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Municipality of Dumangas: The Philippines’
Agro-Met Pilot Area

HISTORY. Dumangas is a settlement named "Araut" in 1212 AD. When the Malays of the Shi-Vishayan Empire migrated to the Philippines one tribe settled in the Southern Coast of Panay. Some of the settlers docked at Talaugis River, Bantud Fabrica. They called this place Araut after the village where they came from.

Several versions explain how Araut became Dumangas. One story tells of a Spaniard who asked a native of the name of the place. The native thinking, that he was asked about the name of the mango tree under which he is resting replied, "Dos Manggas". Another version came from a Visayan word "duro" meaning "many" and the Spanish word "Manggas" meaning sleeves. A historical records show that Dumangas got its name from the oral report of the Legaspi's French officer who mentioned the phrase "Sitio du Manggas" to refer to the place where he got replenishments. The Chronicler noted the name "Sitio du Manggas". In time, it was shortened to Dumangas.

LOCATION AND LAND AREA. The Municipality of Dumangas is a third class municipality in the Province of Iloilo in Western Visayas. It is bounded in the North by the Municipality of Barotac Nuevo, on the South and East by the Guimaras Strait and on the West by the Municipalities of Pototan and Zaraga. It lies at 122⁰ 42’34” longitude and 10⁰ 49’22” latitude. 

GEOGRAPHY. Dumangas is generally plain with few hills, namely. Matagsing Hill at Barangays Ermita and Sulañgan, Ermita Hill at Barangay Ermita, Binaobao Hill at Barangay Sulañgan and Elihan Hill at Barangay Rosario.  There are seven rivers traversing the town.  These rivers are:  Dumangas River, which traverses the central portion of the Municipality; Barasan, Agdarupan, Paloc, Talusan, Sulañgan and Linao River.  The Linao river contains fresh water source while the rest are brackish.  The Municipality lies at the tail-end of one of the biggest rivers in the Province of Iloilo, the Jalaur River. This river is the main source of irrigation water for the Municipalities of Dingle, Pototan, Barotac Nuevo and Dumangas. 

POPULATION. Dumangas is composed of 45 barangays, 17 of which are coastal and 39 are farming. Its coastline is 21.8 km. Total land area is 12,870.8 has with 56, 291 people inhibiting and 11,262 households. 

CLIMATE. Dumangas has a monsoonal climate, which is divided into two pronounced seasons; dry season from November to April and wet during the rest of the year, with a maximum rain period from June to October.  The dry season coincides with the northeast monsoon where the air coming from the northeast is considerably dried up after crossing the high mountains of the Bicol Region, Samar and Leyte, leaving little rain for the Province of Iloilo.  The southwest monsoon brings with it moist air which gives off much rain.  Mean annual temperature is 27⁰ C, which is the same with the entire Philippines.  The hottest mean temperature is 28.3⁰C.  The average yearly rainfall is about 1.938.7 mm.

SOIL TYPE. The type of soil in the Municipality are clay loam, hydrosol and sandy loam, however, the land is generally arable, which is suited best for agriculture.

MINERAL RESOURCES. Minerals such as sand and limestone (white rocks) are in abundant supply in the Municipality.  Sand exists in quite large quantity in Barangay Balabag at the bed of the Jalaur River and limestone abounds plentifully at the Municipality’s different hills.

LAND USE. As to the existing General Land Use distribution of the Municipality, the following is the corresponding land use distribution: 

ECONOMY. The Municipality of Dumangas is primarily an agricultural and fishing municipality. Major agricultural products are palay, salt, sugarcane, fruits and crops. Among the fishery products are bangus, crabs, prawn and shrimps. Despite its movement towards the more sophisticated economic endeavors, agriculture and fishery remain to be the primary gears that turn the turbines of the Municipality’s fiscal system. 

PAGASA AGRO-METEOROLOGICAL STATION. Dumangas has always been at the mercy of natural disasters and calamities. The Philippines being located along the path of weather disturbances and the Municipality being the catch basin of one of the tributaries in the Province of Iloilo, Dumangas has seen much of its resources go to waste during extreme occurrences.

For years, the impact of climate changes was widely felt by farmers, fishermen and fish producers. However, there was then very limited access to specific local weather and climate information that will serve as a guide to the daily and long-term activities of these people. As a result, most constituents were left unprepared for the variables that has significantly lower down production volume at certain periods and sometimes even end-up to the total wash-out of crops and cultured fishes, destruction of lives, properties and infrastructure. 

Among the grave impacts of typhoons and floods are as follows:

1. damages to crops, fishponds, poultry, livestock and other properties;
2. damages to infrastructures including roads, bridges, telephone lines, electrical lines, etc.;
3. destruction of lives;
4. health risks;
5. hiatus in the education sector ; and
6. disturbance in the peace and order, etc.

These damages require so much resources from the LGU for reconstruction and rehabilitation purposes.

This constant problem given birth to a concept that was fathered by Mayor Rolando B. Distura. The very plausible solution is the regular provision of local weather and climate data to constituents for disaster preparation and mitigation purposes. 

After various consultations and discussions with the key people from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geo-Physical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the latter chose Dumangas as pilot area for the Agro-Met project in the entire Philippines. The project is through the partnership of the Municipality Dumangas and the PAGASA with the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center and the International Research Institute for Climate Prediction. 

Seminars and trainings relative to the project were conducted and various equipment were set-up at the Agro-Met site (Municipal Demonstration Farm and Research Center at Barangay P.D. Monfort South). 

Representative from the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center and the International Research Institute for Climate Prediction visited the project site last March 4 and 5 for assessment and had already committed a 5-year support to the project development. 

Currently, daily observation activities and data gathering are done at the Agro-Met by the municipal employees designated as observers. These data are then transmitted to the PAGASA Central Office for interpretation and the interpreted form is transmitted back to the Agro–Met Office for dissemination purposes. 

The constituents of Dumangas can be informed of future local weather and be able to prepare mitigation measures to minimize the grave impacts of disasters and calamities. The application of weather information provided by the Agro-Met is expected to be the effective tool of the municipality in boosting agricultural and fishery production and most of all for the protection of the property and lives of the people. 

Currently, the Agro-Met station is equipped with an automatic weather station (MILOS 200) and is hooked at the internet for ready access to weather and climate information from the PAGASA for end-users and stakeholders.

AWARDS. Along the course of its existence it has garnered different awards. In 1999, Dumangas won the OUTSTANDING Municipality on Community Development and BEST Municipal Peace and Order Council Class A in Region  VI to name a few. Full list of Awards can be found here.

The NSCB RD6 Office
is  at  Luna St. La Paz, Iloilo City, 5000 Philippines
Tel/Fax  No. (033)-320-0513
URL: http://www.nscb.gov.ph/ru6
Email: nscb6@yahoo.com

Updated 25 April 2011
 
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