Malacanang holds media briefing on plans for El Niño

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Malacanang held a media briefing on how the government plans to address El Niño.

OCD Usec. Ariel Nepomuceno says they, along with other agencies were instructed by Pres. Bongbong Marcos to prepare even further for El Niño, including measures to conserve water and health preparations.

DOST-PAGASA Deputy Administrator Esperanza Cayanan says the country is on watch advisory now, meaning there is a 55% chance of El Niño in the next six months.

Cayanan says this means some areas of the country could experience a dry spell or drought: But this will be felt towards the last quarter.

He also said that a new forecast released yesterday says the probability of El Niño's occurrence is at 80% in June, July, August.

So from El Niño Watch in May, we will be issuing the next level which is El Niño Alert kung saan meron tayong above 70% of probability of El Niño occurrence for the next two months.

"Bago natin maramdaman yung effect ng El Niño which is less amount of rainfall, meron pa tayong tag-ulan.

For the month of May, wala tayong nakikitang below normal conditions.

Generally, until September may mga ulan tayong inaasahan — malalakas na pag-uulan over the western sections. Kung tatanungin niyo, yung peak na maraming ulan sa El Niño events ay nangyayari during the month of July."

Cayanan says they forecasted temperatures rising in May, adds one storm could arrive during the month.

NIA Acting Administrator Eduardo Guillen says the agency has been preparing for medium- and long-term solutions when it comes to El Niño.

NIA says when it comes to long-term solutions, the problem is managing water resources: Ang gusto ng pangulo ay convergence po ito.

Cayanan says the early release of the El Niño watch is meant to help prepare for the effects of the phenomenon: Ang pinaka epekto or impacts would be towards the last quarter (of 2023) and yung mas magiging impact nito ay yung first quarter hanggang papasok ng tag-init next year.

DOST-PAGASA: No two El Niño events are similar. Pero kung titignan natin ang nakikita ng climatologists natin as of now it's going to be a weak to moderate El Niño.

NIA says around 1.2 million hectares of farmland still lack irrigation.