LGUs ready for impact of upcoming La Niña phenomenon — DILG exec

Local governments are ready to address the possible effects of the La Niña phenomenon in the country, an official from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Wednesday.

“Sa aming assessment handa po yung ating mga local na pamahalaan sa darating na La Niña (In our assessment, our local governments are ready for the upcoming La Niña),” DILG Undersecretaryt Marlo Iringan said in a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview.

According to him, the DILG already gave its directives to LGUs through memorandum circulars on Oplan Tag-ulan and Listo sa Tag-ulan, which present preparations and measures for the rainy season.

LGUs should have a meeting among local disaster risk reduction management councils and craft a pre-disaster risk assessment, action plan, and contigencies in light of La Niña.

Local governments should be in close coordination with state weather bureau PAGASA and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Hazards maps should be updated with DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).

On Monday, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. directed the government’s Task Force El Niño to start preparations for the possible onset of the La Niña phenomenon next month.

Teodoro is the task force's chairperson.

PAGASA earlier said the country was now in the "weak El Niño" stage, and the weather phenomenon may end by June.

The state weather bureau added that the La Niña may develop during the June-July-August season. La Niña is associated with above-normal rainfall conditions during the last quarter and early months of the following year.

On Tuesday, PAGASA said rain will be more frequent in the days to come as the country moves into the wet season. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News