PAGASA’s warning that a strong El Niño may intensify through late 2026 has pushed two government agencies to combine climate and rice production data to guide farmers on planting, irrigation, and drought preparation.
The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and the DOST-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) signed a Memorandum of Agreement on Sept. 24 to strengthen the sharing and use of weather, climate, hazard, and rice-related information.
A day before the signing, DOST-PAGASA Administrator Nathaniel T. Servando said about 45 provinces may experience dry conditions beginning October while eight provinces may experience drought. PAGASA also said El Niño may continue through the first half of 2027.
Dr. Henry M. Corpuz, officer-in-charge of PhilRice Office of the Deputy Executive Director for Research said the partnership will help translate climate information into farm decisions on planting, irrigation, and drought preparation.
Corpuz said the partnership should not be measured only by the amount of data exchanged, but by how well these data are converted into timely and useful information for rice farmers.
Under the agreement, DOST-PAGASA will provide PhilRice with weather and climate datasets, including 10-day forecasts on rainfall, temperature, wind, cloud cover, humidity, and other available weather conditions.
PhilRice will also bring in rice and agricultural data, including information on rice areas, planting dates, crop growth, areas at risk, yield and production, and rice varieties.
Meanwhile, DOST-PAGASA will share information on tropical cyclones, rainfall hazards, drought and dry conditions, soil moisture, and surface temperature.
The combined datasets are expected to support PhilRice initiatives that rely on climate information, including the Philippine Rice Information System, Climate-smart Maps, and the Rice Data Analytics Center.
PAGASA Weather Services Chief Thelma A. Cinco said the partnership should help make technical weather information more useful for farmers’ crop management decisions.
“This is not just about providing weather information. What matters is helping farmers understand what these data mean for their cropping management, when to plant, when to irrigate, and what steps they should take to prepare for an approaching drought or other extreme weather events,” Cinco said.
She cited impact-based forecasting as one way to make advisories easier to use. Instead of requiring farmers to interpret several technical details, the approach links a weather condition with its possible impact and the action that may be needed.
Department of Science and Technology Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. urged local government units and key sectors to take proactive and data-driven action before the strongest impacts of El Niño are felt.
PhilRice Executive Director John C. de Leon said one possible response is to adjust the rice cropping calendar based on weather conditions and available water.
“What the Department of Agriculture wants is for us to make the most of the dry season. If possible, we may be able to have two cropping cycles during this period. What matters is that we align the cropping calendar with weather conditions so that more farmers can continue rice production, especially during challenging periods such as the rainy season,” de Leon said.
The shared information may be used for research, crop monitoring, climate risk assessment, agricultural planning, and the development of reports, maps, analyses, and other products that can guide rice stakeholders.
