President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered on Tuesday different agencies for a coordinated implementation of all government plans to mitigate the effects of a strong El Niño phenomenon across multiple sectors that is expected to persist in the middle of next year.
The President issued the directive for an Updated National Action Plan on El Niño during the sectoral meeting in Malacañang on the effects of the dry spell on water, agriculture, energy, health, security, education and other effects.
Agencies present during the sectoral meeting were the Departments of National Defense, Science and Technology, Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, Social Welfare and Development, Energy, Health, Information and Technology, Interior and Local Government, Budget and Management and Trade and Industry and National Economic and Development Authority.
The DOST-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-PAGASA) and the Office of Civil Defense provided updates during the meeting on the impacts of El Niño, which are being felt now and is expected to extend to the second quarter of 2024.
In a press briefing in Malacañang, Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said the National Action Plan is composed of various initiatives, being prepared by different agencies when PAGASA mentioned the possibility of El Niño.
“The plans are some divided into five sectors: water security to ensure sufficient water supply; food security to make sure that there is stable supply of key food commodities; income losses are minimized and access to affordable food would be expanded,” Solidum said.
“On the energy security, power interruptions should be minimized; for health, outbreak of diseases and other illnesses would be managed and minimized; and for public safety, [fire] incidents due to El Niño especially for the dry… a grassy or forested areas would be reduced; and there will be safe, peaceful and orderly communities that would be maintained all over the country.”
The country has to plan ahead and should make it fast as the evaluation changed from the previous one to a strong El Niño, he warned
DOST-PAGASA’s December 6 El Niño Advisory No. 6 stated that a strong El Niño is present in the Tropical Pacific and has further intensified, nearing its peak in the coming months as the sea surface temperature anomalies have reached more than 1.5 degrees centigrade.
Based on recent conditions, moderate to severe drought conditions are likely from February to May 2024. And by end of May, there would be 77 percent of the provinces in the country may experience drought, or around 65 provinces and 7 percent potential for dry spell or around six provinces.
“And because of this, we need to further intensify our efforts to make sure that we are ready for this especially on the various fields that were already mentioned like health, water, agriculture, sanitation and of course, peace and order; and we also need to involve everyone in this effort,” Solidum said. PND
