El Niño is here; President Marcos orders water conservation measures

MANILA, Philippines — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the United States on Thursday issued an El Niño advisory, announcing the arrival of the climatic phenomenon.

It formed a month or two earlier than most El Niños do, which “gives it room to grow,” and there’s a 56 percent chance it will be considered strong, and a 25 percent chance it reaches supersized levels, said climate scientist Michelle L’Heureux, head of NOAA’s El Niño/La Niña forecast office.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), had earlier forecast that there would be an 80 percent probability that the El Niño phenomenon would emerge from June to August, and that it will persist until the first quarter of next year.

PAGASA’s latest forecast showed a 53 percent chance that El Niño would reach a strong level toward the latter part of the year.

Implement water   saving measures

To avert possible water crises due to El Niño or the long dry spell, President Marcos has directed all government agencies to strictly implement water conservation measures.

Through Memorandum Circular 22, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on June 7, the President instructed the Water Resource Management Office (WRMO) and its network of agencies to take the lead in implementing water conservation measures.

The Chief Executive also directed all government agencies, including government-owned or controlled corporations and state universities and colleges, to “identify and implement specific quantifiable and attainable water conservation measures that will result in 10 percent water volume reduction of their respective first quarter (January to March 2024) water consumption.”

The President also ordered the Local Water Utilities Administration, National Water Resources Board and the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage System, while private water service providers (WSPs) are enjoined, to submit to the WRMO a monthly supply-demand projection to determine possible deficit in water supply in the near future.

“National government-run WSPs are hereby directed, and local government-run WSPs are hereby encouraged, to immediately complete their projects to reduce non-revenue water and upgrade their distribution pipes. Local government units are encouraged to process the requests of WSPs for waterworks within a reasonable period of time,” the memorandum circular said.

Marcos also directed the WRMO to identify strategies toward water conservation measures and provide quarterly updates to the Office of the President, through the Office of the Executive Secretary.

In a vlog posted on YouTube in May, Marcos had urged Filipinos to be frugal in using water and electricity, citing the country’s tight power supply and the expected severe dry spell due to El Niño until the early part of 2024.

Marcos noted that the Philippines’ power demand far exceeds supply.