Malacañang yesterday assured that the government is prepared for the possible onset of La Niña this year.
Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the government is already implementing a comprehensive program on mitigating the adverse effects of La Niña.
“As part of its overall strategy on climate change resiliency, government is implementing a comprehensive program on mitigating the harmful effects of the possible onset of the La Niña scenario,” Coloma said.
“This covers agriculture, flood control, and disaster risk reduction measures at the grassroots level,” he added.
La Niña is a weather phenomenon characterized by extensive cooling of the equatorial Pacific and is associated with the occurrence of too much rainfall.
La Niña was experienced in the country in mid-2007 to early 2008, 2009, as well as in 2011.
Prior to the expected onset of La Niña, the country experienced the El Niño phenomenon. El Niño is associated with the unusual warming of the Pacific Ocean and brings about dry and hot weather.
In 2010, the Aquino administration established a National Framework Strategy on Climate Change, which will be until 2022. It serves as the country’s roadmap in creating a climate risk-resilient Philippines, with the goal of building the country’s general adaptive capacity and increasing resilience to climate change. (Madel S. Namit)