President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants a task force on El Niño to be readied to prepare the country for the dry spell, especially the agriculture sector, a Palace official said.

In a press briefing in Batac City, Ilocos Norte, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Marcos is concerned about the effects of El Niño and wants the country to prepare accordingly.

“Kinausap na ang NIA (National Irrigation Administration) kung papaano makakatulong ang irigasyon, kung paano dapat masolusyunan ang paparating na Super El Niño – isa ito sa ikinababahala ng Pangulo,” Castro said. “So, ngayon pa lang ay talagang ang task force ay ipinahahanda para hindi maapektuhan ang ating mga magsasaka.”

According to Castro, farmers are encouraged to plant appropriate crops for a particular season, such as drought-resistant crops during times of prolonged dry spells and suitable planting materials for the wet season.

The Marcos administration is developing thousands of hectares of irrigated land to boost farmers’ productivity and build their capacity amid climate change, including the El Niño phenomenon.

In 2023, Marcos ordered the creation of a coordinating body led by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to consolidate all measures to mitigate the impacts of the El Niño phenomenon.

Based on the National Action Plan for El Niño at the time, the government identified sectors where plans and activities are being laid out to mitigate the effects of El Niño—water, food, power, health, and public safety.

The government intensified efforts to assist affected areas and encouraged the people to conserve resources, such as water and energy.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical, Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) warned that an active El Niño in the tropical Pacific will intensify into a “very strong” event between September and December 2026 and persist through the first half of 2027. Presidential News Desk