BBM: Ensure public safety, help farmers amid El Niño

President Marcos has ordered a "whole-of-government approach" to help farmers and to ensure public safety as the Philippines faces the impact of El Niño and La Niña.

- ALEXIS ROMERO

"The Department of Agriculture (DA) was ordered to closely coordinate with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. to assess any regulation barriers imposed by the insurance commission to ensure that prompt financial aid reaches affected farmers," a Presidential Communications Office (PCO) statement released yesterday read.

The environment department, the PCO said, was tasked "to engage in collaborative efforts to devise engineering solutions that alleviate the need for extreme water conservation measures." The El Niño task force previously said it is not discounting the possibility that Metro Manila may experience a water shortage because of the expected increase in consumption during summer. It has urged the public to save water and to limit the use of appliances.

The agency was also directed to work with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) to gather data on water oversupply and undersupply situations and to raise public awareness on the importance of building additional dams in mitigating the impact of El Niño.

The President has also ordered the Bureau of Fire Protection to coordinate with the health department to assess and implement requisite measures to ensure the safety of health facilities from fire hazards.

The OCD was also instructed to work closely with the tourism department to address the impact of the weather phenomenon on tourist spots, including issues related to water availability, energy resources, public health and safety.

Agri damage hits P2.6 B

The damage of the El Niño phenomenon to the agriculture sector in 10 regions has reached P2.63 billion affecting 54,2023 farmers as of April 3, according to data from the DA.