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Marcos demands a comprehensive government response to the effects of El Nino.

In order to combat the El Nino phenomena, which is expected to affect the nation until early 2024, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. desires the establishment of protocol-based and scientific long-term processes as well as a whole-of-government strategy.

The President tasked several government agencies to implement a public awareness campaign that will teach people how to conserve water and energy, among other things, to help address the impact of the dry spell, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), which cited Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno during a press briefing in Malacanang on Tuesday.

“The President issued clear instructions or a directive to strengthen the preparations against the anticipated detrimental effects of El Nino,” he said. “Nagbigay po kanina ng malinaw na instructions or utos ang Pangulong Bongbong Marcos na palaksin pa ho natin iyong paghahanda doon.”

According to Nepomuceno, the dry season has made it widely anticipated that there will be a water supply issue. As a result, the President ordered public institutions like schools to save water before the issue worsens.

He claimed that in order to lessen the effects of El Nino, Marcos also wants energy saving measures put in place.

He clarified that the President wanted an El Nino team to be immediately established that could properly address the issue through the channels of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NCRRMC), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Health (DOH), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), National Water Resources Board (NWRB), and Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage Systems (MWSS) were represented at the meeting.

Esperanza Cayanan, the deputy administrator of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Administration (DOST-PAGASA), stated during the same briefing that the most recent projection indicates an 80% likelihood of El Nino occurring from June to August this year.

She stated that there is an 86 percent chance of an El Nino from November through December 2023 till January 2024, according to the weather bureau’s forecast.

“We still have the rainy season before we experience the effect of El Nino,” she continued. “Bago pa natin maramdaman iyong epekto nitong El Nino, which means less rainfall in most areas of the country.

In relation to the impending drought, NIA Acting Chief Eduardo Guillen claimed that they had developed short-, medium-, and long-term solutions.

He claimed that they prioritize which areas, particularly those that are being used for the cultivation of rice and are close to water supplies, using what they refer to as a cropping calendar.

“Dito po dito sa DA di bawi natin iyong kakulangan doon sa ating area na matataniman kapag dry season, di bawi natin iyong kakulangan doon. In order to solve the shortage in regions where we can plant during the dry season, we are working closely with the DA to concentrate on producing hybrid, hybrid rice, which has a yield that is two times more than that of regular rice during the dry season. Because hybrid rice produces twice as much during the dry season, we will focus on it, the man stated.

Relatively speaking, he claimed that they have counseled farmers to grow high-value crops in places that are remote from water sources.

“The President wants that correct and current assistance are given to farmers because in the case of hybrid rice we know that farm inputs are expensive,” he said. “Ang gusto ng Pangulo natin po ay maiparating sa ating mga farmers iyong tama at napapanahon na assistance.”

Guillen added that the President wants the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) and NIA to combine their efforts as a long-term solution to the problems associated with managing water resources, particularly during the rainy season.

Increasing NIA’s budget and collaborating with other organizations, such the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), to move the focus from flood control to water management, he said, were two alternatives mentioned during the discussion.

The construction of impounding dams and small river impounding projects is included in the statement that “Ang pinakamabisa po kasi na flood control project is water management” (The most effective flood control project is water management), he stated.

He stated that NIA might potentially consider the prospect of building high dams.

In order to manage the nation’s water resources and address contemporary environmental concerns, the President approved the establishment of the Water Resource Management Office (WRMO) in February of last year.

Before the Department of Water Resources is established, the WRMO will be a temporary organization under the DENR.

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