The national government has set aside PHP7.86 billion in disaster response fund for the impacts of the very strong El Niño that has already inflicted billions of losses on agriculture.
The Philippines has activated a whole-of-government approach to manage water and food as it braces for the more severe effects of the phenomenon, forecast to persist until the first half of 2027.
Office of Civil Defense (OCD) spokesperson and Director for Disaster Preparedness Service Vic Tomas, at the Saturday News Forum, said initial government assistance totaling about PHP76.4 million has been disbursed through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), OCD, and other cluster agencies to support affected regions such as Cagayan Valley, Bicol, Calabarzon and Caraga.
He said the DSWD has provided food, non-food items and atmospheric water systems that convert water for potable use, while the Department of Agriculture has delivered resilient seeds and crops.
The OCD, for its part, has begun early procurement of pumps and desalination systems to shore up potable-water and irrigation supplies.
Local governments can also tap and use up to five percent of their quick reaction funds as additional support, Tomas added.
As of this posting, damage to agricultural lands in relation to El Niño has reached an estimated PHP6.87 billion, affecting roughly 223,000 farmers and fisherfolk.
“Kaya ‘yung intervention ay ginawa na po ng kaukulang ahensya ng pamahalaan (This is why the early intervention was immediately undertaken by the appropriate government agencies),” he said.
On top of the disaster fund, the government’s disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction program holds about PHP6.68 billion earmarked for provinces affected by the El Nino, especially those that have declared a state of calamity.
“Ngayon po, talagang binibigyan po talaga ng pansin ‘yung ating early response measures and maagap po na pagtugon sa epekto po ng El Niño. So handa naman po (Right now, we are placing a strong focus on early response measures and a proactive approach to addressing its impacts. So, we are prepared),” Tomas said.
“But again, this is not just national government alone or local government alone. It is a whole-of-nation, whole-of-government, and whole-of-community approach ”
Tomas urged the public to practice water conservation measures and heed advisories from official government agencies.
Government data estimate that at least 123,635 families in over 1,000 areas in Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, and Caraga are experiencing the effects of the weather system. (PNA)
