DA reconvenes team vs El Niño

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May 27, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture has reconvened the DA El Niño team to respond to the potential impact of the weather phenomenon on local production.

In a special order dated May 22, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. ordered the reconstitution of the DA-National El Niño Team, to ensure effective and efficient response to the foreseen adverse impact of the weather phenomenon on agriculture and fishery.

The team will implement plans, policies and strategies intended to mitigate the impact of the dry spell.

It will assess, validate and monitor the impact of El Niño on the agriculture and fishery sectors, including damage assessment and monitoring of water levels in major dams.

The team will share with farmers and fisherfolk information and educational materials on the possible effects of El Niño.

It will work closely with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, DA regional field offices and operating units, and local governments and other stakeholders to ensure efficient implementation of the program.

The El Niño team will be headed by the assistant secretary for operations, with members from several DA offices, bureaus and attached agencies and corporations.

President Marcos on Monday led a meeting aimed at crafting measures and coordinating efforts on how to respond to the coming drought.

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said concerned government agencies may tap measures implemented during the past El Niño events to mitigate the effects of the coming one.

The country is expected to experience a moderate to strong El Niño starting in the third quarter of this year, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

PAGASA said the weather phenomenon has a 79-percent probability of developing and may persist until early next year.

Dry spell destroys P16.2 million crops

Meanwhile, the current dry spell has affected at least 572.2 hectares of rice fields in Negros Occidental, with the amount of losses reaching P16.2 million as of May 22, according to the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist.

Data from the OPA showed the hot weather has displaced 523 farmers in various parts of the province.

In response to the growing losses in the local agriculture sector, Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said the provincial government is eyeing to tap its disaster risk reduction and management funds to assist affected farmers.

Lacson said that immediate interventions are being considered to cushion the impact of the drought, particularly on rice farmers.

Amid concerns over the expected El Niño phenomenon, the Bureau of Soils and Water Management, an attached agency of the DA, has approved a P6-million budget for cloud-seeding operations in Western Visayas and the Negros Island Region.

DA-NIR chief Jose Albert Barrogo said that once the DA main office authorizes the cloud-seeding, the operation will be based at the Silay-Bacolod Airport.

Barrogo said that weather specialists continue to monitor atmospheric conditions to determine whether recent rainfall incidents are temporary or indicate a possible shift in weather patterns. — Helen Flores, Gilbert Bayoran