President Marcos called on local government units (LGUs) to brace for the upcoming La Niña phenomenon and prepare programs to help the people during the extreme weather disturbance that brings torrential rains.
Although the government is prepared for the expected La Niña onslaught, the Chief Executive rallied LGUs to prepare for all kinds of eventualities.
“Mga kababayan, ang buong mundo po ay nahaharap sa matinding pagsubok dulot sa tinatawag na climate change, pagbabago po ng panahon. Extreme weather ang nararanasan natin. Matinding init ngayon at sa mga susunod na buwan naman ay asahan natin ang matindi naman na pag-ulan (My fellow countrymen, the whole world is facing a great challenge because of climate change. We’re experiencing extreme weather. Extreme heat now and in the next months, there will be extreme rains),” he said during the distribution of assistance to farmers and fisherfolks affected by El Niño in Zamboanga City on Thursday, May 9.
“Kaya naman po, nananawagan ako sa lokal na pamahalaan ng Zamboanga at sa mga karatig-bayan [nito sa] buong rehiyon: Maging handa po kayo sa lahat ng oras. Alamin natin ang pangangailangan ng ating mga nasasakupan at gumawa tayo ng mga programa na tiyak na makakatulong sa ating mga kababayan (That’s why I call on the local government of Zamboanga and neighboring towns in the whole region: Be prepared at all times. Let’s find out what our constituents need and let’s create programs that will surely help our fellowmen),” he added.
La Niña is the periodic cooling of ocean surface temperatures along the western coast of South America.
It often occurs following an El Niño and it disrupts the typical regional and global weather patterns in a manner opposite to that of El Niño.
With the extreme heat being experienced in country expected to taper off in the coming weeks, the country is preparing for another extreme weather disturbance.
But since the dry spell continues to impact the country’s agricultural sector, Marcos vowed that the government will assist the local government and provide government assistance to the affected people and sectors.
He also appealed for unity to surmount the present challenges, saying the aim of the Bagong Pilipinas campaign is to make more secure and productive Filipino families.
“Makakaasa po kayo na ang inyong pamahalaan ay walang humpay na magtatrabaho upang palaguin ang ating ekonomiya para makamtan natin lahat ang isang masaganang buhay para sa bawat Pilipino (You can be rest assured that your government is working tirelessly to improve our economy so all Filipinos can benefit from prosperity),” the President said.
“Magsilbing patunay nawa ang pagdalaw kong ito sa inyo na hindi [nagpapabaya] ang pamahalaan. Kakampi po ninyo kami sa bawat laban at kaakibat sa bawat paghakbang tungo sa mas magandang bukas (May this visit serve as proof that the government is not neglecting you. We are with you in every fight and we are with you in every step towards a better tomorrow),” he added.
According to the latest figures, two municipalities and one city out of 67 municipalities and five cities in the Zamboanga Peninsula have been placed under a state of calamity due to huge losses incurred from dry spell brought about by the El Niño.
As of May 7, a total of 66,878 families, or 334,391 persons in 165 out of 1,904 barangays were affected by the drought.