LEGAZPI CITY – From the emergency of the recent Mayon volcano eruption where Albay registered another zero casualty performance, the Albay Provincial Government here is now again busy setting in place measures to counter the potential adverse impact of the twin El Niño and La Niña phenomena.

El Nino refers to the draught condition brought about by the prolonged absence of rain, while La Nina is the opposite characterized by heavy and continuous rains that spawn destructive flashfloods.

Albay Governor and Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council chairman Joey Salceda said that from the Mayon eruption emergency, the province has now shifted its focus on climate change and global warming concerns. I

The recurring El Niño phenomenon often threatens  Albay. The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) has already issued its Advisory No. 5 raising the alarm on El Niño that has now affected the neighboring Bicol provinces of Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte and Sorsogon which have all had below normal rainfall in the last five months.

“This also means that our feared Tail End of a Cold Front (TECF) in February would have lower probability. That is our ideal scenario - no El Niño, no TECF,” Salceda said. TECF is a weather condition characterized by cloudy skies resulting scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms.

The governor pointed out that “Albay cannot be complacent considering that we have experienced six months of rainfall below last year’s level and precisely because we are at the middle of El Niño areas.”

Salceda said the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) and the provincial agriculture office will come up with strategies to address the scenarios the province  may confront shortly.

The NDCC El Nino Advisory instructs APSEMO to immediately conduct consultations with agriculture authorities for the phenomenon’s impact on agricultural output; and local health authorities, for the expected increased incidence of water-borne diseases.  

“Specific areas near the El Niño-hit provinces must also be identified and response strategies should be prepared,” stressed Salceda who has earned praises and commendations for his innovative and life-saving public governance initiatives in previous emergencies in his province.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the current El Nino episode continues to persist across the equatorial Pacific Ocean and leading climate models  suggest that tropical ocean temperatures are approaching their peak and will remain above El Niño thresholds through March 2010.