Agusan Sur develops El Niño response plan through two-day workshop
By Kelvin Kennt R. Generalo
PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur (PIA) — In response to the growing impacts of the phenomenon, the Agusan del Sur Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) conducted a two-day workshop on El Niño response planning at the Provincial Learning Center, Democrito O. Plaza Government Center, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur.
Held on October 1 and 2, the workshop aimed to develop a long-term and coordinated response plan with the different sectors affected by El Niño. It brought together representatives from the provincial, city, and municipal agriculture offices; city and municipal disaster risk reduction and management offices; Department of Science and Technology (DOST); people’s council; water districts; non-government organizations (NGOs); provincial government offices; Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP); Department of Education (DepEd); and other concerned agencies and stakeholders.
The workshop was spearheaded by the Foundation for the Development of Agusanons, Inc. (FDAI), and Sibog Katawhan Alang sa Paglambo, Inc. (SIKAP), serving as resource organizations for the activity.
Rex Linao, executive director of FDAI, said that the workshop is focused on developing sector-specific response measures that will address the immediate and emerging impacts of El Niño.
“What we are doing now is response planning due to El Niño so that we can address the impact or effects of El Niño. We have a division of sectoral areas,” Linao said.
The workshop gave particular emphasis to food security, water security, public safety, energy security, and health security.
The food security sector will focus on monitoring the availability and prices of food commodities, while the water security sector will identify measures to address possible water shortages. The public safety sector will prepare for risks arising from the effects of El Niño, while the energy security sector will address possible shortages in energy sources. The health security sector will focus on illnesses and other health concerns associated with prolonged heat and water scarcity.
Linao said the response planning is also intended to strengthen preparedness among government agencies, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders.
“We create a plan for those areas so we can be prepared. Although it is late, we are saying that for 2026 it is a response plan, but for 2027, it belongs to the preparedness plan. It is part of capacitating our stakeholders, including us NGOs, to be prepared for the issues,” Linao said.
Agriculture sector strengthened through response measures
The Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) has developed several response action plans to strengthen monitoring and assistance for municipalities affected by El Niño, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture and other stakeholders.
Corazon Escasinas, agriculturist II of PAO, said the office is coordinating with irrigation areas, rice farmers, and other agricultural communities to monitor the situation and identify possible interventions.
“We have coordination monitoring with our irrigation areas of our rice field farmers and other agricultural areas. We also proposed solar-powered pumps to be installed in water sources. One of the challenges is identifying a reliable water source for our solar-powered pumps. We also proposed water impounding,” Escasinas said.
Through the two-day response planning workshop, participating agencies and organizations are expected to consolidate their sectoral concerns and identify concrete actions that can be implemented to protect communities, livelihoods, food and water supplies, and other essential services affected by El Niño.
The activity also served as a step toward strengthening the province’s capacity to implement proactive, coordinated, and timely responses to the continuing effects of El Niño, while laying the groundwork for preparedness measures for 2027.
Meanwhile, Agusan del Sur is under a State of Calamity due to the effects of the El Niño phenomenon, following the approval of Sangguniang Panlalawigan Resolution No. 585-26.
The resolution, authored by Sangguniang Panlalawigan Member Joseph D. Plaza declared the state of calamity following the recommendation of the Agusan del Sur Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) due to the widespread impacts of El Niño on agriculture, livelihoods, water sources, and rising temperatures across the province.
Based on the resolution, El Niño has affected 36.4 percent of the province’s total agricultural production, while most component local government units (LGUs) are experiencing water supply shortages. The province’s watersheds have also recorded an average 31.4 percent decrease in water supply.
Resolution No. 585-26 was passed on September 14, 2026, during the 55th regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and was approved by Governor Santiago B. Cane Jr. on September 24, 2026. (KKRG, PIA Agusan del Sur with a report from PTV Agusan del Sur)