An executive from the Task Force El Niño said Sunday that besides mitigating the potential adverse effects of El Niño, the coordinating body would also be responsible for overseeing possible threats brought by La Niña, which is forecast to prevail in June.

In a radio interview, Task Force El Niño spokesperson Asec. Joel Villarama explained the difference between the two weather phenomena.

“Kung yung El Niño eh unusual na pag-iinit at yung epekto nito sa klima at sa weather ng init na ito ay El Niño, yung La Niña naman yung kabaliktaran. From experience dito sa Pilipinas, pag sinabing La Niña, binabaha tayo at malakas yung pag-uulan, mas higit dun sa karaniwang ulan na bumabagsak kapag rainy season natin.”

(If El Niño is unusually warming and its effect on the climate and the weather of this heat is El Niño, La Niña is the opposite. From experience here in the Philippines, when it is La Niña, we experience flooding and the rain is heavy, which is more than the usual rain that falls during our rainy season.)

Villarama said that the task force will also be in charge of La Niña, as mandated by an executive order.

“Sa pagka-reactivate at reconstitute ng Task Force El Niño under Executive Order No. 53, actually nakalagay po sa simula niyan is to mitage the effects of El Niño and La Niña,” he said.

(Upon the reactivation and reconstitution of the Task Force El Niño under Executive Order No. 53, it is stated at the beginning that it is to mitigate the effects of El Niño and La Niña.)

“Iniisip pa kasi ng tao na baka antayin pa ba na mag-shift to La Niña bago mag-create ng panibagang task force, pero nandun po nakapaloob sa Executive Order No. 53 na ang kailangan i-address ng task force ay yung impacts and effects of El Niño and La Niña.”

(People are still thinking that they might wait to shift to La Niña before creating a new task force, but it is indicated in Executive Order No. 53 that the task force needs to address the impacts and effects of El Niño and La Niña.)

The weather state bureau PAGASA issued a La Niña watch alert on Thursday as the phenomenon is seen to pre-develop in the coming months.

PAGASA Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section chief Analiza Solis said the criteria for La Niña Watch under the bureau’s El Niño-Southern Oscillation Alert System were satisfied, following seeing a probability of the phenomenon occurring more than 55 percent starting in June.

Solis, however, noted that the issuance of the La Niña watch doesn't guarantee the occurrence of the phenomenon.

“Nakatingin din ang ating Task Force El Niño kung paano ito i-a-address. Pero ang maganda po rito, ang importanteng malaman dito ay 55 percent, so may chance pa na mag flip depende sa prevailing conditions,” said Villarama.

(Our Task Force El Niño is also looking at how to address it. But the good thing here, the important thing to know here is 55 percent, so there is still a chance to flip depending on the prevailing conditions.)

He added that if La Niña happens, its first months would still be like El Niño.

“Sakaling tumuloy sa La Niña year naman, first conditions na mae-experience natin yung La Niña parang El Niño, parang kakaunti pa rin yung pag-uulan. Hindi agad yung nakagisnan natin na bubuhos yung ulan at babaha kagaya ng Ondoy.”

(If we continue to the La Niña year, the first conditions are that we can experience the La Niña like El Niño, it seems that there is still little rain. It is not what we are used to that it will rain and flood like what happened on Ondoy.)

“Hindi natin alam kung ano yung magiging weather conditions nung time na yun, but its safe to say na pinaghahandaan ng gobyerno kung sakali nagang maging malakas o maging full-blown La Niña na siya sa panahon na yun,” he added.

(We don't know what the weather conditions will be at that time, but it's safe to say that the government is preparing in case it becomes a strong or full-blown La Niña at that time.)