The government, through Task Force El Niño, is preparing for the potential onset of La Niña amid ongoing El Niño mitigation.

In an interview with Palace reporters, Task Force El Niño spokesperson and Presidential Communications Office Assistant Secretary Joey Villarama said that existing protocols cover mitigation measures for both El Niño and La Niña.

"(The protocol) includes preparing mitigation measures for both El Niño and La Niña, so obviously La Niña is a different phenomenon," Villarama stated, referring to Executive Order No. 53 reconstituting and reactivating Task Force El Niño. He highlighted key priorities such as food security, water security, energy security, public health, and public safety.

In anticipation of La Niña, Villarama mentioned that the government is considering issuing executive orders to clean drainage systems. However, Valderrama emphasized that such preparations should be ongoing regardless of specific climate phenomena, especially as the country enters the typhoon season and southwest monsoon.

La Niña is marked by decreased sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, leading to increased rainfall in the Philippines.

PAGASA reports a 55 percent likelihood of La Niña occurring within the next six months.

While the declaration of a La Niña Watch does not guarantee the phenomenon's development, Villarama affirmed that the government will nonetheless ready itself for potential outcomes.

"Let's hope and pray that flooding won't lead to a disaster again, but rest assured, the government is preparing for that eventuality. All branches of the government are gearing up for it," Villarama said.

Government data showed that agricultural damage across the country due to the El Niño weather phenomenon has exceeded P1.23 billion.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued EO 53 in January to streamline, reactivate, and reconstitute the previous El Niño task forces established under EO 16 (s. 2001) and Memorandum Order 38 (s. 2019).

Under EO 53, the President instructed the task force to devise a thorough disaster preparedness and rehabilitation plan for both El Niño and La Niña. This plan aims to offer systematic, comprehensive, and effective interventions to assist the public in mitigating the impacts of these phenomena.