‘We Approved P7.2-Trillion El Niño-Ready Budget’

The proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027 is prepared for the adverse effects of the super El Niño expected to persist until next year, the House of Representatives assured the public on Tuesday, Oct. 13.

Speaker Faustino Dy III said the House’s approval on third and final reading of House Bill No. 10858, or the 2027 General Appropriations Bill, resulted in a “transparent, people-centered budget” that would provide Filipinos with “better services and programs.”

Public needs guided the chamber’s scrutiny of the spending proposal, Dy said, resulting in additional support for education, health care, transportation and El Niño preparations.

Nueva Ecija 1st District Rep. Mikaela Suansing, chairperson of the House appropriations committee, explained that lawmakers reinforced food security and agricultural livelihoods by allocating P10 billion for farmers and fisherfolk and P4.96 billion for farm-to-market roads.

Other agricultural allocations include P150 million for the Agri-Transport System, P125 million for solar-powered irrigation pumps, P105 million for hybrid solar-powered ice plants and P100 million for high-value crops, particularly ube.

The House also approved an additional P10.06 billion for education programs supporting school safety, inclusive learning, academic recovery and access to tertiary education.

For transportation, Dy cited an additional P500 million for the Service Contracting Program and P1 billion in fuel subsidies for public utility vehicle drivers and operators, tricycle drivers, delivery riders and other transport service providers.

The House-approved budget includes about P116 billion in amendments to strengthen public services. It retains the P1.107-trillion allocation for the Department of Education, including P10.055 billion for scholarships, school safety, learning recovery and inclusive education.

In health care, lawmakers allocated P23.97 billion for the Medical Assistance Program, P1.55 billion for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program and P50 million for Department of Health regional hospital operations.

An additional P1.8 billion was provided for nationally procured commodities to strengthen communicable disease prevention and control.

Fast lanes

To address the possible impact of El Niño on patient admissions, the Department of Health (DOH) announced that it will establish dedicated fast lanes in hospital emergency rooms for pa-tients with heat-related illnesses as El Niño intensifies.

“Patient influx for heat-related illnesses is possible. Apart from heat stroke and heat exhaustion, we anticipate cases of dengue and gastrointestinal diseases including gastroenteritis to go up, so we are going to set up a special lane for heat-related consults in the emergency room of hospitals,” DOH Assistant Secretary Tagumpay Maniquis said.

Hospitals have been also instructed to prepare for an increase in emergency room consultations and activate the special lanes when necessary.

The DOH advised the public to watch for signs of heat stroke, including loss of consciousness, high body temperature, difficulty breathing, confusion, slurred speech and convulsions. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include extreme fatigue, dizziness, cramps, nausea and excessive sweating.

The agency also recommended wearing lightweight or light-colored clothing, drinking eight to 10 glasses of water daily and limiting strenuous physical activity, particularly in the after-noon.

Monitoring

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, for its part, has deployed automated weather stations, satellite heat-stress mapping and geographic information system-based risk modeling to monitor environmental threats linked to rising temperatures.

DENR Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said the technology would help authorities anticipate climate-related risks, including coral bleaching, forest fires and water shortages.

“In an era of accelerating climate extremes, timely information saves ecosystems and lives,” Cuna said.

The agency is using satellite data to monitor coral reefs in Aurora, automated weather station data to map fire hazards in Agusan Marsh and a Red Flag Alert System in the Ilocos Region to detect early signs of wildland fires.

In the Bicol Region, DENR offices in Catanduanes and Masbate are monitoring dry forest areas, creeks, reefs and emerging water-stress conditions to support drought advisories and water conservation measures.

“At the same time, we are strengthening water conservation and resource management efforts to help communities and institutions cope with the growing risks of drought and water scar-city,” Cuna added.

The DENR has directed its regional offices to support water conservation initiatives, monitor water availability and prioritize areas at risk of shortages and drought.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has said El Niño could intensify between September and December and persist until the middle of next year. – With Josiah Antonio, Rhodina Villanueva