ILOILO City – Authorities in Western Visayas have activated full-scale preparedness measures for a looming El Niño episode expected as early as June, even as some areas are already reporting water shortages and a spike in fire incidents, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 6 said.
OCD-6 assured that all local government units (LGUs) in the region have systems in place to respond to the anticipated dry spell, following a Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment (PDRA) Scenario Building conducted on April 29 to gauge potential impacts and tighten readiness.
The meeting, attended by provincial and local officials, national agencies, and partner institutions, came as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned of a 79 percent probability that El Niño – characterized by long dry spells – will develop between June and August 2026 and may persist until early 2027.
“What we have now are rising temperatures kay ara kita subong sa warm and dry season. The El Niño is most likely to emerge…but despite that we also need to have preparations na,” said Atty. Melissa Banias, chief of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Division of OCD-6.
Banias said Western Visayas is building on lessons learned from the 2023 El Niño, when the region created a Regional Task Force after a memorandum order from the national government.
She added that the region is awaiting a new directive from Department of National Defense secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. to reconvene the task force composed of various government agencies.
“So far, we are on the right track. Ang aton nga region ya, once we receive ang order naton sa national we will right away implement ang ini nga mga issuances naton,” Banias said.
She stressed that LGUs have long been preparing for the phenomenon, noting that El Niño typically occurs every three to five years, prompting the issuance of policies, ordinances, and executive orders to mitigate its impact.
“So far, ang LGUs naton are having all these systems in place kag may mga plans naman sila. We just have to monitor and also evaluate ang capacity sang LGUs naton and help those nga wala sang kapasidad mag-implement sang aton nga mga system,” she added.
Despite the projected onset still months away, early warning signs have already surfaced. OCD-6 reported an increase in fire incidents, particularly grass fires and residential fires, in some parts of Iloilo province.
“Base sa meeting kahapon, what we have sa mga effects, kalabanan mga fire incidents, mga grass fires. Those nga mga affected population nag-request sa aton sang mga non-food items, especially water. So, amo ina subong ang gina-facilitate namon,” Banias said.
The agency is now consolidating reports from LGUs to enable immediate interventions and facilitate requests for assistance from the national government.
Meanwhile, parts of Guimaras have already begun experiencing water shortages, with some areas implementing water rationing.
“Actually, may mga water rationing na kita nga na-receive nga report based sa presentation kag based man sa reporting sang aton nga mga provinces yesterday,” Banias said.
However, she clarified that these are the same areas affected during the 2023 El Niño, where LGUs have since adopted measures to address recurring shortages.
Banias noted that such conditions are expected as part of the ongoing dry season but underscored the urgency of sustained monitoring and early response to prevent further escalation as the El Niño phenomenon develops./PN