As the country braces for the impending La Niña, the government’s Task Force El Niño is mulling putting up impounding facilities or high dams in select areas.

Among these areas is Zamboanga City.

Aside from establishing impounding facilities, the task force is also set to conduct reassessment on flood-prone areas through hazard mapping, desilting and dredging of rivers, and craft evacuation plan as part of the mitigating measures.

“One of the instructions of the President and the Secretary of National Defense, who is the chairman of Task Force El Niño is to prepare impounding facilities para pag imbakan ng excess water… Sabi ng pangulo dapat magamit po natin ang excess water para po pag kailangan natin ay magamit natin para hindi po tayo magka water crisis,” Task Force El Niño Spokesperson, Assistant Secretary Joey Villarama, said.

The task force added that the high dams will serve as a multipurpose dam.

“High dams po yung multipurpose yun po yung imbakan ng tubig, pwede pong may hydropower component, aquaculture component, meron din po tourism component and any among other things,” Villarama added.

A farmer in Zamboanga city hoped that the project could be established soon to help farmers who are suffering from losses due to water shortage caused by El Niño.

“Wala gayod namatay sa init. Ang kakapuy,kapital wala nabawi…Maayo unta nga mahimo na kana para sa humayan dili magkulang sa tubig,” a farmer, Jeynard Daquel, said.

As of now, no details have been disclosed yet as to when the project will start in the city.

According to state weather bureau PAGASA, La Niña will likely hit in June until August 2024.