Aerial shot of the province of Leyte to personally assess the extent of damage brought by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) on Sunday (November 10, 2013). Typhoon Yolanda, the world’s most powerful typhoon in 2013, packing more than 300kph when it made landfall in Central Visayas Friday morning. (Photo by:Ryan Lim / Malacanang Photo bureau)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – Malacañang said the government has contingency measures to address El Nino phenomenon that may hit the country this year, a Palace official said on Saturday.
In an interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the national government has a contingency plan in place to address the changing climate which is the current reality.
For instance, he said that one of the pillars of the Philippine Development Plan is climate change adaptation and mitigation and this includes government’s response on El Nino and La Nina, he said.
The Aquino government acknowledges that climate change is now a global reality and nations must prepare for it, the Palace official said.
“Kaya po noon pang Enero, noong nag-meeting ang Gabinete, nagpahayag ang Pangulo na kinakailangang paghandaan ang ano mang senaryo na dadating sa atin kung ito man ay El Niño o La Niña,” he said.
“Pansinin natin na galing tayo sa panahon ng kalamidad, na karamihan ay mga malalakas na bagyo at malawakang pagbaha, at maging storm surge ang ating naranasan.”
Now that the weather bureau sees the possibility of El Nino hitting the country, Coloma said the government is doing everything to mitigate its effect especially in the agriculture sector.
Such mitigation measure is incorporated in different programs of concerned agencies and the national budget as well has an allocation for addressing the impacts of climate change, which is in line with priorities of the Philippine Development Plan, he said.
“Mayroon pong bahagi doon, ‘yung part three, na patungkol lang mismo sa climate change mitigation and adaptation, at nakalatag po diyan lahat ng mga programa ng lahat ng kagawaran at national government agencies na patungkol sa bagay na ‘yan,” Coloma said.
“Kaya makatitiyak po tayo na mayroon na pong mga nakalatag na programa na ang iba doon ay naumpisahan nang ipatupad sapagkat bahagi ito ng programa de gobyerno ng Aquino administration.” (MNS)