The government is preparing for the possible impact of a strong El Niño, with the Palace urging Filipinos to take precautions and Senator Jinggoy Estrada pushing for added preparations through a Senate inquiry.
Estrada filed Senate Resolution No. 656 to look into measures being taken by government agencies ahead of the possible intensification of El Niño toward the end of the year and its possible continuation into 2027.
“We cannot afford to be caught off guard. The warnings are already on the table — from our own weather bureau, from international experts,” he said.
The senator said the Senate inquiry would cover contingency plans, available resources and preparations for communities that could experience dry spells and drought.
Estrada also cited a mid-September NDRRMC report showing that 9.61 million people in 39 provinces were affected by the recent southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones. Agriculture damage reached P4.395 billion, while infrastructure losses hit P14.311 billion.
Malacañang, meanwhile, said preparations for El Niño are already underway, including assistance for farmers and fisherfolk and measures to address possible water supply concerns.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro also reminded the public to prepare without panic buying or hoarding bottled water.
“Handa ang pamahalaan sa phenomenon na ito dahil kung matatandaan ninyo, noong 2024 ay nagkaroon tayo ng Task Force El Niño. Kumbaga, ang El Niño ay hindi na bago sa Pilipinas,” Castro said.
The National Water Resources Board has reduced Metro Manila’s water allocation from 52–53 cubic meters per second to 44 cubic meters per second starting October because of the possible effects of El Niño.
“Ang pag-iipon ng tubig, tama naman, pero hindi sa pamamaraan na kailangan mag-hoard ng mga mineral water na mabibili ninyo. Hindi ’yan tamang paghahanda,” Castro said.IMT
