Metro Manila, Philippines – The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said the government is ready to mitigate the impact of a “very strong” El Niño through the first half of next year.
During a Saturday news forum, Vicente Tomas, OCD disaster preparedness service director and spokesperson, said that the government has set aside ₱7.86 billion in disaster response funds for the purpose.
He said an initial assistance of around ₱76.4 million was disbursed to support efforts in Cagayan Valley, Bicol, Calabarzon, and Caraga.
Tomas said the money was spent on food, non-food items, and water filtration systems for communities. Meanwhile, the government also provided resilient seeds and crops to farmers.
He added that local government units have also been allowed to access and utilize up to five percent of their quick reaction funds as supplementary support.
Tomas said the public should conserve water.
The OCD’s latest data show an estimated ₱6.87 billion in agricultural lands damaged by the dry spell, while around 223,000 farmers and fisherfolk have been affected.
