Coming up: El Niño task force

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday issued a directive to establish a coordinating entity that would centralize efforts aimed at lessening the effects of the ongoing El Niño phenomenon.

During a sectoral gathering at Malacañang, President Marcos specified that the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, operating under the Office of the President, will spearhead this task force.

"We'll have to organize first the task force. This is the time to put every condition together," Marcos said.

In a Palace Briefing, Department of Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said Marcos told them to categorize their actions into short and medium terms.

Solidum said they should immediately implement their short-term goals, and that they have to be realistic with it.

"So there are indeed many plans and actions in place already, we just need to ensure that the coverage will also expand as per the forecast," Solidum said.

"One important thing is to enhance the communication effort, and this will be handled by the Office of the President so that we can have a massive information campaign on what we need to do, what the government is doing and what our kababayan should also be doing for their counterpart," Solidum added.

Based on the National Action Plan for El Niño, the government has identified five sectors where plans and activities are being laid out to mitigate the effects of El Nino, namely water, food, power, health and public safety.

DOST reports showed that 65 provinces across the country have potential for drought, while around 6 provinces face dry spells.

The President stressed the need to intensify efforts and ensure the timely release of assistance to affected areas.

Marcos also told officials to encourage the public to take part in the government efforts.

He stressed the need for a massive information campaign that would remind the people to conserve resources, such as water and energy.