MANILA – Malacañang on Wednesday assured Nueva Vizcaya residents that the government is implementing measures to cushion the impact of the looming very strong El Niño, particularly on farmers and fisherfolk.
In a Palace press briefing, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. considers the threat a serious concern, prompting government agencies to roll out early interventions.
Castro said Cagayan Valley, including Nueva Vizcaya, is among the areas expected to be hardest hit by the weather phenomenon.
She said preparations include the provision of agricultural equipment, irrigation facilities, farm inputs and financial assistance.
“Hindi po kinakailangan mag-alala ng ating mga kababayan sa Nueva Vizcaya, dahil pinaghahandaan po talaga ang epekto ng El Niño, lalong-lalo na dito sa Cagayan Valley (Our fellow Filipinos in Nueva Vizcaya need not worry because the government is taking steps to prepare for the effects of El Niño, particularly in Cagayan Valley),” Castro said.
She said irrigation pipes and farm machinery were distributed to farming communities across Nueva Vizcaya as early as June 2026 to improve irrigation systems and strengthen preparedness for the anticipated dry spell.
The government also allocated PHP20 million for solar-powered pumps and provided fuel assistance to farmers in the province, she added.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) likewise invested PHP17.9 million in farm inputs, including seeds and fertilizers, to help farmers prepare for the weather phenomenon.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) allocated PHP702.619 million in financial assistance for 68,905 beneficiaries under its Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) program.
Castro said other government agencies are also extending assistance to affected communities.
She cited the efforts of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to provide farmers with mobile solar-powered irrigation pumps to ensure adequate water supply for their crops.
The DA, NIA and DSWD are also coordinating to provide affected farmers and fisherfolk with fuel, fertilizers, seeds and financial assistance, she added.
“Although alam natin nandiyan ang epekto ng very strong El Niño, pero ang mga kababayan natin sa Nueva Vizcaya ay naaagapan naman po ang kanilang pangangailangan (Although we recognize the effects of a very strong El Niño, the needs of our fellow Filipinos in Nueva Vizcaya are being addressed through timely government interventions),” Castro said. (Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos/PNA)
