ILOILO City – The El Niño phenomenon may persist until the end of this month, and the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) reminds the public to prepare.
Based on the outlook forecast of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), 36 provinces in the country will experience dry conditions until the end of January, dry spells in 15 provinces, and drought in 15 more.
Drought is defined as three consecutive months of way below-normal rainfall conditions (less than a 60 percent reduction from average rainfall).
A dry spell is defined as three consecutive months of below-normal rainfall conditions (21 to 60 percent reduction from average rainfall).
A dry condition is defined as two consecutive months of below-normal rainfall conditions (21 to 60 percent reduction from average rainfall).
Cindy Ferrer, OCD-6 information officer and spokesperson of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC), said the six provinces and two highly urbanized cities in the region still fall into dry and dry spell conditions.
“When El Niño continues to persist towards the later months of the first quarter of this year, there might be provinces in our region that will experience drought, which is why we are urging them to prepare to minimize its impact,” Ferrer told Panay News.
The region has already experienced the onset of El Niño since the last quarter of 2023, with a reduction in rainfall conditions.
Here is the outlook for different provinces until the end of January.
For Visayas
* Dry condition (15 provinces) – Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros Oriental, Bohol, Cebu, Siquijor, Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar (Western Samar), Southern Leyte
* Dry spell – Negros Occidental
* Drought – none
For Luzon
* Dry condition (nine provinces) – Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes
* Dry spell (11 provinces) – Abra, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Isabela, Nueva Viscaya, Quirino, Bulacan, Aurora, Metro Manila, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro
* Drought (15 provinces) – Benguet, Kalinga, Apayao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Bataan, Nueva Ecjia, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zamables, Cavite, and Palawan.
For Mindanao
* Dry condition (12 provinces) – Zamboanga Del Norte, Zamboanga Del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Camiguin, Lanao Del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Davao Del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Surigao Del Norte, Lanao Del Sur, Sulu, and Tawi-tawi
* Dry spell (three provinces) – Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, and Basilan
* Drought – none
With this, Ferrer said preparations in the region began as early as last year through Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment Meetings and coordination meetings with RDRRMC-6 member agencies and other private organizations and groups.
In October 2023, the Western Visayas El Niño Task Group, led by the Department of Interior and Local Government Region 6 and co-led by OCD-6, was created, covering the sectors of food security led by the Department of Agriculture Region 6, water security by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region 6, health security by the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6, and public safety by the Philippine National Police.
The functions of the task group include:
* Regularly monitor the implementation of the plan, its timeliness, relevance, and responsiveness;
* Conduct a massive information campaign to educate the public on the El Niño phenomenon and the needed interventions to reduce its expected adverse impacts on the community;
* Enlist the assistance and support of any government agency or instrumentality, as well as civil society and the private sector, in pursuance of its functions and objectives;
* Identify possible funding sources to implement the activities of the Task Group in coordination with the Department of Budget and Management – CAR (DBM-CAR) and other coordinating and funding agencies.
As its primary function, the task group has formulated the Regional Comprehensive and Integrated Action Plan (CIAP) for El Niño, which has been endorsed and approved by the council during the RDRRMC-6 full council meeting in December 2023.
The CIAP is formulated to help the general public cope with the phenomenon and minimize its disastrous effects.
The OCD-6 has also been consistently reminding local government units (LGUs), other concerned government agencies, and the community.
It has issued memoranda since April 2023 for the submission of preparedness measures by the LGUs through their local disaster risk reduction and management councils (LDRRMCs).
“We have reiterated it this January of 2024 and for their submission of situation reports if there are already effects.
As of now, OCD-6 has yet to receive reports from LGUs.
REMINDERS
Communities were told by Ferrer to be vigilant against the threat of El Niño.
“To the people in communities, it is always our reminder to be vigilant of the current threat of El Niño and let us seek advice from our experts in agriculture on alternatives we can practice to minimize its impact on our agricultural produce, especially since we still strive to ensure food security in the region,” she said.
She added, “To the general public, let us remain vigilant as well of the current threat of this phenomenon, especially in our health. Let us ensure that we are hydrated, and let us not expose ourselves too much to the sun to avoid health problems, especially heat stroke.”/PN
