Ricarte Nicolas checks on his corn plantation in the City of Ilagan, Isabela as his crops start showing signs of stunting due to lack of rainfall in recent weeks. With the onset of the El Niño phenomenon, water levels in major dams in Luzon, including Magat in Isabela, have started to drop, adversely affecting irrigation of farmlands. (VILLAMOR VISAYA JR. / INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is seeking a Senate inquiry into the government’s readiness to mitigate the impact of the El Niño phenomenon, which is forecast to prevail until the first quarter of 2024.
Gatchalian filed Senate Resolution No. 691 on July 20, after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Service Administration (Pagasa) declared the onset of El Niño last July 4 that could affect inflation and “exacerbate poverty levels” due to reduced food production and potentially higher cost of electricity.
“There is an urgent need to assess the capability of concerned government agencies and determine the planned interventions to mitigate the impact of El Niño. The entire Philippine government should be prepared to cushion the detrimental effects of the El Niño phenomenon on the country’s food, energy, and economic security,” Gatchalian said in a statement issued on Sunday.
The El Niño phenomenon, Gatchalian added, could decrease the crop sector’s contribution to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Citing a 2019 World Bank report on recurring El Niño occurrences, Gatchalian said the phenomenon “is estimated to cause national GDP losses ranging from -0.29 percent to -1.57 percent and agricultural GDP losses between -1.73 percent and -6.9 percent.”
“Had El Niño emerged in 2022, it could have translated to estimated losses of P57.84 billion to P313.11 billion in national GDP and between P30.85 billion and P124.31 billion in the agricultural sector’s GDP, based on the country’s economic data,” he added.
Moreover, he pointed out that El Niño occurrences brought drought nationwide and water supply shortages, which affected farmers who rely heavily on rainfall for their livelihood.