Marcos vows to fix flood control system as La Niña looms

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. promised to fix the country’s flood control system amid threats of a looming La Niña phenomenon.

During a media interview in Tacloban, Marcos was asked what aid the government could provide as La Niña has been forecast to affect the country.

ALL DRY A farmer in Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur province visits her rice farm, now all dried up due to the absence of rain amid the El Niño weather phenomenon. The Zamboanga Peninsula is among the 11 regions in the country worst hit by the dry spell and drought. —PHOTO COURTESY OF PAGADIAN CITY AGRICULTURE OFFICE

“It is something that we have to learn to live with already. It is almost normal. So ready naman kami (So we are ready),” said Marcos.

DA: Agriculture damage due to El Niño hits P6.3 billion

“But of course, in the long-term, ang talagang solusyon diyan is ‘yung flood control. Aayusin natin ‘yung flood control. Gagawin natin irrigation. Magiipon tayo ng tubig para kapag naabutan tayo ng tagtuyo, kagaya ngayon, ay meron tayo pagkukuhaan ng tubig,” said Marcos.

(But of course, in the long term, the real solution to that is flood control. We will fix the flood control. We will do irrigation. We will save water so that when we are hit by drought, like now, we will have a water source.)

Due to the El Niño phenomenon, a severe dry season has been wreaking havoc on the agricultural sector, damaging more than P6 billion worth of crops, etc.