by Priam Nepomuceno/PNA
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) confirmed that it will begin cloud seeding operations this weekend.
“(Cloud seeding) will be conducted supposedly tomorrow (Friday). However, na-move siya ng (It was moved to) Saturday or Sunday kasi pini-prepare pa natin yung mga eroplano (because we still have to prepare the airplanes). Initial (area to be covered) will be Cauayan (to save crops in danger of drying up) in (Isabela),” PAF spokesperson Maj. Aristides Galang said Thursday.
The aircraft to be used in this operation is the GAF N-22 “Nomad” twin-engine turbo-prop aircraft, he added.
Galang said that the aircraft is now being fitted with cloud-seeding equipment at the Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base, Mactan Island, Cebu.
The PAF spokesperson said that “Nomad” will be flown by pilots of the 220th Airlift Wing while cloud seeding operations will be conducted by personnel from the 900th Air Force Weather Group.
Galang said it will be up to the Department of Agriculture to determine the priority areas for cloud seeding in the above-mentioned region and how long the operations will be.
“DA will be the one to determine (our) priority areas. As of now we will support their campaign in cloud seeding operations,” the PAF spokesperson stressed.
