Speaker Dy bats for proactive planning as El Niño threat persists

House Speaker Isabela 6th district Rep. Faustino "Bojie" Dy III says proactive planning is key to mitigating the effects of El Niño, which threatens to adversely affect the country's food supply. Speaking at the House Committee on Agriculture and Food’s El Niño briefing Wednesday, July 22, the Speaker stressed that the country has already experienced the severe consequences of prolonged drought on agriculture, food supply, and the economy. “Ito po ay napapanahon sapagkat naranasan na po natin ang matinding epekto ng El Niño sa crop production, food security, at sa ating ekonomiya," Dy noted. (This is timely because we have already experienced the severe impact of El Niño on crop production, food security, and our economy.) "From 2023 to 2024, palay production dropped by 12% to 15%, leading to higher rice prices and affecting millions of Filipinos,” said the House chief. Having witnessed firsthand the impact of El Niño in Isabela—where prolonged dry conditions damaged farmlands, strained irrigation systems, and contributed to fish kills in the Magat Reservoir—Dy said the experience highlighted the importance of acting before a crisis hits. He noted that while emergency interventions helped cushion the effects on farmers and fisherfolk, the lessons learned underscored the need for a unified national preparedness framework that enables government to anticipate, rather than merely respond to, future El Niño events. “Mga kasama, hindi po natin mapipigilan ang tagtuyot o tag-ulan. Ngunit kaya nating bawasan ang magiging pinsala nito kung maagap ang ating paghahanda,” Dy said. (Colleagues, we cannot stop droughts or heavy rains. But we can reduce their damage if our preparation is timely.) National preparedness framework He said the objective of the congressional briefing was to develop a unified national preparedness framework that local governments and national agencies can adopt before drought conditions worsen. “Ang layunin po ng briefing...