356,800 people affected by El Niño

Make this your preferred source to get more updates from this publisher on Google.

Around 356,800 people have been affected by the El Niño phenomenon across the Philippines, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Thursday.

In a media briefing, DSWD Spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said 356,800 people translates to around 189,994 families.

“More than 3,400 barangays na sa iba't ibang-bahagi ng ating bansa ang nakakaranas ng epekto ng matinding tagtuyot at bunsod nga ng El Niño phenomenon,” Dumlao said.

(More than 3,400 barangays in different parts of the country have experienced the effects of extreme drought and as a result of the El Niño phenomenon.)

According to Dumlao, affected residents were scattered across the following:

• Ilocos Norte in Region 1
• Cagayan, Isabela at Nueva Vizcaya in Region 2
• Oriental Mindoro in the MIMAROPA Region, Albay, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes in Region 5
• Cebu in Region 7
• Leyte, Northern Samar and Western Samar in Region 8
• The Mountain Province in the Cordillera Administrative Region
• The Dinagat Islands in the Caraga Region

He adds several local government units have declared a state of calamity because of the dry spell, including the provinces of Isabela and Cagayan, as well as the towns of Alabat, Guinayangan, Jomalig, General Nakar in Quezon Province.

Dumlao said the DSWD was already moving to respond to the crisis.

“Mahigit 43,000 na family food packs na ang nai-provide ng DSWD as augmentation support to the local government units who are affected by the El Niño phenomenon. And more than 3,600 na mga water containers ang atin na rin pong naipamahagi kasi may mga nag-request na rin,” Dumlao said.

(More than 43,000 family food packs have been provided by the DSWD as augmentation support to the local government units who have been affected by the El Niño phenomenon. And we have provided more than 3,600 water containers because there are some who requested it.)

“The total cost of humanitarian assistance provided by the Department has reached more than P714 million,” Dumlao said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Dumlao said the agency still had standby funds worth P1.4 billion, with P3.8 million prepositioned family food packs. She also said the agency was implementing mitigation efforts to address water scarcity and food insecurity.

The stronger El Niño phenomenon is expected to take effect beginning October, with the dry season projected to last as late as June 2027.

According to a study by the US-based Climate Impact Lab, the Philippines faces some 6,500 heat-related deaths until February 2027 because of the super El Niño phenomenon. — LA, GMA News