By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Office of Civil Defense Western Visayas (OCD-6) assured that local government units (LGUs) in the region are fully prepared to respond to the impacts of La Niña, with sufficient funds available to address potential calamities.

OCD-6 Director Raul Fernandez noted that several LGUs in Western Visayas opted not to declare a state of calamity due to El Niño and other events, conserving resources for La Niña, which is expected to have a more significant impact.

The El Niño phenomenon has affected 1.8 million individuals in the region, with agricultural damage reaching P1.7 billion, according to the Department of Agriculture.

“Through coordination and planning, OCD-6 was able to activate response clusters to address specific community needs,” Fernandez added.

OCD-6, along with other agencies, has distributed more than P120 million worth of assistance, including food and non-food items, livelihood assistance, water distribution, and more.

With the onset of La Niña, Fernandez emphasized that OCD-6 has prepositioned welfare goods in strategic locations, primarily within military camps, to ensure readiness for natural disasters.

He added that over the past few months, OCD-6 conducted visits to various LGUs to assess their preparedness.

“We have visited some LGUs to check their preparedness, and they are well-prepared. We have enough equipment, they are organized, and they have adequate welfare goods,” Fernandez said.

Fernandez noted that they continuously request updates from LGUs on their capabilities, and in cases of limited resources, OCD-6 will implement a mutual support system where one LGU can augment another’s capacity.

He also mentioned that OCD-6 will activate Task Force La Niña, similar to the task force established last year in preparation for El Niño.

The state weather bureau reported that La Niña has a 70 percent chance of forming between August and October and is likely to persist until the first quarter of 2025.