Gibo orders military to take part in El Niño mitigation initiatives

Defense chief Gilberto Teodoro ordered all military camp commanders to take part in the government’s mitigation and management of the El Niño phenomenon in the country, which may exist until May.

“Commanders of all military camps across the country must take the lead in conserving water as we begin to experience the effects of El Niño,” Teodoro told military camp commanders in a recent meeting with the members of Task Force El Niño as well as National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and Office of the Civil Defense.

Emphasizing that El Niño-induced droughts could pose significant losses in the country’s agricultural production and even depleted water supplies, urged the defense sector to support the government’s water conservation program.

He stressed the need to check and repair water facilities in the country, including those military camps to prevent water wastage.

On 19 January, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order 53, directing the government to streamline, reactivate, and reconstitute the old El Niño task forces under EO No. 16 (s. 2001) and Memorandum Order No. 38 (s. 2019).

Marcos designated Teodoro as the task force chairperson, with Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum, will act as his co-chairperson.

The task force El Niño will also be composed of Environment and Natural Resources Chief Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, Agriculture Secretary Francis Tiu Laurel Jr., Health Chief Teodoro Herbosa, and National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, as members.

Philippine Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said there’s a continuous repair and maintenance of water systems in more than 200 military camps nationwide.

“The Army has been implementing already the energy and water conservation beforehand even before the defense secretary issued his directive,” Dema-ala told the Daily Tribune in a message on Thursday.

He said the soldiers are required to conduct regular checkups on the possible leakages in water systems within camps.

“This is part of the inspection duty of detailed guards of the day. We are encouraging also the different offices and those personnel living inside camps to practice water recycling,” he added.