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SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union: Thanks to typhoon Dodong, rain has been
pouring continuously for the past days in the provinces of La Union
and Pangasinan.
La Union, however, is still under a state
of calamity.
“Just like what Agriculture Secretary
Arthur Yap, it will need more rain to put an end to the drought,”
said La Union Provincial Information Officer Joseph Dumuk.
“Hopefully, with the continuous rain the
farmers can heave a sigh of relief,” he said. “But of course we
will still need the rainy season after this typhoon.”
Dumuk said the La Union Provincial Board passed
provincial resolution number 188-2007 on July 26 declaring the
entire province under a state of calamity.
Of the almost 29,000 hectares rice growing
area in the province, said Dumuk, 20,000 hectares are affected by
the drought.
From the province’s calamity fund, the
provincial government provided, among others, palay and corn seeds
to the farmers, water pumps and veterinary medicines and veterinary
assistance to livestock owners and raisers.
For the long-term solution to the
irrigation problem, Dumuk said the provincial and national
government would work on the rehabilitation of the irrigation
systems in La Union.
These include the Masalip Irrigation
System that covers the towns of Tubao, Aringay, Agoo and Sto. Tomas;
the Amburayan Irrigation System covering the towns of Sudipen,
Bangar, Balaoan and Luna; as well as, the water communal
irrigation systems.
Meanwhile, the continuous rain also
improved the water level of the San Roque Dam in San Manuel,
Pangasinan.
The dam’s critical level was 225 meters
above sea level, with this current downpour, it has gone up to
227.68 meters from 226.3 meters on August 1.
Tommy Valdez, San Roque Power Corporation
Vice-President for Corporate Social Responsibility said the present
water level is far below the spilling level of 280 meters.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Pangasinan
convened on Thursday afternoon for a special session to discuss the
problems of the farmers caused by the dry spell.
--Liway M. Yparraguerre
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