Nueva Ecija—considered the country’s rice capital — and Cavite are already experiencing drought ahead of the expected peak of El Niño in the first quarter of 2024, the state weather bureau said.
PAGASA data showed that as of Dec. 17, at least 25 areas have begun experiencing dry spells while five more have dry conditions.
Provinces in the Cordillera Administrative Region and Central Luzon as well as Metro Manila, Rizal, Palawan, Negros Occidental, Basilan, and Maguindanao are among the areas experiencing dry spells, PAGASA said.
Abra, Batanes, Bohol, Bukidnon, and Misamis Oriental, on the other hand, are experiencing dry conditions.
The state weather bureau said the El Niño phenomenon is expected to persist next year. Climate models suggest it will likely peak around March or April.
PAGASA’s chief of climate monitoring and prediction section Ana Solis said that in the last four weeks, temperatures have continued to rise in the Tropical Pacific.
PAGASA forecast showed the western portion of Luzon will bear the brunt of below-normal rainfall.
If coupled with long periods of drought, this could impact soil moisture.
“This will have a big implication because even if the rainy season starts, if we are coming from a long dry spell, it would take time to replenish the moisture,” Solis said.
Science Secretary Renato Solidum said all provinces will feel the impact of the El Niño phenomenon.
“All provinces will feel the impact, depending on the month,” Solidum said.
He said the hot weather could affect water supply in different parts of the country, not just in Metro Manila.
Solidum’s statement came after the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System assured that a repeat of the 2019 water crisis in Metro Manila was unlikely.
“We have been preparing for this the whole year. We were able to collect water, which is already above our target elevation of 212 meters, meaning we are confident [of our supply] during the onset of El Niño,” MWSS District Manager Engineer Patrick Dizon said.
For his part, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said President Marcos is set to order the revival of a presidential El Niño task force.
“This EO will come out as soon as possible,” Teodoro said.
The task force will concentrate on various sectors such as water management, agriculture, energy, health, and maintaining public safety.
The Department of Energy is also pushing for the judicious use of energy and to accelerate energy efficiency and conservation efforts to mitigate the impact of the El Niño phenomenon in the power supply sector.
DOE said the El Niño phenomenon historically increases the ambient temperatures and heat index by one to two degrees.
The Energy department said this is also the period when the use of electricity increases dramatically.
“President Marcos has emphasized the need to expand and deepen the practice of energy and conservation to mitigate power demand,” Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said.
“He appealed to Filipinos to conserve energy and create a culture of responsible usage of electricity as power supply projections may still change, even if we have adequate projection, due to extreme temperatures during the height of summer that will be exacerbated by El Niño,” Lotilla added.
He said next year would be a “challenging period” and would require the support of all Filipinos.