Northern mindanao: The Department of Agriculture in Northern Mindanao (DA-10) has initiated strategic measures to protect farmers from the anticipated El Ni±o season expected to hit before the year concludes.

According to Philippines News Agency, DA-10 Executive Director Jose Apollo Pacamalan revealed during a briefing that the region has pinpointed 92,000 hectares of corn land that could be vulnerable when the dry season forecast occurs in November or December. He noted that although rice fields are irrigated, approximately 88,000 hectares may remain unaffected. Pacamalan stated that with projections from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), they are able to estimate the region's food and rice supply needs for 204 days.

PAGASA has indicated that El Ni±o might commence in the last quarter of 2026 and extend into the first quarter of 2027. In response, PAGASA and DA-10 have reached an agreement to establish a Synoptic Agrometeorological Station within the 1,500-square-meter premises of the Agricultural Crops and Livestock Research Complex in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon. This facility will be the second of its kind in Mindanao, following the first station constructed in Kabacan, Cotabato Province.

Regional Weather Bureau chief Ann Fortich emphasized that the new station will provide more precise weather data and expedite the dissemination of climate information, aiding the DA and local government units in formulating effective policy measures.