The government has just poured millions of pesos to pull people, mostly agriculturists, out of the deep hole they found themselves in due to the El Niño phenomenon.
No less than President Marcos came over Thursday to give P50 million to farmers and fishers in Negros Oriental, and P20 million to farmers in Siquijor so they could get a fresh start, or go into a different track.
The assistance, however, may have come a little too late. El Niño is now gone. Farmers are starting to plant.
However, the picture may not be a rosy one because we know that the flipside of the El Niño phenomenon is La Niña.
While El Niño brought about a heat wave, La Niña, on the other hand, is expected bring in a lot of rains, floods, and everything that comes with it.
If the La Niña phenomenon comes early, it will surely destroy the crops that the farmers are just now starting to plant. Then we will have agricultural damage all over again, and maybe the President may have to come back to give more aid.
The signs are all there for the impending La Niña. Ignoring these warnings would be a grave mistake; proactive measures are essential to mitigate the potential impacts of La Niña.
The time to prepare for La Niña is now, and failure to do so could have far-reaching and lasting consequences.
