PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has reactivated and reconstituted the Task Force on El Niño due to the threat posed by the climate phenomenon to the country’s water supply, food security, and public health and safety.

Issued on January 19, Marcos’ Executive Order 53 provides that the Task Force El Niño is under the Office of the President.

The Task Force is chaired by the Secretary of the Department of National Defense and co-chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

Among its members are the Secretaries of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DOST), the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of Health (DOH), and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

The Office of Civil Defense shall provide administrative and technical support.

The Task Force is tasked with revising and updating the Strategic El Niño National Action Plan, monitoring the implementation of short- and long-term solutions and programs identified in the Strategic El Niño National Action Plan, and coordinating with all concerned agencies in expediting the completion of all ongoing water infrastructure projects intended to cushion or mitigate the impacts of the dry spell no later than the end of April 2024.

It is also mandated to coordinate with the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) in conducting a massive information campaign on the El Niño phenomenon and submit to the President, through the Office of the Executive Secretary, a monthly report on the implementation of EO 53. 

It must also establish the El Niño Online Platform, which will serve as a centralized repository for a wide range of data, research, and information concerning El Niño, such as interactive maps and visualizations, as well as well-informed, data-driven plans and programs related to El Niño.

Last year, a National Action Plan Framework was crafted to fortify communities against the effects of El Niño, a naturally occurring phenomenon associated with less rainfall and drier conditions, by focusing on five key sectors—water supply, agriculture, electricity, health, and public safety—and with corresponding key priority interventions to be implemented by concerned government agencies.

PAGASA reported that the majority of global climate models suggest that El Niño will likely persist until the second quarter of 2024.