Release Funds Now! Window Of Opportunity To Prepare For El Niño

Our planners in government must change their mindset of post-calamity intervention and focus more on pre-emptive actions if we really want to cushion the adverse effect of El Niño on Philippine Agriculture.
Yesterday, I dropped by the Regional Office of the Dept. of Agriculture in Koronadal City headed by the Acting Director, Dr. Sailila Abdula, an upright and hardworking official who is an asset in government.
Along with his staff, we had an informal meeting on the preparations for the expected onslaught of El Niño by July or August this year.
I pointed out that there is a small window of opportunity for the DA to prepare for the drought and that is to plant by April so that the harvest of Corn, Sorghum or Soybeans would be just in time as the El Niño sets in.
They all agreed with my view that now is the right time to prepare for El Niño, not after it has already damaged agriculture.
So, if there are funds available or agricultural loans to be granted, it must be done within the month of April to be able to make use of that small window of opportunity to pre-empt the adverse effect of El Niño.
This should be the mindset of our planners.
Unfortunately for us farmers, not very many decision makers in government understand this.
#GovernanceIsCommonSense!