The State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is a challenge for the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to be proactive in dealing with El Niño and La Nina.
DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. on Tuesday said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. was telling the agency to be more aggressive in addressing the weather phenomena.
“The President is telling us that we need to be proactive,” Solidum said during the 2024 Post State of the Nation Address (SONA) Discussions on Environmental Protection and Disaster Risk Reduction.
“You know, after the El Niño, we have the La Niña phenomenon and PAGASA-DOST stated last July 12 that we are currently at La Niña alert – meaning, there is a 70 percent chance of La Niña happening from August, September, October and this weak La Niña would persist until the first quarter of 2025,” he said.
Even though the La Niña is weak, the DOST is expecting a lot of rainfall and they must prepare for floods, as well as landslides, Solidum explained.
He said during La Niña, typhoons directly hit the Philippines instead of turning to other directions.
During La Niña, the origins of typhoons are much closer to the Philippines, he added.
“So, ibig sabihin, kailangan handang-handa tayo kasi short na ang travel time niya. Ang La Niña ay isa lang sa mga panganib na binabantayan ng Department of Science and Technology but we should believe that through science, technology, innovation and our spirit of bayanihan, our collaboration we can show to the world that we can become victors over disasters and not victims by being proactive,” Solidum said.
In his SONA, President Marcos said: “Ngayon, sa pagpihit ng panahon ang hagupit ng La Niña at mga matinding pag-ulan naman ang ating binabantayan at pinaghahandaan.”
In the same forum, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Antonia Loyzaga said “the Loss and Damage Fund Board was really created to establish governance over what will be a new fund to respond to loss and damage of mostly climate-vulnerable countries, developing countries especially and that is the focus of the fund.”
When asked about the significance of the Philippines’ seat at the Board and hosting of the Board of the Loss and Damage Fund, Loyzaga replied, “What is important is this, Loss and Damage has been a long-time issue in the climate negotiations and the Philippines along with other small island developing countries and other climate-vulnerable countries have really been working very hard to get on the agenda.” PND