MANILA: Senator Grace Poe called on concerned national government agencies (NGAs) Tuesday to aid local government units (LGUs) experiencing water scarcity due to El Niño.

Several cities and municipalities have declared a state of calamity so that they could access local funds for water procurement.

“Others would need bigger resources to provide irrigation for farm lands and water for livestock to further avert agricultural losses,” Poe said.

She said such initiatives by LGUs should pressure national agencies to respond swiftly, as El Niño is expected to persist until May.

“It is not too late to bring in solutions to the provinces to mitigate the impact of this weather phenomenon,” she said.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. visited Tuesday Occidental Mindoro to assess the impact of El Niño and affirmed the government’s ongoing efforts to mitigate its effects.

Despite the challenges posed by the changing climate, Marcos assured that the government is committed to taking measures to address the situation.

Source: Philippines News Agency