$123.2 million allocated for El Niño response

MANILA, Philippines —  Around $123.2 million is allocated for readiness and response amid the “very strong” El Niño that will persist till next year, according to the United Nations Philippines.

This was among the figures revealed in a snapshot of how Task Force El Niño, composed of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Office of Civil Defense, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, among others, are preparing for the phenomenon.

“Through the El Niño Task Force, the government is coordinating nationwide measures to mitigate the impact of a ‘very strong’ El Niño, prioritizing water security, food supply, public health, public safety and energy resilience,” UN Philippines said.

So far, around 109 cities and municipalities have declared a state of calamity.

One out of every three barangays are identified as “vulnerable” in terms of water supply, with the government allocating funding to expand water service coverage.

The peak electricity demand is expected to increase up to 10.7 percent.

Around 54 provinces are expected to experience drought conditions by the end of the 2026, with agencies ramping up health communication against heat-related illnesses and readying hospitals for a patient surge.

Meanwhile, over two million hectares of rice farms could be impacted by El Niño, the DA said, with around 4.6 million farmers and fisherfolk expected to be affected.

DA Assistant Secretary U-Nichols Manalo said there are about 2.26 million hectares of El Niño-vulnerable rice areas in the country, citing the Philippine Rice Research Institute.

Of the total, 323,263 hectares were classified as very low risk and 627,774 hectares as low risk. These are areas where the DA said farmers should continue planting rice.

Areas under moderate and high risk, covering a combined 1.01 million hectares, may still proceed with rice cultivation but with caution due to potential constraints in available water supply.

About 171,634 hectares were identified as very high risk, prompting the DA to recommend that farmers shift to alternative crops due to insufficient water sources.

Another 128,172 hectares were classified as potentially unplanted, with the agency advising a temporary halt in planting activities due to the absence of available irrigation water.

El Niño is expected to cut the country’s palay production by at least one million metric tons in 2026, according to the DA’s revised projection. If realized, total palay production could decline to about 18 million MT this year.

Around five areas are expected to experience “dangerous” level heat index today, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. –  Adrian Kenneth Halili