PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the implementation of an action plan in preparation for the onset of a strong El Niño, Malacañang said on Monday.
In a press conference, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said that Marcos handed down the directive prior to his departure for his state visit to Japan last week.
“The purpose for this, firstly, is for water security, food security, to have energy security, for health protection and for public safety,” Castro said.
The president ordered the reactivation of the Department of Agriculture’s El Niño team, comprised of its attached agencies — National Food Authority, Philippine Coconut Authority, and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
They are tasked to map out drought-prone areas, provide crop measures through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp., repair and rehabilitate irrigation and water harvesting system, and promote alternate wetting and drying technology, among others.
Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, as well as the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, Local Water Utilities Administration, National Water Resources Board, and National Irrigation Administration, were instructed to desilt reservoirs and water facilities; continue water conservation measures; deploy water tanks and treatment units; and prioritize domestic water supply.
“These are just a few of the things that have been discussed; there are many more action plans that will be implemented because it is expected that we will have El Niño in July... the end of June, July,” Castro said in Filipino.
