President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. has ordered the immediate creation of an El Niño team, composed of different government agencies, that will respond to the possible effects of the upcoming dry season.
This was disclosed by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno in a press briefing on Tuesday, April 19.
"Nagbigay po kanina ng malinaw na instructions or utos ang Pangulong Bongbong Marcos na palakasin pa ho natin iyong paghahanda doon sa inaasahang masamang epekto ng El Niño," he said.
According to Nepomuceno, Marcos instructed the Department of Health (DOH) to provide assistance on the possible illness caused by the dry season.
Apart from this, he said the President also ordered the creation of a public awareness campaign on water conservation and energy conservation.
"Dapat ngayon pa lang, again, bago lumalala 'yung problema ay magtipid na tayo ng kuryente para hindi lumalala ito kapag dumating ang epekto ng El Niño ay handa po ang bansa," the OCD official added.
In the same briefing, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Deputy Administrator Esperanza Cayanan said the country is now under El Niño watch, the first level of the Niño warning system.
The dry spell will likely develop in July, August, and September this year and may last until 2024.
Earlier, the President, who also heads the Department of Agriculture (DA), ordered the department to reactivate the inter-agency El Niño Task Force which will also mitigate the potential impacts of the dry spell.
