DA assures public of sufficient food amid El Niño

MANILA, Philippines — Measures have been put in place to mitigate the effects of a looming El Niño on food production, particularly rice, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Friday.

At a press briefing in Malacañang, Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian said the DA, which is currently headed by President Marcos, is conducting an assessment of areas that could be affected by the dry spell. El Niño causes below normal rainfall condition.

“The areas that will be affected negatively, that’s where we are putting up measures to mitigate the effect,” Sebastian said.

According to the DA official, there are areas in the Philippines that produce very high palay yield even during El Niño.

Last month, Marcos ordered government agencies to prepare for the possible impact of El Niño, which is expected to hit the country in the last quarter of this year or the first quarter of 2024.

The President also instructed various agencies to ensure long-term solutions to the impending problem and for them to come up with a campaign to generate public awareness on water and energy conservation.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said last month the probability of the occurrence of El Niño is 80 percent for the months of June, July and August, and 86 percent for the months of November, December and January.