Legaste line-up mitigations for El Niño
Executive Assistant for Economic Affairs Rey Legaste urges the public to take precautionary measures against the impending effects of El Niño phenomenon in the City of Koronadal.
PAGASA, the state weather bureau, raised the warning status from El Niño Watch to El Niño Alert, urging concerned government agencies and the general public to continue monitoring and taking precautionary measures due to an 80% chance of El Niño developing in the months of July-August-September.
In an interview, Legaste outlined the negative effects of El Niño on agriculture as well as people’s health. This includes dry spells, which are damaging to all crops due to water shortage. “There’s also the possibility of an increase in respiratory and skin diseases,” Legaste added.
“What we are experiencing now cannot be attributed to El Niño; it is yet to arrive,” Legaste said. He added more negative effects of the phenomenon, such as less land suitable for planting, which will eventually lead to unstable food supply.
Legaste advises farmers not to force the issue of planting rice, but instead to consider planting upland crops that can withstand hotter days. Legaste also recommended planting short-gestation crops such as napa cabbage (pechay) and cassava to ensure an adequate supply of affordable food that can be easily harvested and help sustain the family’s needs during the season. Furthermore, Legaste claims that planting crops such as corn and legumes is more heat tolerant. In fact, he said that cassava can survive for three months with the scarcity of water.
“One of our President BBM’s first moves was the issuance of an Executive Order mandating that the National Irrigation Authority prioritize irrigating rice-growing areas,” Legaste explained on the national government’s intervention.
Meanwhile, Legaste cited on the different manifestation of El Niño such as intense heat where there is mulching of soil. He also made mention on the falling of leaves among bamboo and lanzones trees.
Meanwhile, Legaste assured the public that if the phenomenon had a detrimental impact, the city government, through the City Agriculturist Office (CityAgri), would be able to allocate funds for production and marketing assistance to farmers in vegetables, rice, corn and fisheries. He also invited public to inquire or visit the CityAgri to learn more about how they can receive the aforementioned assistance.
“We must not be scared of El Niño because there are so many things we can do to mitigate its effects,” Legaste stressed.