20 senators urge Marcos: Declare ‘super El Niño calamity’

Locals use sun protection to cool off from the heat as they walk past a public school in Quezon City on October 15, 2026. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News MANILA — Twenty senators on Monday urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to declare “super El Niño calamity” in affected or threatened areas to curb threats against the country’s food and water security.

Under the law, a declaration of a state of calamity mandates the “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.”

Proposed Senate Resolution 765 urges Marcos, 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. 

The measure was signed by Senate President Win Gatchalian, Senate President Pro Tempore Tito Sotto, and Senators Kiko Pangilinan, 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. 

“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 “very strong El Niño” is now present in the Tropical Pacific, which could peak before yearend and continue affecting the Philippines through the first half of 2027, state weather bureau PAGASA earlier said. 

The Senate resolution cited some P6.87 billion in agricultural losses as of September 26, 2026, which was already equivalent to 43 percent of the losses recorded during the entire 2023–2024 El Niño.

Several areas across Cagayan Valley, Caraga, Bicol, Calabarzon, and Soccsksargen have declared local states of calamity, with approximately 388,375 people affected, according to figures cited in the resolution.

But it noted that assistance has 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 available funds, including about ₱39 billion for the disaster fund.