Half of Phl still under dry spell

May 9 has finally come and gone. And what an exciting past six months it has been. Indeed, election mania has dominated the news, social media, and most discussions for the past few weeks (months even), and it looks like it has finally come to a close (or at least coming to a close very soon). According to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), we had clean and honest elections and that it’s only a matter of time before our new leaders take their place in the government with a brand new president at the helm.

I know that there is still much controversy surrounding the vice presidential elections, but it will also only be a matter of time before that is resolved as well. At the end of the day, the will of the people must be followed and whomever the majority elected will be the one left standing in the end. The only way we can ensure our country’s continued success and prosperity is to support our new leaders. As they say – sour grapes won’t get us anywhere. It’s time we get on board.

Personally, I can’t help but feel relieved that elections are over. It felt like we were all waiting for May 9 before we could plot out the rest of our year. At least now we can go back to focusing on other matters without the elections forever looming in the back of our minds.

Which brings me to what I feel is becoming more and more important by the day. I’ve written in previous columns my views on climate change and the more the days pass the more I know that this is going to have to become a global priority very soon. The temperatures just keep on rising, both here and in other parts of the world, and it’s only a matter of time before we all begin to see the consequences of this temperature increase manifesting in every day life.

In fact, most of us can see the consequences already. The days are just so unbelievably hot. And just when we think it can’t get any hotter – it does. And the heat is more than just the regular summer heat we are used to; it is a debilitating heat that makes people lethargic, dizzy, and even sick. Heat stroke incidences are up and I know so many who have regular headaches, bloody noses, and upset stomachs. These aren’t just random occurrences.

In addition to the pounding heat, the Philippines is still suffering from a terrible dry spell. Roughly 37 provinces – almost half of the country – is still experiencing drought that could last until the end of the month despite El Niño finally weakening. The weather bureau shared that the dry spell will continue and that several areas in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao would have to continue to tough it out in the drought.

I wrote in a previous piece that this lack of water was a serious concern for the country. It is something we should all be worried about. At the end of the day, water is the most important commodity there is. As they say, people can still live without food ( though they shouldn’t have to). Water however is paramount and having no water can have dire consequences. Our crops and the agricultural sector are already suffering and there are so many in the provinces whose lives are affected daily due to the dry spell.

We all saw what the lack of water has done to the livelihood and food supply of those in the provincial regions. It became so bad that farmers protested in a bloody dispute and there is still no immediate remedy to their plight, as the drought will weaken in stages and not all at once. Some provinces will start to see relief in June while others will not see rainfall or respite until July.

However, though we all wish for rain, we also have to be wary and watchful. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said that despite the need for water in several provinces, after El Niño, a strengthened La Niña phenomenon could be following in the later half of the year. This means, more rains and more typhoons could be coming to the Philippines.

And while more rain is a good thing in the short run, in the long run it can be something that we will have to worry about as well as this means increased strength typhoons could also happen quite regularly. Based on the early reports from the bureau, anywhere up to 12 typhoons could enter the Philippines from May to October. As early as now, this is something the country should be preparing for. While we want rain to help our crops, we also have to be prepared for emergency situations brought about by typhoons and floods.

I am glad that President elect Rody Duterte is including farming and agriculture in his immediate leadership goals. While peace and order and eradicating crime remain his top priority it is also good that he is looking at the sectors that provide life and livelihood to so many Filipinos. I still remember a time when we were the envy of our neighbors due to our rich natural resources and expertise on rice production and exportation. These days we have to resort to importing rice to meet our needs. It’s very sad indeed and it’s time to change.

As the rest of the summer days go by, we should all be careful and mindful. We should not waste natural resources, ration water whenever possible, and do our part to reduce our carbon footprint. In the end, no matter what programs the government implements, if we don’t help and do our share, it won’t make a difference.