NIA preparing to mitigate effects of El Niño – Palace

MANILA, Philippines — The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and other concerned agencies are continuously preparing to ease the effects of the looming super El Niño, including the maintenance of irrigation systems and clearing operations on irrigation canals, Malacañang said Wednesday.

Palace press officer Claire Castro made the assurance after the NIA outlined its mitigation action plan to address water scarcity and drought in the country.

READ: Palace: Govt steps up preparations for ‘very strong’ El Niño In a Palace briefing, Castro said the NIA will use its groundwater maps, provided by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, to identify potential groundwater sources for solar-powered irrigation pump systems.“Magde-deploy naman ng mobile solar pumps ang NIA sa mga drought-prone at water-stressed areas para sa mabilisang pagtugon sa tagtuyot, lalo na sa vulnerable farming communities,” she said.(NIA will deploy mobile solar pumps to drought-prone and water-stressed areas to provide a rapid response to drought, particularly in vulnerable farming communities.)She added that the NIA would reinforce the rehabilitation of its old pump irrigation systems to ensure their continuous operation.The NIA will also perform desilting and conduct clearing operations in its irrigation canals to increase water capacity.Class schedule adjustments

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For other sectors affected by El Niño, the Palace has yet to seek the Department of Education’s recommendation on shifting school schedules.The Climate Change Commission earlier called for the adjustment of classes, from 6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. to avoid the extreme heat.READ: Climate panel urges schools, agencies to shift schedules for El Niño

“Hindi ko po ngayon nahingi ang opinyon at suggestion din ng DepEd patungkol po diyan. After this briefing, makikipag-ugnayan po tayo sa DepEd,” she said.(I have not yet asked for the opinion and suggestions of the DepEd regarding that matter. After this briefing, we will coordinate with the DepEd.)The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration on Sept. 23 warned that the El Niño will likely become “very strong” in the remaining months of the year and persist through the first half of 2027. (Martina Nieyandra Calica/INQUIRER.net trainee)