Recto to agencies: Speed up El Niño spending, procurement

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang has ordered government agencies to accelerate spending and preparations for the expected “Super El Niño,” which could intensify in the coming months and persist through the first half of next year.

Preparations for the weather phenomenon and efforts to ensure adequate food and water supplies were discussed during a meeting led by Executive Secretary Ralph Recto on Oct. 8.

Recto assessed the spending performance of government agencies and emphasized the need for early procurement preparations for next year’s programs to ensure projects can begin promptly and contribute to economic growth.

“We have one more quarter to improve spending for the year. Let’s get our acts together in the fourth quarter. Spend and start doing early procurement, especially on programs that would strengthen our response against El Niño. This way, we can fully catch up in the first quarter of next year,” Recto said in a statement.

He urged agencies to sustain the 7.5 percent growth in government disbursements during the first three quarters and maximize the remaining three months of the year by accelerating projects and assistance programs ready for implementation.

Priority programs include interventions to help farmers and fisherfolk prepare for El Niño, such as solar-powered seed cold storage facilities and irrigation systems. Other priorities include education, health, infrastructure and transport procurement, cash assistance and employment support.

“Preparedness is not a reason to panic. It is a reason to act early. Our job is to make sure that when the effects of El Niño come, the government is ready and Filipinos are protected,” Recto said.

He added that he would meet with key local government units to ensure preparations address conditions on the ground.

“El Niño will not affect every area in the same way. The risks and needs of one community may be different from those of another. We need to know where the risks are greatest and make sure our response matches the situation in each area,” he said.

The Department of Agriculture assured the government that rice, meat and vegetable supplies were sufficient. It also reported ongoing measures to protect agricultural production and assist farmers and fisherfolk affected by prolonged dry conditions.

These include production assistance, crop insurance indemnification, livestock support and water supply interventions.

Funding has also been provided for cloud-seeding operations in Cagayan, Central Luzon, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas and the Negros Island Region.

The administration is likewise promoting climate-resilient investments to sustain food production, including solar-powered irrigation systems and solar-powered seed cold storage facilities.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, for its part, is preparing water-allocation strategies, managing reservoir levels and prioritizing household and irrigation needs based on established triggers.

Additional water supply facilities are expected to become available by the end of the year and in the first quarter of 2027, Recto’s office said.

The government also plans to reactivate 59 deep wells and optimize water treatment plants and other facilities in Cavite, Rizal, Laguna and San Mateo. It has placed 135 stationary and 105 mobile water tankers on standby.

The Department of Energy assured the government that the country had adequate power supply and said it was coordinating with generation companies to prevent unplanned outages. It also plans to expedite the grid integration and operationalization of new power plants scheduled for completion before the end of 2026.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health is strengthening surveillance for heat-related and climate-sensitive diseases and preparing essential medicines, medical supplies and water, sanitation and hygiene resources.

The agency is assessing the readiness of hospitals and other health facilities, identifying equipment and resource requirements and coordinating with other agencies to strengthen hospital power resilience and ensure reliable water access, particularly in high-risk areas.

The DOH advised the public to be wary of signs of heat stroke, which can be life threatening.

Symptoms include loss of consciousness, high body temperature, difficulty in breathing, confusion, slurred speech and convulsion. — Rhodina Villanueva