Caraga reactivates El Niño team to strengthen frontline defenses
By Kelvin Kennt R. Generalo
PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur (PIA) — The members of the Caraga Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) convened for a special coordination meeting on June 22 to strengthen unified preparedness and response to feared impacts of the El Niño phenomenon across the region.
The meeting focused on streamlining inter-agency coordination, assessing the current El Niño situation, identifying high-risk areas, and discussing proactive measures to mitigate its effects on water resources, agriculture, food security, public health, energy supply, and other critical sectors. Participating agencies also reviewed contingency plans, resource mobilization strategies, and coordinated interventions to ensure a timely and effective government response.
Lorene Sia-Catedral, officer-in-charge of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Caraga and acting Caraga RDRRMC chairperson, announced during the meeting that the Regional El Niño Team has officially been reactivated to strengthen the region’s preparedness and response efforts, in adherence to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive.
“The Regional El Niño Team is officially reactivated through the RDRRMC resolution dated May 20, 2026, to ensure the timely coordination and implementation of preparedness and response measures across the region,” said Sia-Catedral.
“We are optimistic that this coordination meeting will serve as our starting point in crafting a comprehensive regional action plan that outlines strategic interventions to mitigate and address the anticipated effects of El Niño,” she added.
Catedral emphasized that the reactivation aims to facilitate the timely monitoring of El Niño-related updates and ensure the effective implementation of mitigation and response measures to minimize the impacts of prolonged dry conditions on agriculture, water resources, public health, and other critical sectors across the Caraga region.
Engr. Ver Lancer D. Galanida, chief meteorological officer of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Caraga, presented a comparative discussion on the 2023–2024 El Niño and the feared impacts of the same weather phenomenon hitting late 2026 and early 2027.
“The previous El Niño phenomenon started in July 2023 and ended in June 2024. Another El Niño event has now developed in the Pacific Ocean and began in June 2026. This is expected to affect the country by causing a significant reduction in rainfall, which means we may experience below-normal precipitation and prolonged dry conditions that could severely impact our water sources,” he said.
He reported that the developing 2026–2027 El Niño is expected to begin as a weak event and gradually intensify into a strong El Niño, with sea surface temperature anomalies ranging from 1.5°C to 1.9°C above normal during the September–October–November 2026 season.
According to PAGASA’s climate outlook, the probability of the phenomenon reaching the very strong El Niño category, characterized by sea surface temperature anomalies of 2.0°C or higher, is expected to increase during the October–November–December 2026 season, with a greater than 30% probability. The likelihood of a very strong El Niño is projected to persist through the November–December–January season.
Galanida emphasized that while a stronger El Niño increases the likelihood of significant impacts such as prolonged dry conditions, reduced rainfall, water shortages, agricultural losses, and heightened risks to public health and other climate-sensitive sectors, a stronger El Niño does not always translate to more severe weather and climate impacts. Instead, it increases the probability that these impacts may occur, underscoring the importance of early preparedness, continuous monitoring, and coordinated mitigation efforts among government agencies and local government units.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Caraga, as the lead of the Regional El Niño Team, with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Caraga serving as co-lead for preparedness actions, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Caraga as co-lead for response actions.
It also outlined the team’s five key sectors – Food Security, Water Security, Energy Security, Health Security, and Public Safety – each with members from concerned national government agencies responsible for implementing coordinated interventions.
In addition, the Strategic Management Unit led by the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Caraga, and the Strategic Communication Unit led by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga were presented to ensure effective planning, coordination, and public information dissemination throughout the implementation of the Regional El Niño Action Plan.
The special coordination meeting highlighted the roles, responsibilities, and organizational structure of the Regional El Niño Team, emphasizing different key sectors and support units tasked to strengthen Caraga region’s preparedness, mitigation, and response efforts against the anticipated impacts of the 2026–2027 El Niño phenomenon. (KKRG, PIA Agusan del Sur)
