Malacañang sees no need yet to declare a state of calamity or state of imminent disaster in areas affected by El Niño, despite a call from 20 senators to take such action to speed up assistance for farmers.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the government is already implementing measures to address the effects of the weather phenomenon.
These include providing assistance to affected farmers, deploying mobile solar-powered irrigation systems, conducting cloud seeding operations and distributing seeds that can be planted in dry soil.
Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. remains confident in the efforts of the Department of Agriculture and other government agencies to help affected sectors.
The senators had urged the government to declare a state of calamity or imminent disaster, saying the move would help accelerate the delivery of aid and support to farmers affected by El Niño.
The proposed declarations were raised as a way to make assistance available more quickly to farmers facing the effects of the weather phenomenon.
Castro said the government’s ongoing measures include direct assistance to farmers, solar-powered irrigation, cloud seeding and seeds suited for dry soil.
The measures are intended to help farmers amid dry conditions during El Niño.
