The El Niño weather phenomenon may already be at its peak, the state weather bureau said Friday, as it cautioned the public to expect warmer days.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture said it will prioritize farming technologies requiring less water, allowing rice farmers to continue planting rice in the face of El Niño.
Analiza Solis, chief of the Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, said that in Metro Manila, maximum daytime temperatures for March could hit a high of 36.5 degrees Celsius.
The heat isn’t confined in Metro Manila either, as PAGASA said the mercury would rise higher in Northern Luzon where maximum daytime temperatures could reach over 40 degrees Celsius.
These figures are just actual temperatures and do not include calculations for heat index, Solis said.
“This is dangerous because our normal body temperature is 37 degrees Celsius. This means temperature outside our body is much higher, similar to a fever. Make sure those at risk are always monitored for their blood pressure. Those with conditions like diabetes, renal conditions, epilepsy, they are very sensitive to the amount of water and heat,” she said.
During the Task Force El Niño meeting on February last Monday, the DA identified Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and Quick Turn Around (QTA) as the best techniques to continue rice production.
“AWD is a water-saving technology that rice farmers can apply to reduce their water use in irrigated fields,” said Agriculture Assistant Secretary U-Nicols Manalo during the task force meeting chaired by Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr.
“On the other hand, QTA is a strategy wherein all rice farms after harvest shall quickly replant immediately without waiting for the months of the succeeding planting season to begin,” he added.
As of Monday, Manalo said the DA has reached out to more than 1 million farmers for implementation of the water-saving technology in nearly 15,000 hectares of rice areas.
In his update, he said farmers have already began replanting in more than 5,500 hectares of rice areas.
The DA also aims to implement the quick-turn-around strategy in more than 26,000 hectares.
The DA immediately implemented these measures in compliance with President Marcos’ Executive Order No. 53 which directs the government to streamline, reactivate, and reconstitute the old El Niño task forces under EO No. 16 series 2001) and Memorandum Order No. 38 series 2019.
Signed on Jan. 19, 2024, President Marcos’ executive order directs the task force to develop a comprehensive disaster preparedness and rehabilitation plan for El Niño and La Niña to provide “systematic, holistic, and results-driven interventions” to help the public cope and minimize their devastating effects.
The President designated Teodoro as the task force chairperson, while Science and Technology secretary Renato U. Solidum was designated as co-chairperson.
The President also designated Environment secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, Agriculture secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., Health secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa, and National Economic and Development Authority secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan as task force members.