El Niño Advisory

Document copy of DILG Memorandum (Photo credit: Team Acosta)

Document copy of DILG Memorandum (Photo credit: Team Acosta)

Everyone is so hyped since our calendars started to flip into "ber" months. People are starting to have the Christmas feels and holiday escapades. Christmas lights and decorations are starting to show off in some Filipino households. But instead of the cool and breezy feels of the Christmas holidays, some places in the country are experiencing moderate irregularities in the amount of rainfall distribution and temperatures. This climate cycle in the Pacific Ocean is commonly known as El Niño. 

According to LiveScience.com, El Niño is a climate cycle in the Pacific Ocean with a global impact on weather patterns. The cycle begins when warm water in the western tropical Pacific Ocean shifts eastward along the equator toward the coast of South America. Normally, this warm water pools near Indonesia and the Philippines.According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA), moderate El Niño conditions will continue to persist across the equitorial Pacific Ocean and may intensify towards the last quarter of 2015 and may last until early 2016.

However, Dabawenyos shouldn't be alarmed as PAG-ASA declared the areas in the provinces of Aurora, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Laguna, Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro and Quirino were affected by dry spell. Dry Spell is a condition wherein an area experiences three (3) consecutive months below normal rainfall conditions or two (2) consecutive months of way below normal rainfall conditions.

Also, below normal rainfall is predicted by PAG-ASA over Palawan, Camarines Norte, Guimaras, Negros Island Region, Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, SOCCSKSARGEN and ARMM, excluding Cotabato and Lanao del Sur. 

Having this unstoppable conditions, the Department of Interior and Local Government advised the local government unit to precautionary measures. Local councils are urged to enact ordinances curbing illegal connections and encourage the prudent use of water. 

Here are some things DILG encourages government units and citizens do to combat El Niño :

1. Street cleaners are encouraged to use broom instead of water hose to save large amount of water. 

2. Citizens are also encouraged to fix leaky faucets and use pail or bucket instead of water hose; use recycle or leftover water for watering your houseplants. 

3. Allow emergency repair of leaks prior to securing the necessary excavation permit for the purpose of repair works.

4. Make necessary adjustments to the application of number-coding schemes with respect to the water tankers in order to immediately address the water supply needs of their affected costumers.

5. If you have seen any manifestations of El Niño, report to the National Disaster Risk Reduction Council through Local DRRM Council.

So Dabawenyos, don't be lax and passive. We all have to do our responsibilities as citizens of the Philippines and inhabitants of the Earth. Let us help save our environment.

Good to know:

In Davao City, we have an active and updated Central 911. Should you have any DRRM Admin concerns, you Dabawenyos may reach them through 296-9626. For operations concerns, they may be reached directly through 285-8984.

Sources: http://www.livescience.com/3650-el-nino.html 

http://www.davaocity.gov.ph/Central911/