ANTIQUE – To mitigate the effects of the dry season, particularly on the agriculture sector, the Antique provincial government created an El Niño Task Force.
On May 18, Gov. Rhodora Cadiao signed Executive Order No. 85 reactivating the El Niño Task Force of the Province of Antique.
Cadiao said, “The province of Antique has been subject to and affected by recurring disasters brought about by climate change and human-induced disasters and emergencies.”
She added: “The El Nino phenomenon has serious impacts on agriculture that adversely affect the sufficiency, availability and distribution of food in the locality.”
Reactivating and reconstituting the El Nino Task Force would enhance inter-agency coordination in the formulation and implementation of measures to mitigate the effects of El Nino, according to the order.
The El Nino Task Force shall be composed of the following:
* Chairperson – Gov. Rhodora Cadiao
* Co-chairperson – Provincial Agriculturist Nick Calawag
* Members – Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Officer, Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator, Provincial Budget Officer, Environment and Natural Resources Officer, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer, Provincial Engineer, Provincial Information Officer, Peace, Order, and Public Safety Officer, Provincial Veterinarian, Provincial Health Officer II, National Irrigation Administration-Antique, Bureau of Fire Protection-Antique, Department of Social Welfare and Development-Antique, Department of Labor and Employment-Antique, Department of Trade and Industry-Antique, Department of Agrarian Reform-Antique, Local Water Districts in the Province of Antique, Philippine Information Agency-Antique, Philippine Red Cross-Antique, Diocesan Social Action Center-Antique, and Antique Federation of Non-Government Organizations, Inc.
The El Niño Task Force shall have the following functions:
* Formulate a disaster mitigation and preparedness plan for the El Niño phenomenon to help the province cope with the phenomenon and minimize its disastrous effects.
* Regularly monitor the implementation of said plan.
* Conduct a massive information campaign to educate the public on the El Niño phenomenon and the needed interventions to reduce its expected adverse impacts.
* Enlist the assistance and support of other agencies or instrumentalists as well as civil society organizations.
* Identify possible funding sources to implement the activities of the El Niño Task Force in coordination with the Provincial Budget Office.
* Undertake such other functions as may be necessary to fulfill its objectives.
The El Niño Task Force may assign its members to working committees, each focusing on certain concerns such as:
* Agriculture, natural resources, and water management
* Early warning system and information campaign
* Consumer protection, social services, heat, rescue and relief operations
Cadiao also enjoined “all municipal local government units to organize their respective Municipal El Niño Task Force.”/PN
