The Philippines experiences drought at least every five years. It causes tremendous havoc to the economy. During the 1997-1998 El Nino, losses to rice and corn alone amounted to more than US$ 240 million (Librero et al., 1999). Under these circumstances the government reacted with a number of programs expected to address this problem. Among these include Small Water Impounding Projects (SWIP). 

Along with the newly introduced mitigation measures against the effects of El Nino are the strategies employed by farmers to cope with the impact of EI Nino. Understanding the factors contributory to the effectiveness of these measures will be a useful guide to planners and policy makers. 

Vulnerability of farmers to El Nino is dependent on the biophysical characteristics of their farm and on the socio-economic conditions of the community. The institutional support available to them is also critical to the level of preparedness in confronting the impacts of El Nino.