President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday advised farmers in Zamboanga to prepare for extreme weather conditions caused by climate change.

In his speech during the distribution of assistance to the farmers, Marcos emphasized the need for the local government to come up with proactive measures to mitigate the El Niño and upcoming La Niña weather phenomenons.

“It’s scorching hot now and in the coming months we can expect intense rainfall,” Marcos said in Filipino.

Marcos stressed the need for preparedness at all levels, urging local authorities to identify the needs of their constituents and develop programs aimed at helping them.

Marcos gave P10,000 in financial assistance to each recipient in Region 9.

Additionally, he provided approximately P58 million in monetary aid to the City of Zamboanga, as well as the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay.