A LABOR group urged the government to update its national El Niño plan as the weather phenomenon is expected to intensify and persist through the first half of 2027.
Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO) said the government’s Strategic El Niño National Action Plan was developed in 2023, while Executive Order No. 53 issued in 2024 directed agencies to update it.
“We are facing a different El Niño situation today. We need an updated plan for 2026-2027, not a three-year-old framework,” SENTRO Secretary General Josua T. Mata said in a statement on Sunday.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said in a Sept. 23 advisory that a strong El Niño was active in the tropical Pacific and could intensify into a “very strong” event between September and December, with the phenomenon expected to persist through the first half of 2027.
SENTRO also questioned funding for El Niño interventions, citing the Department of Budget and Management’s statement that existing programs and funds are being used while the amount specifically attributable to El Niño still needs to be disaggregated.
“The government should tell the public plainly: how much are we spending for El Niño, and is it enough for the crisis ahead?” Mr. Mata said.
The group said prolonged El Niño could mean lost income, higher food prices, water shortages and greater exposure to extreme heat, while threatening farmers’ and fisherfolk’s livelihoods.
SENTRO called for public consultations with workers and affected communities and urged Congress to provide adequate funding for the updated plan in the 2027 national budget. — Mark Joseph M. Sanchez