Task Force El Niño to be restructured, Marcos says

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said Wednesday that the Task Force El Niño would be restructured as there is a need for a more extensive measure to mitigate the effects of El Niño.

''We have created actually... I have created under the Office of the President a Task Force El Niño. There already exists one pero babaguhin natin ang structure because I think this is a more serious, and a more extensive effort because we really have to get everybody involved to be able to prepare, to make sure we can minimize, alleviate, and adapt to climate change,'' Marcos told reporters. 

In April of this year, the President called for the creation of a team that would focus on mitigating the effects of the El Niño phenomenon. 

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

The task force will be led by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, with the Office of Civil Defense as its co-head. 

Marcos also said he had given government officials four months to implement projects that will address El Niño.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has said the effects of El Niño are already beig felt in seeral parts of the country.

According to Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum Jr., at least 65 provinces in the Philippines could experience drought in 2024.

''Based on recent conditions, moderate to severe drought conditions are likely from February to May 2024. And by end of May, there would be 77% of the provinces of the country will have potential for drought that would be around 65 provinces and 7% potential for dry spell or around six provinces,'' Solidum said on Tuesday.

The DOST chief, however, did not name the affected provinces.

Marcos Jr., meanwhile, graced the inauguration of the Balbalungao Small Reservoir Irrigation Project in Barangay San Isidro, Lupao, Nueva Ecija Wednesday morning.

The President said that the irrigation project in Nueva Ecija would help in mitigating the effects of El Niño.

''I wish to emphasize that this project shall also help address the effects of El Niño. We must be prepared to counter its effects, which may last until the second quarter of 2024,'' Marcos said in his speech. —VAL, GMA Integrated News