PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. has formally reactivated the El Niño Task Force which shall oversee the crafting and implementation of a comprehensive disaster preparedness and rehabilitation plan to cushion the impact of the weather phenomenon.
The President, through Executive Order 53 that was signed last January 19 but released only yesterday, tapped the secretaries of the Department of National Defense (DND) and Department of Science and Technology (DOST) as co-chairmen of the task force, and the secretaries of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture, the Department of Health, and the National Economic and Development Authority as members.
The Office of Civil Defense shall provide administrative and technical support to the task force in the performance of its functions.
Under the EO, the task force is mandated to ensure the country’s readiness to fight the effects of the El Niño, starting with increasing the resilience of communities and securing sufficient water supply, food security and public health and safety.
It shall likewise revise and update the Strategic El Niño National Action Plan (NAP) and monitor the implementation of short and long-term solutions and programs identified in the plan.
It is also tasked to coordinate with all concerned agencies in expediting the completion of all ongoing water infrastructure projects intended to cushion or mitigate the impacts of the dry spell.
The EO also directs the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) to conduct information campaigns on the El Niño phenomenon, and to submit to the President, through the Office of the Executive Secretary, a monthly report on the implementation of the order.
The task force, in coordination with the DOST, shall also establish the El Niño Online platform, which will serve as a centralized repository for a wide range of data, research, and information concerning El Niño, such as interactive maps and visualizations, as well as well-informed, data-driven plans and programs related to El Niño.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has said that the El Niño started as early as July 2023 and is expected to persist until the second quarter of 2024.
