Senate to probe El Niño readiness

SENATOR Sherwin T. Gatchalian has filed a resolution seeking to inquire into the government’s readiness to mitigate the impact of the El Niño phenomenon that will likely persist until the first quarter of next year.

“El Niño could lead to higher prices of food and electricity,” he said in a statement on Sunday.

In his second state of the nation address to Congress, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. cited the need to address the impact of El Niño, adding that the government is using cloud seeding to counter its effects.

Mr. Gatchalian cited El Niño’s potential consequences on inflation due to lower food production as well as higher electricity prices that could worsen poverty.

“There is an urgent need to assess the capability of concerned government agencies and determine the planned interventions to mitigate the impact of El Niño,” he said.

“The entire Philippine government should be prepared to cushion the detrimental effects of the El Niño phenomenon on the country’s food, energy and economic security,” he added. — JJC