EDITORIAL: Act Early

The warning is clear: the Philippines must brace for a potentially severe El Niño that could bring prolonged dry spells, widespread drought, water shortages, and threats to food security.

With all 82 provinces projected to experience drought by March 2027, the government has little time to waste. Preparation must begin now, not when reservoirs run low, crops wither, and families start lining up for water.

The call of senators Francis Pangilinan and Bam Aquino for stronger government preparations deserves serious attention. Pangilinan wants agencies to intensify public information campaigns and ensure that contingency plans and budgets are adequate.

Aquino, meanwhile, has urged the reconvening of the Senate's PROTECT Committee to coordinate a whole-of-government response. Both recognize a fundamental truth: a crisis of this scale cannot be addressed through isolated efforts or last-minute interventions.

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto has likewise directed government agencies to accelerate spending and begin early procurement for programs intended to mitigate El Niño's effects.

Measures include support for farmers and fisherfolk, irrigation systems, seed storage facilities, water tankers, and the reactivation of deep wells. These are necessary steps, but issuing directives is only the beginning. Their value will ultimately depend on how quickly and effectively they are carried out.

The country cannot afford a repeat of the familiar pattern in which warnings are issued, meetings are held, and plans are announced, only for implementation to lag behind the crisis.

If government agencies know that prolonged drought is coming, they should already be identifying vulnerable communities, checking water sources, preparing irrigation facilities, and ensuring that assistance reaches those who will need it most.

Agriculture must be a major priority. Farmers cannot simply postpone planting until the weather improves, and fisherfolk cannot easily absorb prolonged disruptions to their livelihoods. Reduced agricultural production could drive food prices higher, placing additional pressure on low-income households already struggling to make ends meet.

Agricultural assistance must therefore go beyond emergency aid. Farmers need timely access to drought-resistant seeds, efficient irrigation, crop advisories, and financial support to help them withstand possible losses.

Water security is equally urgent. Local governments and water districts should assess the reliability of their sources, inspect deep wells, repair leaking distribution systems, and prepare alternative supplies for communities at risk. Water conservation campaigns must begin before shortages become severe. Households, schools, hospitals, businesses, and industries should be encouraged to adopt practical conservation measures without compromising sanitation and other essential needs.

Equally important is public information. People cannot prepare for a crisis they do not understand. Government agencies must explain what El Niño could mean for their communities, when its effects may become more pronounced, and what specific precautions residents should take.

Advisories must be accurate, understandable, consistent, and regularly updated. Information should reach not only people with internet access but also remote communities, farmers, senior citizens, and other vulnerable sectors.

Local government units have a particularly important role. Although national agencies can provide funding, technical assistance, and policy direction, LGUs are closer to the communities that will experience the effects of drought.

They know which barangays have unreliable water supplies, which farmers depend on rain-fed agriculture, and which households may require immediate assistance. National preparations must therefore be matched by local risk assessments and concrete action plans.

In Naga City and the rest of Bicol, preparation should not be delayed simply because recent rains may have softened the immediate effects of El Niño. As Solidum has warned, southwest monsoon rains can mask the developing impact of the weather phenomenon. Once rainfall weakens, communities may discover that their water supplies and agricultural preparations are inadequate.

The region’s LGUs, water districts, agricultural offices, schools, and health authorities should coordinate now. Water sources must be assessed, conservation measures strengthened, farmers properly advised, and vulnerable households identified.

Public information campaigns should explain practical ways to conserve water and protect livelihoods. Preparedness must also account for the possibility that prolonged heat and water shortages could affect public health and essential services.

At the same time, government agencies must be transparent about their readiness. They should disclose what measures have been funded, what projects are being implemented, what resources remain available, and where gaps still exist. Public money allocated for disaster preparedness must translate into working facilities, accessible assistance, and tangible protection for communities.

El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon, and government cannot control its intensity or duration. But it can reduce the damage through sound planning, timely spending, effective coordination, and honest communication.

The objective is not to frighten the public but to prepare it. Panic serves no one, but complacency can be costly. Every day spent improving water security, protecting agricultural production, and informing communities is a day gained against a looming threat.

The real measure of preparedness is not the number of meetings conducted or directives issued. It is whether farmers can save their crops, families can access safe water, food remains affordable, and essential services continue when the drought arrives.

The government has been warned. The science has been explained. The necessary interventions are known. What remains is to turn these warnings and plans into action—before the wells run dry and the consequences become harder and more expensive to manage.