ILOILO – As the province contends with the persistent effects of El Niño, a weather phenomenon characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific, which often results in dry spells and high temperatures, local authorities are already gearing up for the impending La Niña.
La Niña, the counterpart to El Niño, involves cooler-than-average ocean temperatures and typically leads to increased rainfall and cooler weather patterns.
The Iloilo provincial government has begun preparations to mitigate the expected weather shifts associated with La Niña.
During a meeting of the Civil Defense Cluster Council held last Tuesday and Wednesday, Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr., along with department heads, discussed strategies.
“We are preparing for the rainy season; we want to ensure readiness for La Niña,” said Defensor.
The discussions focused on assessing the readiness and capacities of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) to respond to potential calamities such as flooding, as well as the adequacy of equipment inventories.
Defensor also plans to convene a meeting next week with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) to prepare partnered agencies and local government units (LGUs).
Emphasizing the importance of proactive measures, Defensor urged the revisiting of alert systems, readiness plans, and disaster maps to better manage areas typically affected by floods and other disasters.
He also encouraged the local chief executives of 42 towns and the component city of Passi to start preparing for relief operations.
Moreover, Governor Defensor announced a province-wide clean-up drive and road clearing scheduled for mid-May to ensure that water flow is unobstructed by waste, which could exacerbate flooding situations.
This initiative aims not only to prevent dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases but also to clear drains and canals of debris. An Executive Order will be issued to facilitate these efforts.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Service Administration (PAGASA), the current hot weather may persist until May. However, from May to June, the weather is expected to gradually transition back to neutral conditions.
Currently, four out of six provinces in Region 6 – Iloilo, Guimaras, Antique, and Negros Occidental – are experiencing drought conditions, defined as three consecutive months of significantly below-normal rainfall.
Capiz province is under a dry spell, while Aklan faces dry conditions.
A dry spell is defined as three consecutive months of below-normal rainfall conditions (21 to 60 percent reduction from average rainfall./PN
