Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia recently issued an executive order creating the El Niño Task Force, which is intended to help the city in preparation for effects from the ongoing “dry spell.” According to AccuWeather, El Niño is a climate pattern that raises sea temperatures in the Pacific Ocean and results in drought conditions due to reduced rainfall.

Bacolod City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) cluster head, Executive Assistant Joemarie Vargas, explained, aside from his agency, other parties involved in the task force include the Bacolod City Water District, or Baciwa; Central Negros Electric Cooperative, Inc., or Ceneco; and the Bacolod City Agriculture Office.

Based on CDRRMO records, temperatures in the city have gone as high as 37°C.

Last week, after the region experienced sporadic rains, which also caused flash flooding in some areas of the city, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office head Zeaphard Caelian confirmed the summer heat is “still on.”

He attributed the precipitation on a surface trough, which is an area of low pressure that is often indicative of atmospheric changes and can result in stormy weather.

Despite the rains, Caelian affirmed they were just passing weather conditions and the summer heat will resume.

“The province is among the areas that experiences weak El Niño, which means below normal rainfall is expected,” he explained.

Earlier this month, Kabalikat ng Mamamayan (Kabayan) partylist Rep. Ron Salo urged President Rodrigo Duterte to declare a “State of Emergency” amid the ongoing dry spell caused by El Niño.

The partylist congressman said such declarations would allow for the immediate release of disaster relief funds, which would provide direct aid to families hard hit by drought conditions.

He also said the administration could tap the $500 million World Bank disaster relief fund, which the Department of Finance said is available when needed./DGB, WDJ