President Marcos has ordered the creation of a task force to mitigate the effects of El Niño.

Marcos gave the order in a sectoral meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 12.
“We’ll have to organize first the task force. This is the time to put every condition together,” the President said.
The task force will be led by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) under the Office of the President.
It came after the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) reported that the El Niño phenomenon is seen to persist until the second quarter of next year, where most parts of the country will experience drought next year.
Marcos stressed the need to prioritize efforts based on short-term and long-term interventions of the government.
Under the National Action Plan for El Niño, the government has identified five sectors where plans and activities are being laid out to mitigate the effects of El Nino, namely in water, food, power, health, and public safety.
According to the DOST, 65 provinces across the country have potential for drought, while there are around six provinces with potential for dry spell.
During the meeting, the DOST-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) highlighted the escalating strength of the El Niño phenomenon in the tropical Pacific, which is expected to reach its peak in the coming months, with sea surface temperature anomalies exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius.
National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. presented to the President the National Action Plan (NAP) for El Niño, a comprehensive strategy covering water security, food security, energy security, health security and public safety.
It aims to enhance community resilience and address the anticipated impacts of the 2023-2024 El Niño.
Teodoro also introduced the National El Niño Online Platform (NOP), a database designed to facilitate the development of well-informed, data-driven plans and programs to combat the effects of El Niño.
Marcos stressed the need to intensify efforts and ensure timely release of assistance to affected areas and told officials to encourage the public to take part in the government efforts.