Senate inquiry sought to assess El Niño preps
MANILA, Philippines — A senator has filed a resolution seeking an inquiry into the government’s readiness to mitigate the effects of El Niño, which may affect the country’s water supply and agricultural production.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian filed Resolution 691, citing the need to assess the capability of concerned government agencies, and determine their planned interventions.
“The entire Philippine government should be prepared to cushion the detrimental impacts of the El Niño phenomenon on water resources, agriculture, energy, health and public safety,” the resolution read.
El Niño events are typically associated with increased heat worldwide, as well as dry spells and droughts in some parts of the world, including Philippines, and heavy rains elsewhere. The phenomenon is expected to persist until 2024.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ordered in April the creation of a team to mitigate the potential adverse impacts of El Niño.
He also signed Executive Order 22, which created the Water Resources Management Office (WRMO) in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The WRMO earlier ordered all barangay officials and residential managers in Metro Manila and nearby provinces to advise their residents to curb activities that consume significant amounts of water and recycle water.
It also directed all government agencies to strictly implement water conservation measures.
The National Irrigation Administration earlier said it had identified areas that will be prioritized for irrigation, and will implement the alternate wetting and drying technique to address the threats posed by El Niño.
In 2019, Metro Manila and neighboring provinces experienced water shortage as a weak El Niño contributed to a massive decline in rainfall. The damage caused by the phenomenon reached around P8 billion. — Gaea Katreena Cabico
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