Villar: Prepare for El Niño

Sen. Manuel Villar, vice chairman of the Senate committee on agriculture, urged concerned government agencies and local officials to prepare for the expected onslaught of El Niño.

Villar issued his statement after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration warned of the possibility of massive droughts hitting the country’s major provinces this year.

"We are well aware of the damages that El Niño may bring especially in our agricultural corps. We must prepare for the worst and ensure that any damages will be controlled," he said.

The National Economic and Development Authority forecasts a drop in the growth of the agriculture sector to 3.5 percent from last year’s 4.9 percent growth because of the effects of El Niño.

Among the provinces expected to be hit by the global weather phenomenon are Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Quirino, Aurora, Palawan, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Biliran, Bukidnon, Davao del Sur, South Cotabato and Sarangani.

Villar urged the Department of Agriculture to begin the rehabilitation of communal irrigation systems and the installation of deep wells in drought-prone areas and to study the possibility of cloud seeding.

"Since many of our provinces are already experiencing shortage in rainfall and the lack of water supply, we should be ready to put in place stop-gap measures such as the building of shallow tube wells and the repair of irrigation facilities," he said.

Villar also asked the health department to conduct an information campaign on the effects of El Niño on health.