ANTIPOLO CITY – Former presidential political adviser and senatorial candidate Francis Tolentino has called on local government units to declare a state of calamity now in anticipation of the devastating but creeping effects of the El Nino phenomenon.
Tolentino, who also acted as anti-disaster troubleshooter of the Duterte administration, said preemptive measures should now be carried out to counter the disastrous effect of El Nino.
Speaking before a huge crowd of Rizal folk during a Hugpong ng Pagbabago campaign sortie here, Tolentino explained that with PAGASA’s confirmation of an El Nino weather phenomenon this summer, local government units now have enough justification to declare a state of calamity in their localities.
“Ang alam kasi nating calamity ay iyong calamity na may immediate impact katulad ng bagyo at lindol,” Tolentino said.
He stressed that El Nino happens at a longer duration and takes effect slowly. Tolentino said officials must not wait for the catastrophic effects of El Nino to set in before taking action.
“This early, there should already be a declaration of a state of calamity. The NDRRMC must act now,” he stressed, referring to the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council. (Ben R. Rosario)