In response to the looming La Niña, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is set to overhaul its Operation Listo disaster preparedness manual. The focus will be on developing a standardized protocol for managing dams, as announced during the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s fourth quarter meeting in Iloilo City on November 27, 2024.
DILG Western Visayas regional director Juan Jovian Ingeniero emphasized the need for a unified approach, stating that they await directives from the central office but are prepared to gather local chief executives to formulate these guidelines. This initiative comes as part of broader preparations for the La Niña phenomenon, with the DILG serving as vice-chair of the committee on preparedness.
Local Government Operations Officer II Daniel Jade Jardiolin reported that since August 7, local government units (LGUs) have been tasked with conducting dam inventories to enhance readiness for La Niña. These inventories focus on dams managed by LGUs rather than the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), and include critical data such as operational status, operator details, dam type, normal water levels, and potential downstream impacts.
The inventory revealed that Aklan has 17 dams potentially affecting 25 barangays, Antique has 18 dams with 38 barangays at risk, Capiz has 13 dams impacting 54 villages, Guimaras has one dam with no barangays affected, Iloilo has 10 dams affecting 65 barangays, and Negros Occidental has 14 dams with unspecified barangay impacts.
Civil Defense director and RDRRMC chair Raul Fernandez stressed the importance of NIA communicating dam statuses to LGUs, particularly those downstream, to facilitate timely measures like preemptive evacuations. Meanwhile, Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration Weather Specialist Engr. Ferdinand Rubin Jr. noted a 74 percent chance of a short-lived La Niña developing from November to January, potentially extending into the first quarter of 2025, with La Niña conditions already present in the Tropical Pacific.