Rains in Isabela town raise farmers' hopes, but not Pagasa's

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – Farmers’ anxiety over prolonged dry spell has turned into a glimmer of hope after heavy rains fell on Wednesday in Isabela province’s coast, followed by a dip in temperatures in many parts of Region II. But state weather forecasters see more hot days ahead. On Thursday, local officials in the municipality of Palanan, one of the four coastal towns in eastern Isabela, reported that late-Wednesday’s heavy rains lasted until the wee hours. Meanwhile, Fr. Sammy Salazar, the town’s parish priest, said over Bombo Radyo Isabela that Wednesday's rains caused zero visibility along roads leading to and from Palanan. Salazar said that the rains may have been too late to rescue the dying corn crops but they are still thankful since the volume of water from the heavy downpour will surely be advantageous to corn farmers when the next planting season comes. Corn is the major product in the coastal towns of eastern Isabela. But the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) did not see much hope for more rain coming after the downpour, as it forecast hot days ahead. Based on Pagasa’s daily weather data, Tuguegarao City in Cagayan, the country’s hottest spot, has registered a dip in temperatures to 29 degrees Celsius from a previous 36 degrees Celsius last week, the year's hottest so far. In Nueva Vizcaya, light rains were felt in many towns also on Wednesday night with residents turning off their cooling apparatus due to the cold breeze and a somber, cloudy morning. A farmer from Lingay village in capital town Bayombong said that last night’s drizzle gave them hope that more rains will fall in the coming days. However, Pagasa’s forecast might fall short of what the farmers have prayed for, as the agency expects temperatures to surge again in the next four days, with temperatures in the regional center of Tuguegarao rising to 35 degrees Celsius. — Floro Taguinod/LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV