Heat is over; Albay gears up for rainy season

Rains have started pouring down and dry season is almost over. With the onset of the rainy season, Albay- a typhoon-prone area- has to prepare for the expected frequent rains brought by the season.

Albay 3^rd District Congressman Fernando V. Gonzalez explained that with the expected rains, it is necessary that these rains be made useful to irrigate agricultural lands such as rice fields. “What is essential now and necessary is how best we can make use of the rains that are expected to arrive soon,” said Congressman Gonzalez.

Water resources such as rain are mostly needed in drought-prone rice fields. Hence, the rainy season is an opportunity to irrigate the rice fields and not to flood communities. “These rains must be directed towards irrigating our rice fields which are now starving for water. Should we fail to manage these expected rains and bring them to our rice fields, all these rainfall shall not be properly used,” explained Congressman Gonzalez.

PHOTO: (Top) The irrigation dam at Catburawan, Ligao City will serve as irrigation system for farms at Badian, Oas and Catburawan, Ligao City. (Bottom) The recently finished irrigation system will irrigate the farms at Allang, Ligao City.

To ensure the delivery of the water resource from rainfall, water distribution and irrigation systems were built and now being maintained in the different areas of Albay 3^rd District. “In order to ensure that these rains reach the rice field…it is necessary that all irrigating canals, water impounding units, and dams are all functioning and ready to distribute the water and irrigate the rice fields,” said Congressman Gonzalez.

One of the flood control dikes in the 3rd District of Albay is constructed in a flood-prone area at Oas, Albay.
More photos of flood control dikes

The water distribution systems were built in flood-prone areas to prevent flood from devastating communities. These water resources are instead directed to drought-prone areas especially the rice fields which are not properly irrigated. “Failure in our distribution systems shall cause the wastage of the water from the rains since it will not be directed into the rice fields but into areas where it is not necessary or needed. Therefore, the major objective now during this period is ensuring that our rain water, that our expected and upcoming rains shall be fully utilized to irrigate our rice fields and not to flood our residential,” according to Congressman Gonzalez.

Related article:
Albay 3rd District flood control dikes: protecting communities against loss of lives and properties