65 provinces face El Niño drought

MANILA, Philippines — Around 65 provinces in the country are likely to be hit by severe drought by the first half of 2024, government officials warned yesterday as the El Niño phenomenon further intensified.

Science Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. likened the prevailing El Niño to the 1997-1998 event – the worst experienced by the country that left billions of pesos in damage to agriculture.

“Now, based on recent conditions, moderate to severe drought conditions are likely from February to May 2024. And by end of May, there would be 77 percent of the provinces of the country that will have potential for drought – that would be around 65 provinces; and seven percent potential for dry spell or around six provinces,” Solidum said at a Malacañang press briefing.

“And because of this, we need to further intensify our efforts to make sure that we are ready for this, especially on the various fields that were already mentioned like health, water, agriculture, sanitation and of course, peace and order; and we also need to involve everyone in this effort,” he added.

According to Solidum, the effects of El Niño are currently felt in some areas in the country, and this is characterized by the reduction of rainfall up to 80 percent which led to dry conditions.

President Marcos met with various agencies, including the weather bureau and the Department of Agriculture, at Malacañang yesterday to tackle consolidated measures to mitigate the impact of El Niño, stressing the need to intensify efforts and ensure timely release of assistance to affected areas.

Solidum said majority of the global climate model suggests that El Niño will likely persist until the second quarter of 2024.

The President has directed agencies to categorize actions into short- and medium-term, he said.