(PNA file photo)
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has issued Executive Order No. 53 which reactivates and reconstitutes the Task Force El Niño.
In a statement on Monday, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said under EO 53 which was issued on Jan. 19, 2024, and signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, the Task Force El Niño is reactivated under the Office of the President.
Members of the Task Force include the Secretaries of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Health, and the National Economic and Development Authority.
It will be chaired by the Secretary of the Department of National Defense and co-chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
The Office of Civil Defense shall provide administrative and technical support to the Task Force in the performance of its functions.
The Task Force is mandated to revise and update the Strategic El Niño National Action Plan and monitor the implementation of the identified short and long-term solutions and programs.
It is also mandated to coordinate with all concerned agencies in expediting the completion of all ongoing water infrastructure projects intended to cushion or mitigate the impacts of the dry spell not later than the end of April 2024.
The Task Force will likewise coordinate with the PCO in conducting a massive information campaign on the El Niño phenomenon, and submit to the President, through the Office of the Executive Secretary, a monthly report on the implementation of the Order.
In coordination with the DOST, the Task Force is also directed to establish the El Niño Online Platform, which will serve as a centralized repository for a wide range of data, research, and information concerning the weather phenomenon.
The online platform will include interactive maps and visualizations, as well as well-informed, data-driven plans and programs related to El Niño.
Last year, a National Action Plan Framework was crafted to fortify communities against the effects of El Niño by focusing on five key sectors—water supply, agriculture, electricity, health, and public safety, and with corresponding key priority interventions to be implemented by concerned government agencies.
El Niño task force convenes
On Tuesday, the task force formally convened with its first meeting led by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
In a statement, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said Teodoro was joined by Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. as the task force’s co-chair and Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, and National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan as members.
During the meeting held at OCD headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, concerned national government agencies presented updates on short-, medium-, and long-term interventions that have been completed and those in the process of completion.
All interventions presented were being implemented by various national government agencies concerned long before the formal reactivation of the task force.
Under Section 4 of EO 53, the El Niño Online Platform shall be set up to provide the public with relevant and timely information to help them plan and respond accordingly with the onset of the phenomena.
A dedicated spokesperson shall also be designated to address relevant queries and to disseminate accurate information to the public.
Working groups under the TFEN shall continue to coordinate daily.
If necessary, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and all relevant stakeholders shall be informed of current and projected situations, and of the need for appropriate actions and interventions to mitigate and manage effectively the effects of El Niño. (with report from Priam Nepomuceno/PNA)
