TUGUEGARAO CITY, CAGAYAN – In a bid to control and mitigate the effects of the El Niño Phenomenon in the region, the regional offices of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) led the coordination meeting for the organization of the Cagayan Valley El Niño Team on December 12, 2023.

Following the issuance of NDRRMC Memorandum Circular No. 5, s. 2023 dated 27 October 2023, which calls for the creation of National El Niño Team to provide general guidelines and to synergize all efforts on mitigating the effects of El Niño, the members of the Cagayan Valley Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CVDRRMC), led by the OCD, convened to discuss the organization of the team at the regional level, focused on the organization’s structure, functions and tasks, operationalization and expansion.

DILG R2 LGCDD Chief, Elsbeth T. Maralli presided over the meeting in behalf of the CVDRRMC Chair Leon DG Rafael, and Vice-Chair for Disaster Preparedness Agnes A. De Leon. She emphasized the need for the creation of the regional El Niño team as region 2 is one of the regions heavily impacted by the phenomenon. She also briefly discussed the causal connection of climate change, its influence in the formation of stronger El Niño events and effects in the agricultural sector.

“Research show that a single degree increase in temperature, will lead to at least 10% decrease in agricultural yield,” she said.

Elsbeth T. Maralli (center) gives the opening remarks and welcomes all member agencies and their representatives

The group also endeavors to develop comprehensive strategies and plans for managing and responding to events and shall assess the potential risks and vulnerabilities associated with El Niño covering all five (5) key sectors, namely: food security, water security, energy security, health security, and public safety.

Agreements and outputs of the meeting are to be submitted for consideration, adoption and approval of the CVDRRMC in a full council meeting scheduled on December 21, 2023.

(SOURCE: LGOO III MEYNARD ABRAM M. VENTURA)