National state of calamity urged amid El Niño economic effects

The Philippine government should declare a national state of calamity to mitigate the adverse economic effects of the El Niño phenomenon.

This was suggested by Senator Francis Tolentino following the Social Weather Stations poll that found 14.2 percent of Filipino families had experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the first quarter of this year.

"'Yung declaration of a state of calamity should not be localized… This should be really national in scope to trigger the application of [Republic Act 7581] or the Price Act, which would result in the freezing of prices of basic commodities, especially during this El Niño season," Tolentino said in a virtual interview with reporters.

Amid the extreme heat across the country, Tolentino likewise suggested cloud-seeding, which he said, was best done during the ongoing Balikatan exercises.

The Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Agriculture should also be proactive in mitigating the effects of El Niño, Tolentino said, noting that the government could undertake several interventions.

"'Di naman natin pwedeng kontrolin ang El Niño… Siguro proactive ang ating Department of Agriculture at DTI. Baka mabawas-bawasan itong effects ng El Niño. Ilang linggo pa ito sana wag na lumagpas ng May," he said.

As of May 2, government data showed that the El Niño phenomenon had caused P5.9 billion in damage to agriculture.

Rice was the most affected crop, with P3.1 billion in damage, followed by corn at P1.76 billion, and high-value crops at P958 million.

The three most affected regions were Mimaropa, the Cordillera Administrative Region, and Western Visayas.

The El Niño phenomenon was characterized by the abnormal warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, leading to below-normal rainfall.

Last week, the government's Task Force El Niño said at least 103 cities and municipalities across the country had been affected by El Niño.

Several local government units had declared a state of calamity, the latest of which was the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. — DVM, GMA Integrated News