(Eagle News) – Malacanang said it President Aquino is closely watching the onslaught of El Niño in the country especially in the agriculture sector, which may impact on food production.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said that as part of the government preparations for the projected strong El Nino, the Department of Science and Technology has already made projections starting September.
Other government agencies should already be planning for their next steps with regards to the effects of El Nino, she said.
International climate experts have already warned of a strong El Niño this year until early 2016.
Valte said President Aquino “has been watching the situation carefully.”
“Even before the recent news about the coming El Niño in September, the President has already been aware and he’s already been briefed on the progress of El Niño,” said in a radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
Valte said government agencies have already carried out measures to prepare for El Nino last summer, when some areas in the country had less or experienced zero rainfall, she said.
“So our agencies have already been implementing their action plans in those areas,” Valte said during the interview.
“That experience is helping us plan and prepare for the coming El Niño as projected by the Department of Science and Technology.”
She said the DOST projections for El Nino would properly guide different agencies on the preparations that they will implement such as cloud-seeding, water preparation for irrigation, and others.
“So what’s important is that the DOST already has the projection kasi doon susunod ang ating mga ahensya, in the same way that the DOST, in cases of typhoons and storms, sila ang nauuna,” Valte said.
Because experts predicted a more severe form of El Niño, the government also widened its preparations, according to Valte, especially since the current situation is different from the time the Philippines had experienced El Nino 15 years ago
“Ngayon, what is on our side… is that we have more lessons from then…, and there is more technology that can help aid in the solution.” (with a PND report)
