20 SENATORS URGE PRESIDENT MARCOS TO DECLARE SUPER EL NIÑO CALAMITY

TWENTY senators on Monday urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to declare super El Niño calamity in affected or threatened areas, pressing for the immediate mobilization of available government funds as mounting agricultural losses and gaps in assistance threaten farmers, fisherfolk, and the country’s food and water security.

Former presidential adviser on agriculture Senator Kiko Pangilinan and Senate President Win Gatchalian, Senate President Pro Tempore Tito Sotto, and Senators Imee Marcos, Robin Padilla, Migz Zubiri, Bam Aquino, Risa Hontiveros, JV Ejercito, Lito Lapid, Joel Villanueva, Erwin Tulfo, Raffy Tulfo, Ping Lacson, Chiz Escudero, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Bong Go, Camille Villar, and Mark Villar signed Proposed Senate Resolution 765.

“Planting season ngayon sa ating mga palayan, at kailangan ng tubig. Kailangan mag-plant din tayo ng mga remedial measure tulad ng pag-impose ng price ceilings, at laban sa overpricing, profiteering, at hoarding,” Pangilinan said.

A declaration of a state of calamity under Republic Act 10121, or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, also mandates remedial measures such as “programming or reprogramming of funds for the repair and upgrading of public infrastructure and facilities, and the granting of no-interest loans to the most affected sectors, subject to applicable laws.”

PSR 765 urges the President, upon the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), to declare a state of calamity or a state of imminent disaster, as warranted under R.A. 10121, and Republic Act 12287, or the Declaration of State of Imminent Disaster Act.

The resolution underscored the urgency of acting on a Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) report that a strong to very strong El Niño was present in the Tropical Pacific, could peak before yearend, and could continue affecting the Philippines through the first half of 2027.

The resolution cited approximately ₱6.87 billion in agricultural losses across 249,028 hectares as of September 26, 2026, already equivalent to 43 percent of the losses recorded during the entire 2023–2024 El Niño.

As of October 6, 106 cities and municipalities across Cagayan Valley, Caraga, Bicol, Calabarzon, and Soccsksargen had declared local states of calamity, with approximately 388,375 people affected, according to figures cited in the resolution.

Yet assistance had reached only 2.53 million of the Department of Agriculture’s 11.12 million target beneficiaries, or 22.8 percent, highlighting the need to accelerate support before drought further undermines rural livelihoods.

The senators urged the Department of Budget and Management and concerned agencies to promptly mobilize eligible funds under the 2026 national budget, including the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund and agency Quick Response Funds.

The resolution cited approximately ₱112 billion in aggregate national resources for the remainder of 2026, including about ₱39 billion for the disaster fund, while seeking a clear accounting of amounts available and eligible for El Niño response.

Priority assistance includes “prepositioning and delivery of farm inputs, irrigation and water support, livestock assistance, crop insurance, and food assistance to affected farmers and fisherfolk.”

The lawmakers also sought closer monitoring “of basic necessities and prime commodities and address overpricing, profiteering, and hoarding in affected areas, and to provide periodic updates to the Senate on fund mobilization, assistance delivery, and price monitoring.”