Prepare for El Niño, Cabinet ordered

President Aquino has directed the Cabinet to come up with a detailed “road map” to counter the adverse effects of the El Niño weather phenomenon which would be strongly felt in the last quarter of the year up to the first four months of 2016.

In Monday’s Cabinet meeting in Malacañang, the President asked the Food Security Council to “map out specific action programs on attaining food production and supply objectives, as well as sustenance of farmers’ incomes.”

The council, chaired by National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Director General and Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balicasan, includes the Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Finance, National Food Authority, National Irrigation Administration, Philippine Statistics Authority, and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma told reporters the “adequacy of potable water supply will be tackled by another task group, headed by Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson.”

This group includes the Local Water Utilities Administration, National Water Resource Board and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, as well as the NIA.

“The National Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council was directed to coordinate with its local councils in preparing and implementing community-based water conservation and other mitigation measures,” Coloma said.

El Niño, which causes unusually heavy rains in some parts of the world and severe drought in others, results from the warming of sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.

Pagasa reminded the public to take the weather phenomenon seriously as its effects will be felt more in the remaining months of the year. Analiza Solis, a climatologist and senior weather specialist at Pagasa, said in a Radyo Inquirer interview, that the mild to moderate El Niño that the country is currently experiencing may eventually become stronger in the last quarter of 2015 up to the first quarter of 2016.

She warned that many provinces across the country may experience dry spells and drought until December this year.

According to Solis, dry conditions may be felt in the provinces of Apayao and Cagayan in northern Luzon and the provinces of Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Sur and Misamis Occidental in Mindanao.

Around 22 provinces in Luzon, five in the Visayas and eight in Mindanao may also experience dry spells from October to December while about 20 provinces may suffer from drought.

But Solis said the forecast could still change over the coming months if there would be significant weather developments.