The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist of Bohol has issued a formal correction regarding a recent news report on cloud seeding operations in the province.
In a letter dated June 29, 2024, Acting Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas, Ph.D., addressed the editorial board of The Bohol Tribune to rectify what he termed “erroneous and misleading” information published in their June 23-29, 2024 issue.
The article in question, titled “P10M cloud seeding unnecessary: Quirog” by Dave Suan Albarado, reportedly misrepresented the budget allocated for cloud seeding operations.
Dr. Pamugas clarified that the approved budget is actually 4,536,000 pesos, not 10 million pesos as suggested by the headline.
According to the letter, the Bureau of Soils and Water Management downloaded only 5,017,280.00 pesos to the Provincial Government of Bohol for this purpose.
Dr. Pamugas emphasized that the headline “deviates widely from the body text of Mr. Albarado’s news report,” which apparently did not mention the alleged 10 million peso budget in its lead paragraph.
The Provincial Agriculturist’s office has requested a correction of the factual errors in both the headline and the story, urging the publication to update their print and online versions promptly.
Pamugas has also asked for the letter to be published in full to ensure accurate information reaches the public.