Gov’t told to prepare now for El Niño

DAVAO CITY—Despite the advent of typhoons and low pressure areas, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration

(Pagasa) maintained that the El Niño phenomenon would peak starting this month and last until the first quarter of 2015.

An advisory in the Pagasa website said while storms would continue, El Niño is altering their course and intensity.

The government, according to the head of a civil society group, should now be preparing for it.

Pastor Benny Abante, former congressman and head of the Bayan Mamamayan Abante Movement, said authorities should preempt the effects of El Niño and now put in place measures to cushion their impact particularly on agriculture.

“Let’s learn from our past experiences,” said the former legislator.

“We already know that the shortage and high prices of agricultural products today are the results of typhoons that hit us last year, so it is up to the government to come up with a preemptive response,” he said. Allan Nawal, Inquirer Mindanao