MANILA, Philippines — SenatorJV Ejercito has called on President Rodrigo Duterte to hold a water summit to mitigate the effects of the El Niño phenomenon to the agriculture sector.
Ejercito said the water summit is necessary as the lowering of dam levels in the country pose a threat to food and water supply. He added that the damage to the agriculture sector has soared to P5 billion.
READ: Crop damage, losses due to El Nino soar to P5.05 billion
“The President can set the tone of the water summit to be straightforward and practical because of the urgency of the situation,” Ejercito said.
Ejercito said the summit will serve as the venue for different government agencies and local government units to come together and coordinate on plans for El Niño, including mitigation plans to combat its effects such as depleting water resources.
“When we talk about the climate, we have to take into account the uncertainty in making plans. These unexpected changes in weather patterns are what we should be preparing for,” the senator said.
The senator also underscored the importance of the agriculture industry in the country’s economy. He said the sector employs over a fourth of the country’s workforce.
Pursue water supply infrastructure projects
Ejercito said the government must speed up the completion of dams and other water supply infrastructure projects in the country.
With the growing population, he said the demand for water to be used for drinking, power, and agriculture, have “steadily increased.”
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) earlier predicted that El Niño would last until the end of May or June. /ee
READ: Provinces start to reel from El Niño