PALAYAN CITY, Nueva Ecija — Across Central Luzon, the talk among embattled farmers ranges from drought and floods to planting and climate change. Conversations are also about abandoning their homes as the government enforces its land property policies, demanding families to leave or simply survive under the heel of abusive landlords.
Net results are emerging food shortages across Region 3 where some 12 million people are facing potential famine as international organizations warn of a “possible economic collapse” after heavy rains were blamed by farmers for ruining the recent planting season.
“Nagtanim kami pero tinangay ng baha,” 52-year-old farmer Mang Andres laments, his face dark and aged from decades in the sun. “Naglagay kami ng abono, na sobrang mahal, tinangay rin ng baha.
“Napakahirap ng aming kalagayan pero ang sabi ay dahil daw sa climate change. Dati nga may inipong tubig sa maliit na lawa malapit sa aming taniman, kaya lang natuyot na ito at naging lubluban na lang ng kalabaw.” he describes his current situation.
It’s Complicated
The list of complaints blamed on climate change goes on, complicated in a sense because farmers cite the man-made shift in weather patterns for drought, clean water shortages, severe storms and landslides, dying forests, insect plagues, silted rivers, and disappearing fish populations as contributory factors to their sorry plight.
Perhaps the biggest impact is the unpredictability of the seasons. Traditionally, farmers would plant and harvest around the annual May to September monsoon when plants and wildlife bloom and breed accordingly.
That, according to a farmer from Apalit in Pampanga— who declined to be identified—resulted in years of patchy drought which ended with recent late floods that ruined his vegetable and rice crops and seeds needed for next year.
He lamented: “Kung hindi man binaha, natutuyot ang lupa. Nakakalungkot pagmasdan. Sixteen years ago, maganda ang pananim at ani.
“Dalawang buwan nakalipas, bumaha ng malalim at tinangay ang aming abono sa ilog. Naglaho na rin ang mga isda at ang tubig hindi na kasing linis gaya ng dati.”
Perhaps the biggest impact is the unpredictability of the seasons. Traditionally, farmers would plant and harvest around the annual May to September monsoon when plants and wildlife bloom and breed accordingly.
Drought and Destruction
Five kilometers southeast of his farmland, another farmer, Winifredo aka Mang Winnie, tells a similar story. His family is sub-leasing a few acres of land and growing rice some chili, Lady Finger bananas, and spinach on the banks of the nearby river.
He has two sons aged 25 and 29 who are now working in Saudi Arabia. When his farmland was submerged in flood waters, his family was put in a difficult position: “Talagang nahirapan kami. Kaya nga nag-abroad ang aming dalawang anak para matulungan kami at umasenso naman ang aming buhay.”
His sentiments were echoed by Mang Chito, a 45-year-old farmer who moved his wife and two children from the lower region of Pampanga to a plot of land bordering with Nueva Vizcaya.
Mang Chito expressed belief climate change is proving too hard to combat while providing a living for his family at the same time. “Alam namin ang tungkol sa global warming at dahil dito, dahilang ng kakulangan sa patubig… Gumagamit kami ng mga chemical fertilizer para labanan ang pamiminsala nila.”
Mang Chito is aware that the loss of large trees due to drought and destruction of forests have resulted in landslides when the rains arrive.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the recent super typhoon Kristine destroyed farms, deteriorated produce quality and blocked roads due to torrential rains. Its strong winds and the landslides and flooding severely disrupted delivery of farm goods and created delays in the transport of farm produce to public markets in Metro Manila that affected selling prices.
