A provincial agricultural official in Bohol has called out a contractor for failing to fulfill a multi-million peso cloud seeding project aimed at mitigating the effects of El Niño, according to documents obtained by The Bohol Tribune.
Liza Quirog, the re-assigned Provincial Agriculturist of Bohol, alleges that Junne P. Abejuela and his company Pegasus Air Services failed to provide P2.5 Million out of the P7 million contracted cloud seeding services despite being awarded agreements in 2023 and 2024.
In a detailed account, Quirog outlines a series of events spanning from May 2023 to June 2024, during which Abejuela’s company was awarded two separate contracts for cloud seeding operations in Bohol province.
According to Quirog, the first contract worth P2.5 million pesos was awarded on October 27, 2023, following a bidding process in July of same year. This agreement stipulated 42 hours of cloud seeding flights at a rate of P53,000 pesos per hour.
A second, larger contract for P4.5 million pesos was reportedly negotiated without bidding on June 4, 2024, providing for 50 hours of cloud seeding at P81,000 pesos per hour.
She said that Abejuela submitted a letter to her office on November 29, 2023, proposing changes to the agreed-upon terms, including a switch from a double-engine aircraft to a single-engine plane, which she said was not in line with the contract specifications.
“Mr. Abejuela wanted to change the base for Cloud Seeding Operations, but this is not possible according to the contract terms for operations at Bohol Panglao International Airport,” Quirog wrote in her statement.
Quirog revealed that she sent two letters to Abejuela and the Bids and Awards Committee on December 6 and December 16, 2023, reminding him of his contractual obligations and the need to commence cloud seeding operations to address the on going El Niño. However, she bared that these communications went unanswered.
“By the end of 2023, Mr. Abejuela had still not provided any cloud seeding services,” Quirog said.
Cloud seeding, a weather modification technique used to induce rainfall, is seen as a key strategy in the Philippines’ efforts to mitigate the impacts of El Niño.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has warned that El Niño conditions could persist until the first quarter of 2024, potentially leading to reduced rainfall and drought in parts of the country.
The provincial Capitol led by Governor Aris Aumentado had earlier insisted that failure to implement the cloud seeding project as planned could leave Bohol province, known for its agricultural production, vulnerable to weather-related challenges.
According to Quirog’s account, various stages of the procurement process took a long time, including the preparation of the cloud seeding project’s Purchase Request on May 10, 2023, submission to the Bids and Awards Committee on June 22, 2023, the bidding in July 2023 and the Contract Agreement on October 27, 2023.
“During the BAC [Bids and Awards Committee] meeting, some members required Mr. Abejuela to have a ready contract to rent an airplane. The members assumed he had access to an airplane, but during the bid opening, BAC members were unable to ascertain if Abejuela owns a plane for cloud seeding deployment,” a member of BAC’s Technical Working Group revealed.
The provincial agriculturist is now calling for Abejuela to face legal consequences for the alleged breach of contract.
“Mr. Abejuela must answer before the courts for failing to comply with his contract with a government agency,” Quirog asserted in her statement.
NO ENOUGH WATER IN BOHOL DAMS
The provincial government’s cloud seeding operations have again come under scrutiny for their apparent ineffectiveness in filling local dams, particularly the Malinao, Bayongan, and Capayas Dams, observers have reported.
The situation has led to concerns about the proper use of public funds and the scientific basis for such weather modification efforts.
According to observations by local agricultural experts and weather watchers, the water levels in these dams, especially the Malinao Dam, seem to be more influenced by natural weather patterns than by cloud seeding operations.
They point out that when local thunderstorms and rainfall occur, as forecasted by PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration), the dams naturally fill up.
Conversely, during dry spells or when weather systems like Typhoon Carina draw moisture away from the province, the dam levels drop significantly.
The inefficacy of the cloud seeding operations was particularly evident last week when, despite ongoing seeding efforts, the Malinao Dam remained at low levels, observers said.
However, on August 1 in the afternoon and August 2 in the morning, natural rainfall occurred, promptly increasing the water level in the dam.
This natural refilling happened without any cloud seeding intervention, as the operations had concluded on July 30, according to the official statement of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist.
Critics argue that the provincial government, led by Governor Aris Aumentado, and as endorsed by Provincial Administrator Aster Caberte, has persisted with cloud seeding despite a lack of scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness.
They cite a statement from Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who asserted that cloud seeding lacks scientific basis.
Furthermore, Malacañang had issued a directive to halt cloud seeding operations, which was apparently disregarded by local authorities.
The controversy is further fueled by the allocation of P5 million pesos for the cloud seeding operations, which critics now label as a waste of public funds.
They argue that natural rainfall patterns are more effective in filling the dams than these artificial interventions.
Adding to the complexity of the situation, observers note that the water management practices at the dams may be contributing to the perceived water shortage.
They point out that water is regularly released into farm canals, which naturally lowers dam levels.
When these releases are reduced, as seen on August 2, the dam levels rise accordingly, suggesting that water availability might not be as critical as portrayed.
PAGASA’s weather forecasts for July 31, August 1, and August 2 are being cited as additional evidence that natural rainfall patterns are the primary factor in dam water levels.
Critics argue that the rapid filling of the Malinao Dam on August 2, following a period of emptiness on August 1, clearly demonstrates the power of natural weather events over artificial seeding.