Sen. Villar calls for more efforts to mitigate El Niño

TANAUAN, Leyte, April 5 (PNA) -- Senator Cynthia Villar urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) to step up the implementation of mitigation measure to reduce impacts of prolong dry season.

Villar, the chair of the Senate committee on food and agriculture said the government has prepared PHP1.8 billion to fund activities for El Niño mitigation.

These include cloud seeding, distribution of drought resistant seeds, build water impounding facilities, and cash-for-work program.

“Even some savings of the Department of Agriculture from the previous year was allotted as additional fund for El Niño mitigation,” said Villar.

Meanwhile, Villar subscribed to some observations that the Kidapawan incident, although it was linked to El Nino, has been politicized.

“The case was not just a simple El Niño problem” said Villar.

Her committee will not investigate on the incident since the case is more related to peace and order and human rights abuses than agriculture.

“I believe the case of Kidapawan is different. You can see they had placards. The issue on El Niño may be used, but it is more political” said Villar.

Villar was the commencement speaker during Monday’s graduation rites of the Eastern Visayas States University – Tanauan campus. (PNA)
FFC/SQM/LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA/EGR