‘Government began preparing for super El Niño last year’

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian explains the agency’s science-backed pail with a filtration system.

MANILA, Philippines — Contrary to public perception, the Marcos administration began preparing for the effects of the anticipated super El Niño as early as 2025, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said.

“When we talk about El Niño, we have to understand that yes, it is a concern, but yes, we (also) saw this coming,” Gatchalian told The STAR’s “Truth on the Line” yesterday.

Gatchalian said the government is adopting a whole-of-government approach to address the effects of the weather phenomenon, citing preparations that include food stockpiling, solar-powered water pumps, water impounding projects and additional water treatment facilities.

He said the Department of Agriculture has 75 days’ worth of buffer stocks of rice, both locally produced and imported, as well as more than 100 days’ worth of supplies of pork and chicken.

“Our supplies are in those cold storages. So, this means this had been laid out already ahead of time. So, from helping our farmers to stockpiling food, we have more than enough, because that falls into food security,” he said.

The government has also been rolling out solar-powered water pumps to reduce reliance on electricity-driven systems, with President Marcos inaugurating completed facilities in Ifugao, Cagayan and Cananga in Ormoc, Leyte.

“Why solar? Because it is very important that you don’t want to be overly reliant on electricity-driven pumps. Now these pumps, as early as 2024, I went with him to Isabela, they’ve been rolling this out over the years,” he added.

Gatchalian said the government had also been building small water impounding facilities since 2023 to store water from springs, rivers and streams, including in remote communities.

Authorities have likewise been encouraging the use of deep wells to help communities secure water supplies during the dry season.

The government has activated more than 60 to 70 dormant deep wells and expects to bring more back into operation, he said.

Six new water treatment facilities, mostly in Luzon where many of the country’s dams are located, are also expected to become operational this month.

“We’re asking our citizens to collect rainwater. But how are they going to use it? So, we need some type of filtration system to make sure the water they will be drinking is potable. Now this system – it’s by a group called Waves for Water,” Gatchalian said.

Waves for Water operates in more than 40 countries and provides clean water facilities.

The filtration system, initially used for camping and outdoor activities, is among the government’s interventions to help communities access potable water.

Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, Local Water Utilities Administration and Department of Agriculture are working to repair water distribution systems and reduce water losses, Gatchalian said.

The Department of Energy, for its part, is working to maintain stable power supply through measures that include battery storage systems and energy barges in island provinces.