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News Release
May 13, 2014
Reference: Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, 09173!04!9
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Says funding for it now may just be used as a milking cow of
unscrupulous politicians
Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares today said that the problems we are facing now regarding the
El Nino phenomenon would not be as big if the Aquino administration has prepared for it years ago
considering that this phenomenon is quasi-seasonal in nature and can be foreseen because it is fairly regular.
!hat we fear now is that the supposed budget allotted for it now by the Aquino administration of
"#$ million for municipalities and up to "$% million for city go&ernments may be too late and can be used
as a mil'ing cow of unscrupulous politicians preparing for the (%#) elections. *n fact the source of this
supposed fund +,rassroots "articipatory Budgeting "rocess- is questionable considering that it is not in the
,eneral Appropriations Act of (%#./0 said Rep. Colmenares.
!e hope that the El Nino phenomenon and our farmers would not be used as a co&er for another
1isbursement Acceleration "rogram +1A"- in the ma'ing. As it is though losses cannot be a&oided/ but
'nowing El Nino forecasts can reduce the disastrous impacts of the drought conditions in our country/0 said
the progressi&e solon.
!hen the first forecast for El Nino surfaced plans for irrigation/ crop planting decisions/ seed
selection/ fertili2er application in agriculture should ha&e already been formulated to mitigate the impact of
the drought. 3luctuations in agricultural products can also be reduced by conducting crop in&entories so as
to pre&ent a food crisis/0 he added.
4he Aquino administration should learn its lessons in dealing with climate induced disasters li'e
El Nino and strong typhoons. *ts stop gap measures in dealing with El Nino/ li'e e5pensi&e cloud seeding
and rice importation are &ery myopic and should be changed. 4he go&ernment needs to build a strong
agricultural base that would start from planting to post-har&est facilities as well as a rehabilitated irrigation
system. 4he operating irrigation system now co&ers 6ust #78 of the total agricultural lands and mired in
many anomalous transactions. !e hope that this time it would not be one of those/0 ended Rep.
Colmenares. 999
For more information, please contact Bayan Muna me/ia officer Carl "la a0 0917!1104!9