Brace for El Niño – Tolentino

Environmental lawyer and PDP-Laban senatorial bet Francis N. Tolentino has reiterated his call for the government and the people to prepare for the impacts of the El Niño phenonmenon.

It has been forecast that a full-blown El Niño will be felt in the country this year.

So as early as now, Tolentino is encouraging the public to brace for a long dry spell and prepare for the impacts of El Niño on the life, health, and livelihood of the people.

“We expect a chain reaction when El Niño arrives. Agriculture will be greatly affected. Drought will surely result in lower food production, hence lower supply in the market, hence rising prices. Needless to say, water supply will be hampered and electricity consumption will rise in response to the need to manage increased heat. Cases of heat related health hazards such as heat stroke and skin asthma will surely escalate. The only option we have at this time is to prepare for these eventualities in order to mitigate the impacts of El Niño,” he said.

Tolentino added that the forthcoming El Niño may be viewed as a prelude to the water crisis seen to happen in 2025, barely six years from now.

With this forthcoming development, the former Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs encouraged the people to wisely use water and contribute to government efforts to protect and conserve our water resources. “I only want to emphasize the need for the people to prepare. Preparedness often saves us a great deal of trouble when crisis situations such as El Niño threaten the life and health of our people,” he said.