Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform Chairman Senator Kiko Pangilinan says that a province-by-province preparedness plan must be immediately pushed in relation to the threat of Super  El Niño in the country.

According to the weather bureau, PAGASA, the “Very Strong” El Niño occurs between September and December 2026. In line with this, droughts, agricultural dry spells, water shortages, and threats to food security are anticipated.

“May babala na tayo. Dapat ngayon pa lang naghahanda na tayo, hindi kung kelan tuyo na ang bukid at wala nang mahuling isda saka tayo kikilos,” Sen. Kiko said

Hence, the Senator calls on concerned government agencies and local government units to convert national preparedness efforts to localized action plans. He also stated that the government must be present in this situation.

“Sa mga ganitong pagkakataon, dapat ang gobyerno ang maging sandalan ng ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda. Hindi sana sila umasa sa mga loan shark na magsasamantala at aabusuhin ang kanilang pangangailangan,” he said

Alongside a province-by-province preparedness plan, the Senator also proposes to launch the public dashboard containing necessary updates on the following matters:

• Drought risk
• Water availability
• Irrigation-system status 
• Affected agricultural areas and communities 
• Government interventions 
• Assistance delivered
• Reported income and production losses

In connection with the threat of Super El Niño, one of the main concerns here is the water supply. In a report by UNTV Correspondent Nestor Torres, residents in Bulacan are using their own strategies to save water consumption.

This is also one of the main concerns of the farmers, as it could cause damage to their crops. Farmers believe that deep wells or water pumps would help if they are given a chance to utilize them for their crops.

Meanwhile, the National Irrigation Administration or NIA Region 3 assures farmers in Bulacan and Pampanga that the irrigation water supply will be sufficient before the year ends.