Cloud Seeding Is Part of the Philippines’ El Niño Plan
PAGASA says a strong El Niño is active in the tropical Pacific and expects it to become very strong between September and December 2026, lasting through the first half of 2027. In the Philippines, El Niño often means below-normal rainfall, with dry spells and drought more likely in parts of the country.
Several regions are getting ready before the forecast peak, and cloud seeding is part of the plan.
What happens before a plane takes off
Cloud seeding means scattering salt into clouds to induce rain. The Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) says the aim is to replenish dams and support harvests.
A local government or a DA regional office sends a request to BSWM. BSWM runs a joint area assessment to check how severe the drought is and whether seedable clouds exist over the target areas, and it reviews PAGASA’s weather evaluation. If conditions check out, BSWM can release funds. The Philippine Air Force flies the mission.
Magat Dam’s July low and August rise
Magat Dam irrigates more than 90,000 hectares of rice farms in Isabela and nearby provinces. Its water level fell to 159.76 meters above sea level in mid-July, its lowest point of 2026. Seeding began in the third week of July.
On August 6, the level was 166.44 meters. The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) said the dam had been forecast to drop to a record low of 148 meters without the Air Force flights and its other interventions. By August 26, the level reached 178.50 meters, and the month-long operation was complete.
Tropical storm rain also fed the reservoir in those weeks, and NIA credited the seeding and the storm rain together for the rise. NIA and BSWM, the agencies that ran the operation, both reported a 100 percent success rate for the flights.
Bohol, Western Visayas and Cagayan Valley
Bohol’s disaster council has backed cloud seeding. It and the provincial agriculture office have each set aside funds, and the council said seeding helped reduce crop losses in past dry spells.
In May, BSWM approved P6 million for seeding across Western Visayas and the Negros Island Region. The DA has carried out the first phase of its seeding operations, and the next phase is underway, depending on seedable clouds. Cagayan Valley officials are seeking P7.5 million for their own operations.
What else is in the plan
DA Western Visayas is preparing alternative crops and seed buffers, and the DA central office lists crop diversification and solar-powered irrigation among its measures.
The Puerto Princesa City Water District is weighing an operation after BSWM recommended one. BSWM recorded a 75.67 percent success rate for the district’s 2019 operation, with 28 of 37 sorties producing rain. PAGASA’s local chief meteorological officer said a seeded cloud can drift away from a narrow target like Palawan. The district plans to fly in November or early December, aiming for more seedable clouds.
