By Henrylito D. Tacio
“Brace for the La Niña phenomenon, which is expected to bring heavy rains in the succeeding months,” Senator Loren Legarda urged in a press statement.
The chair of the Senate Committees on Climate Change and Finance sounded the alarm after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) issued a La Niña watch that there is a probability that another weather disaster is looming with the coming of La Niña by the second half of 2016.
“La Niña is possible but the chance is only over 50 percent and not 100 percent. It is more than a rainfall. We need to prepare,” said Dr. Vicente B. Malano, PAGASA acting administrator.
According to Legarda, the country is expected to experience more than the normal rainfall as well as more typhoons during the La Niña event.  As such, she reminded local government units to enhance community-based disaster management and early warning system in their respective localities.
“We have to be ready for the impacts of La Niña even as we continue to help drought-affected communities recover from the effects of El Niño,” Legarda reminded. “Agencies of government, both national and local levels, must work together to help communities projected to be hit by the La Niña adapt to the phenomenon.”
La Niña is the exact opposite of the phenomenon called El Niño, which was known originally recognized by fishermen off the coast of South America as the appearance of unusually warm water in the Pacific Ocean, occurring near the beginning of the year. El Niño means “the Little Boy” or “Christ Child” in Spanish. The name was used for the tendency of the phenomenon to arrive around Christmas.
La Niña, on the other hand, means “the Little Girl.” It is sometimes called “El Viejo,” “anti-El Niño,” or simply “a cold event” or a cold episode.
To simplify, meteorologists explain: El Niño and La Niña are opposite phases of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENS0) cycle, with La Niña sometimes referred to as the cold phase of ENSO and El Niño as the warm phase of ENSO.
“El Niño and La Niña result from interaction between the surface of the ocean and the atmosphere in the tropical Pacific,” NOAA explained. “Changes in the ocean impact the atmosphere and climate patterns around the globe. In turn, changes in the atmosphere impact the ocean temperatures and currents.”
The system oscillates between warm (El Niño) to neutral (or cold La Niña) conditions with an on average every 3-4 years.
In the tropics, global climate variations in La Niña tend to be opposite of those of El Niño. “If you expect drought in the country with El Niño because of reduced rainfall and less typhoons, there will be more than normal rainfall and the normal but ‘stronger typhoons’ during a La Niña episode that will cause floods and devastation of farms and property,” explains Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero III, former executive director of the Laguna-based Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (PCAMRD).
How does La Niña affect the country’s weather? PAGASA has this answer: “Effects of La Niña could be manifested in above the normal rainfall conditions in major parts of the country, particularly along the eastern sections. This is mainly due to more intense northeast monsoon and tropical cyclone activities.”
Whether La Niña will happen or not sooner, it would be best for everyone to start preparing for its occurrence. “It is better for the national government to prepare for another extreme weather event,” Anthony Joseph R. Lucero, chief of PAGASA’s Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section, was quoted as saying.
Effects of La Niña could be manifested in above the normal rainfall conditions in major parts of the country, particularly along the eastern sections. Meteorologists say La Niña intensifies the northeast monsoon, causing more typhoons.
“The Philippines has the highest occurrence of tropical cyclone around the world,” Lucero said during the Climate Forum for Agriculture a few years back. “We are known to have the most number of tropical cyclones.”
Each year, 19 to 21 cyclones pass the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). “Our tropical cyclone comes one after another,” he pointed out. However, only six to nine out of those typhoons make landfall.
But with La Niña, typhoons are expected to be more common and disastrous as floods are likely to occur.  “Floods are among the most destructive calamities man has to cope with,” the weather bureau wrote in a brochure that explains the how’s, what’s, and how’s of floods. “Even the most minor flooding poses some inconveniences.”
A really big flood can result in millions even billions of pesos of damage to road and bridges, buildings and other economic infrastructure, in the loss of agricultural crops and livestock, loss of productivity in industry, commerce and trade – not to mention the incalculable loss of human life. Remember the Ormoc tragedy in Leyte? More than five thousand people perished from flash floods, injuring 292 others with 1,264 missing.
“With too much rain and floods, agriculture production especially in flood-prone areas will be adversely affected with physical and economic losses,” Dr. Guerrero said. “Floods will wash away crops, hasten soil erosion and increase crop spoilage due to poor storage and distribution problems.”
Dr. Guerrero admitted that Filipino farmers cannot do anything against the onslaught of La Niña except to prepare and plan for it. “Planting in flood-prone areas should be avoided to avert crop losses,” he stressed. “Drainage and flood-control structure should be renovated beforehand.”
Health-wise, people are likely to suffer from La Niña. During floods, food-borne and water-borne diseases accelerate, according to the Department of Health (DOH). “Flooding can contaminate the public water through the disruption of water purification and sewage disposal systems, rupture of underground pipelines and storage tanks,” said the disaster management unit of DOH.
Using contaminated water can cause a wide spectrum of illness, among them: acute gastroenteritis, dysentery, typhoid fever, cholera, and hepatitis A. Malaria and dengue fever, infections transmitted by mosquitoes, are also expected to rise after heavy rainfalls due to an explosive increase in breeding sites.
Because of these projected economic and health problems, the weather bureau said that flood damage mitigation and protection is a concern not only during the disaster but should be practiced before, during and after the occurrence of a flood. As such, it has issued the following flood safety rules:
Before the flood, a person must know how often his location is likely to be flooded. He should keep abreast with the flood warning system (issued by PAGASA) in the community and keep the family knows about it. The head of the family must be kept informed of daily weather condition. He must designate an evacuation area for his family and the livestock. In addition, he must assign family members instruction and responsibilities according to an evacuation plan.
In addition, people are advised to keep a stock of food which requires little cooking and refrigeration before the flood. The following must be kept: a transistor radio and flashlight with spare batteries, emergency cooking equipment, candles, matches, first aid kit and water.
When warned of flood, everyone must watch for rapidly rising flood waters. The family should listen to the radio for emergency instructions. If the head of the family finds it necessary to evacuate, then he must move them to a safe area before access is cut off by flood waters. However, it is wise to turn off electricity at the main switch in the building before evacuating. “Also lock your house before leaving,” PAGASA said.
During the flood, the PAGASA advised to avoid areas subject to sudden flooding. It cautions not to attempt to cross rivers of flowing streams where water is above the knee; beware of water-covered roads and bridges; avoid unnecessary exposure to the elements; eat only well-cooked food; and drink only bottled, boiled or treated water.
After the flood, the weather bureau recommends to re-enter the house with caution using flashlight. “Be alert for fire hazards like broken wires,” it cautions. “Do not eat food and drink water until they have been checked for flood water contamination.”
The PAGASA also suggests of reporting broken utility lines (electricity, water, gas and telephone) to appropriate agencies/authorities. “Do not turn on the main switch or use appliances and other equipment until they have been checked by a component electrician,” it warns.
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