Manila: Speaker Faustino 'Bojie' Dy III on Wednesday urged government agencies to shift from reactive disaster response to proactive planning before the dry spell worsens, as the House of Representatives moves early to strengthen the country's preparedness against the looming effects of El Ni±o. Speaking at the House Committee on Agriculture and Food's El Ni±o briefing, Dy stressed that the country in the past had already experienced the severe consequences of prolonged drought on agriculture, food supply, and the economy.
According to Philippines News Agency, Dy highlighted the past impacts of El Ni±o, noting that from 2023 to 2024, palay production dropped by 12 to 15 percent, leading to higher rice prices and affecting millions of Filipinos. Having witnessed firsthand the impact of El Ni±o in Isabela-where prolonged dry conditions damaged farmlands, strained irrigation systems, and contributed to fish kills in the Magat Reservoir-Dy said the experience highlighted the importance of acting before a crisis hits. He emphasized the need for a unified national preparedness framework that enables the government to anticipate, rather than merely respond to, future El Ni±o events.
Drawing from Isabela's experience, Dy mentioned that the province immediately convened an emergency consultation with the Department of Agriculture, provincial government, National Irrigation Administration, League of Mayors, all city and municipal agriculture officers, and other concerned agencies to coordinate early interventions. The province also worked closely with irrigation managers to plan water releases and project available water supply before conditions worsened. Additionally, Isabela prioritized the timely delivery of assistance to farmers and fisherfolk, including fuel subsidies, while advancing longer-term investments in irrigation systems, water-efficient technologies, community-based water management, climate-resilient agriculture, and additional water-harvesting and multipurpose dam projects.
Dy stated that these measures showed that early coordination and preparation could significantly reduce the impact of prolonged drought on communities and the country's food supply. The objective of the congressional briefing is to develop a unified national preparedness framework that local governments and national agencies can adopt before drought conditions worsen. He stressed the importance of being prepared and not waiting for the crisis to come before acting for the peace of mind of farmers and every Filipino.
Further emphasizing the need to ensure national food security, Dy remarked that protecting the country's major food-producing provinces such as Isabela is essential. Isabela, one of the country's top rice-producing provinces, supplies around 45 percent of the National Capital Region's rice requirements. The Speaker highlighted that protecting food-producing provinces requires more than emergency assistance, but also long-term investments that will enable farmers and irrigation systems to withstand increasingly frequent climate-related disruptions.
Dy pointed out that the response should include long-term solutions on top of immediate response efforts. He articulated that every grain of rice and every fish catch is the fruit of the sweat and sacrifice of farmers and fishers, and every step taken to protect them also safeguards the food on the table, the economy, and the future of every Filipino family.
