President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the El Niño task force to reconvene in a bid to mitigate the impacts of El Niño, which is forecast to last until the end of the month.
Signed on Tuesday but released only to the public on Friday, Memorandum Order 38 reactivates the Presidential Task Force on El Niño to address the effects of reduced rainfall in the country.
According to the memorandum, “the recurrence of the El Niño phenomenon calls for the implementation of both short and long-term solutions to ensure food, water, and energy security; safeguard livelihoods, and improve the country’s disaster and climate resilience.”
Several provinces across the country have been suffering from drought since late last year.
Under President Duterte’s order, the socioeconomic planning secretary will lead the task force and will be assisted by the secretaries of agriculture, environment and natural resources, energy, health, and the interior and the local government. (PressONE.ph)