What have you been doing to help mitigate the effects of El Niño in your household and in your community?

The Department of Agriculture has reported that agricultural damage, particularly in rice and corn, in Western Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula has reached ₱151.3 million.

In a news forum of Task Force El Niño last weekend, it was reported that some 4,000 farmers in Western Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula are now affected by the dry spell.

Forty-one provinces are now affected by the weather phenomenon – 17 of them are currently experiencing dry condition, 10 are under a dry spell, and 14 provinces are experiencing drought. Before the end of February, at least 10 more provinces will be affected, a government official has warned.

Government agencies, among them the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and Department of Agriculture (DA), are now implementing interventions to cushion the effects of El Niño. These are in the form of direct assistance to farmers, infrastructure for food production, new planting techniques that use less water and allows immediate rice replanting right after harvest, to cash-for-training-and-work programs to the poor in the most vulnerable communities.

El Niño Task Force spokesperson and Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Assistant Secretary Joey Villarama said the affected farmers have been given seeds that are heat tolerant, domestic animals, social protection and financial aid.

The most recent programs are the Local Adaptation to Water Access and Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Poor projects (Projects LAWA and BINHI) launched by the Department of Social Services and Development (DSWD).  The projects offer cash-for-training and cash-for-work to the poor and vulnerable sectors affected by El Niño. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) will be signed on Feb. 22 by the DSWD, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Agriculture, University of the Philippines-Los Baños, and the United Nations World Food Programme.

The intended beneficiaries comprise households headed by farmers, fishermen, indigenous peoples, and other families vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters. They will be involved in water efficiency projects, including building a small farm reservoir, renovating and repairing water harvesting facilities, maintaining multipurpose water infrastructure, diversifying water sources, aquaculture, and hydroponics.

Projects that will result in food production will also be part of the program as the beneficiaries will also engage in communal vegetable gardening, urban gardening, school-based and community-based vegetable gardening, community-based diversified integrated farming, planting of disaster-resilient crops, planting of fruit-bearing trees and mangroves, and vermicomposting.

Acting on the directive of President Marcos, Task Force El Niño is closely monitoring food security, water supply, power supply, health, and food prices.

Another factor that households should monitor – and be prepared for – is the rising temperature.  PAGASA, the state weather bureau, last week said that temperatures could reach 36.5 degrees in Metro Manila and could go as high as 40 degrees in Northern Luzon.

The private sector – particularly households –should take heed of the situation and set up plans to reduce the effects of El Niño, and  to protect the health and safety of the community. Among the vital action points to consider are, among others: conserve water, be prepared with medicines for those with high-blood pressure condition, volunteer time to maintain community vegetable gardens, or nurture plants at home.

This is not a situation that will be over soon. And its undesirable effects, like increased food prices, will be felt by urban dwellers as more agricultural crops will be damaged by the drought.

Although PAGASA’s El Niño Advisory No. 8 issued on Feb. 6 2024 said a strong El Niño is expected to continue through February 2024, “the majority of global climate models suggest that El Niño will likely persist until the March-April-May 2024 season,” an advisory from reliefweb said.