El Niño in ‘decaying’ stage, says task force
‘But as PAGASA said, this isn’t enough. Of course, we are thankful that there is rain so that the farms are ready for the next planting season, which is the wet planting season.’
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Daily Tribune‘But as PAGASA said, this isn’t enough. Of course, we are thankful that there is rain so that the farms are ready for the next planting season, which is the wet planting season.’
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Despite the onset of the rainy season, the El Niño phenomenon is still with us but is in the “decaying” stage, according to Task Force El Niño.
“Actually, we are still in El Niño. It is in what we call the decaying stage. So, by the end of this month, it might be over. Then in June…neutral conditions, neither El Niño nor La Niña,” said Task Force El Niño spokesperson Assistant Secretary Joey Villarama on Thursday.
“But the onset of La Niña may be in July, August or September because right now there is only a 69-percent chance [of its occurrence],” he added.
Villarama assured the task force is preparing for the beginning of La Niña while at the same time continuously implementing government initiatives for the rehabilitation of farmers affected by El Niño.
“Maybe by December, in the early part of next year, we might expect the strong effect of this [La Niña] if it becomes full-blown,” he said, noting that the phenomenon may be at 80 to 85-percent by December up to the first quarter of 2025.
Villarama said that some areas that were hardly affected by El Niño, especially in Mindanao, are now experiencing rains.
“But as PAGASA said, this isn’t enough. Of course, we are thankful that there is rain so that the farms are ready for the next planting season, which is the wet planting season,” Villarama said. “Somehow the temperatures have cooled down a bit, and we have received a little bit of rain so that our farmers can start preparing for planting.”
The task force official said some 4,700 flood control projects have been completed, while over 4,000 projects are still ongoing.
The latest report from the Department of Agriculture showed the agricultural damage due to El Niño amounted to P9.50 billion.
