MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros called on government agencies and local government units (LGUs) to strengthen measures to protect Filipinos from extreme heat, water shortages and threats to public health amid a strengthening El Niño.
In an interview with DZBB radio on Sunday, Hontiveros said her proposal for LGUs to establish public cooling spaces and provide free drinking water in crowded areas was part of preparations for the expected effects of Super El Niño.
She said that public cooling spaces could include shopping malls where people could seek temporary relief from extreme heat without being required to buy anything.
“Public cooling places, for example, could be malls, but people should not be obligated to buy anything,” she said.
She also called for free drinking water stations in crowded areas, particularly transport terminals, noting that access to water could sometimes mean the difference between life and death.
As vice chairman of the Senate budget panel handling the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Hontiveros said she was pushing for additional funding for programs addressing water conservation, environmental protection and livelihood development.
She said the government must identify, develop, protect and rationalize the use of available water sources.
She also underscored the need for closer coordination between the DENR and the Department of Agriculture, particularly in ensuring adequate water supplies for agricultural irrigation.
“We have to make sure that our farmers really have a source of water,” she said.
