Manila, Philippines — The Philippine government announced its plan to protect communities nationwide from the effects of El Niño.
In a post on its official Facebook page, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said the government is focusing on five main areas: food, water, energy, health, and public safety.
To protect the food supply, the government provided ₱10.96 billion in aid to affected farmers, along with cloud seeding operations, crop insurance, livestock support, and agricultural water assistance.
While to ensure enough water, authorities are using deep wells, deploying water trucks, installing large water tanks, and urging water conservation to fix leaks.
They added that to prevent power outages, power plants must maintain fuel buffers, while the government speeds up power line projects and protects facilities from fires.
For health, the Department of Health is monitoring heat-related illnesses and has pre-positioned medicines, medical supplies, clean water, and health advisories.
Government agencies continue to monitor communities, while firefighters conduct safety checks and enforce strict bans on outdoor burning to prevent fires.—Poliana Canuday, Contributor