THE Philippines is situated on the western fringes of the Pacific Ocean and is therefore subject to the twin phenomenon of El Niño followed by the La Niña events, together known as the El Niño Southern Oscillation Cycle (ENSO). El Niño results from the warming of the central and eastern Pacific regions, affecting air and sea currents. This, in turn, causes dry spells, droughts, and other adverse environmental effects in the country. Conversely, La Niña means the cooling of the same regions of the Pacific Ocean, resulting in frequent and intense typhoons, subjecting the Philippines to floods, landslides and other detrimental effects.
We currently find ourselves at the tail end of a particularly bad El Niño where, as of the end of March 2024, Pagasa reports that 37 provinces are experiencing drought conditions characterized by three consecutive months of below-normal rainfall with a more than 60 percent reduction from the norm. There are also 22 provinces that are experiencing dry spells where there have been three months of below-average rainfall with a 21-60 percent reduction from the norm. Finally, there are 12 provinces with a dry condition, meaning they…
