Preparing for Super El Niño: Reaction is simply not a plan
A Super El Niño is not merely a weather forecast; for our farming communities, it represents a direct and existential threat to livelihood. When Pagasa makes this declaration, farmers already know the grim reality that follows: dry dams, cracked fields, withered crops, and debts that pile up.
We have weathered the fury of Super El Niño before, notably in 1997, 2015, and most recently in 2023 and 2024. Each time, the devastating pattern repeats itself. The government invariably reacts only when damage has been done. Food packs are distributed and calamity funds are declared, but the crops are already lost. Reaction is simply not a plan.
Farming remains the bedrock of our rural economy. When our farmers fail, the entire local economy collapses with them. Both national and local government units (LGUs) must treat El Niño preparedness as a year-round governance duty, rather than a seasonal emergency.
As a concerned citizen, I respectfully propose the following concrete contingency plans for the urgent consideration of the national government and our LGUs:
First, for the government, operating through the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Irrigation Administration, we urgently need proactive water management. This includes the desilting of irrigation canals before summer, the repair of small water impounding projects, and the establishment of solar-powered irrigation systems in rainfed areas. Water must be strategically stored while it is still abundant.
Second, we require a robust seed buffer and crop shifting program. The DA should preposition drought-resistant crop varieties and alternative high-value crops that require significantly less water. Furthermore, farmers must be trained now, well before El Niño arrives on our shores.
Third, there must be a genuine, accessible El Niño subsidy and crop insurance fund. The Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. must bring its services directly down to the barangay level, with bureaucratic requirements simplified so that smallholder farmers can actually avail themselves of aid. Moreover, cash assistance should arrive before the planting season, rather than arriving only after a harvest failure.
Fourth, for our LGUs—ranging from the provincial down to the barangay level—we need a localized El Niño Action Plan. Every LGU must establish its own water rationing schedule, cloud seeding coordination protocols, and an updated registry of vulnerable farmers per barangay. The Local Agriculture Office should conduct monthly soil and dam monitoring.
Fifth, LGUs must invest heavily in farmer livelihood diversification. During severe droughts, farmers cannot simply afford to wait idly. Skills training for alternative income, communal vegetable gardens utilizing drip irrigation, and livestock dispersal programs can keep families afloat while fields gradually recover.
Sixth, and of equal importance, is the matter of public information. Barangay assemblies should be fully utilized to explain what a Super El Niño truly entails, what communities should expect, and what specific steps must be taken. A farmer who is informed early is equipped to save his crop.
We cannot stop the natural phenomenon of El Niño, but we can certainly stop its worst effects from escalating into a full-scale humanitarian disaster. Let us urge our national agencies and local officials to act decisively now, while the rain still falls.
REGINALD B. TAMAYO,
Marikina City
