President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday ordered concerned government agencies to fast-track the construction of irrigation and other facilities to cushion the effects of El Niño on agriculture and other sectors.
In his speeches at two separate events on Wednesday — where he led in the inauguration of an irrigation facility in Nueva Ecija and the turnover of wheeled excavators in Zambales — the President said the Department of Agriculture and the National Irrigation Administration should ensure that ongoing water projects will be finished by "April of next year." "Starting maybe in January, it might not rain as much, so we need to do everything we can to prepare for the dry season that might extend into the second quarter," he said at the inauguration of the Balbalungao Small Reservoir Irrigation Project in Lupao, Nueva Ecija.
At the turnover of NIA-procured excavators in Subic, Marcos said, "We must be prepared to address the effects of El Niño."
The President underscored the need to ensure the country's preparedness for the consequences of El Niño, such as decreased rainfall and drought.
Restructure Task Force El Niño
He said the impact of El Niño may even be felt in the power and health sectors.
Hence, Marcos said, the government will restructure the Task Force El Niño since there is a need for more extensive measures to mitigate the effects of the weather phenomenon.
"I have created under the Office of the President a Task Force El Niño. There already exists one, but we need to restructure it because I think this is a more serious and a more extensive effort because we really have to get everybody involved to be able to prepare, to make sure we can minimize, alleviate, and adapt to climate change,'' he told reporters in Nueva Ecija.
The President, in April, urged the establishment of a dedicated team to lessen the impact of the El Niño phenomenon.
El Niño causes atypical warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, leading to decreased rainfall.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government will spearhead the task force in close collaboration with the Office of Civil Defense.
The President specified a four-month window for government officials to execute projects to tackle El Niño.
141 wheeled excavators
Meanwhile, 141 wheeled excavators were turned to the field offices of NIA at the Naval Supply Depot of Subic Bay Freeport.
"It reflects our continuous commitment to develop and utilize our lands, a commitment that we take and embrace seriously. To ensure the productive and efficient use of our agricultural lands, it is imperative that we continue restoring and maintaining our irrigation systems," Marcos said.
The 141 wheeled excavators worth P776 million will be deployed to NIA field offices to underscore the Marcos administration's importance on irrigation to sustain a steady supply of food and agricultural products.
He highlighted the government's continuous efforts to secure the irrigation sector to achieve improved agricultural productivity and ensure the welfare of Filipino farmers.
"This is only the beginning, and we will distribute more excavators to benefit our irrigator associations. It is a very important beginning," he said in English and Filipino.
He added: "I urge the NIA to maximize the full potential of this equipment to assist our farmers so that their yields and incomes will increase, and sufficient and affordable food will continue to be readily available for our people."
He also called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of National Defense to study all possible interventions to mitigate the effects of El Niño, including cloud seeding and rain-making to ensure the continuous water supply to the farmlands.
He directed the Department of Budget and Management to secure funds to acquire the necessary machinery to further improve irrigation systems nationwide.
"Let us continue to unite and work together to develop, modernize, and improve our agriculture sector so we can achieve a more food-secure and prosperous future for all Filipinos," Marcos said.
Witnessing the turnover were Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr., NIA Chief Eduardo Eddie Guillen, and SBMA Chairman and Administrator Jonathan D. Tan.
With Jonas Reyes