a seeding agent.
The National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines (NACUSIP) commended Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson for the initiative, citing the results of the province's collaboration with national government agencies.
PAF Operations Receive Recognition Amid Drought
According to NACUSIP, the PAF’s 900th Air Force Weather Group recorded a 100-percent success rate during cloud seeding operations conducted across Western Visayas and the Negros Island Region from September to October. The group cited the campaign as an example of how government agencies can pool resources to respond to agricultural challenges.
The recognition comes as DA–Negros Island Region prepares a separate P30-million cloud seeding project to help reduce the effects of the approaching Super El Niño. NACUSIP, however, is calling on the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to reconsider plans to rent private aircraft and instead make use of existing government resources.
“We cannot afford to waste precious government allocations on exorbitant private rentals when taxpayers’ money already sustains the operations of the Philippine Air Force,” NACUSIP National President Roland de la Cruz said.
He also raised concerns over the potential cost of commercial aircraft rentals and their impact on funding for farmers and sugar workers.
“Renting commercial planes is an unnecessary luxury and a wasteful expenditure that takes funds away from agricultural input subsidies and direct support for distressed farmers and sugar workers,” de la Cruz added.
Calls to Prioritize Operational Funds and Farmer Support
De la Cruz said the P30-million allocation should be directed toward essential operating requirements, including salt and fuel, rather than private aviation contracts. His position comes as crop damage in Negros Occidental has reached P41.98 million, affecting thousands of farmers and workers.
NACUSIP is urging the SRA to follow Lacson’s approach by strengthening cooperation among government agencies and using available public resources instead of contracting private aviation companies.
The results of the Negros campaign highlight the role of coordinated government operations in responding to drought and protecting agricultural production. With thousands of farmers and workers already affected by crop losses, decisions on how the next cloud seeding budget is spent will matter beyond the operation itself. Public funds must translate into timely, practical support for agricultural communities facing increasingly difficult growing conditions.
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