Cebu City, Philippines – With the Philippine weather bureau reporting early signs of El Niño, the Department of Agriculture (DA-7) is starting to prepare for the effects of the warming of the climate.
DA-7 Regional Director Atty. Salvador Diputado said in an interview with Cebu Daily News Digital that even though there is still no official advisory about the El Niño phenomenon, the agency has activated the El Niño Quick Response Team to conduct monitoring around the region and submit weekly reports.
The team includes the Agriculture Programs Coordinating Officer (APCO) of Bohol, Cebu, Siquijor and Negros Oriental.
Diputado also added that this is just a precautionary measure of the DA-7 to prevent a huge impact on the damage to the crops and livestock.
“Gawas sa pagbantay sa ka-init, bantayan sad nato ang mga peste nga mo kuyog sa ka init sa panahon.” said Diputado.
The weather bureau’s El Niño probabilistic outlook page as of February 14, 2019 reported that weak El Niño condition is present and is expected to continue from March to May 2019. /bmjo