Tupas creates technical working group on climate info
Gov. Niel D. Tupas, Sr. recently created a multi-sectoral technical working group on climate information (TWG-CI) in the Province of Iloilo.
In his executive order, he said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has tasked the Iloilo Provincial Government to help organize a TWG-IC to be an official channel of information on climate and on El Niño.
Tupas said PAGASA has determined that there will be an occurrence of mild to severe El Niño phenomenon in the later part 2006 and 2007.
El Niño (Spanish name for the male child), initially referred to a weak, warm current appearing annually around Christmas time along the coast of Ecuador and Peru and lasting only a few weeks to a month or more. Every three to seven years, an El Niño event may last for many months, having significant economic and atmospheric consequences worldwide. During the past forty years, ten of these major El Niño events have been recorded, the worst of which occurred in 1997-1998. Previous to this, the El Niño event in 1982-1983 was the strongest. Some of the El Niño events have persisted more than one year.
The technical working group is composed of the following: Dumangas Mayor Rolly Distura, Provincial Agriculturist Zafiro Palabrica, Provincial Health Officer Patricia Grace Trabado, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Neneth Q. Pador, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Soledad Sucaldito, Provincial Planning and Development Officer Mario Nillos, Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council Chair Jerry Bionat and Philippine Information Agency Regional Director Janet Mesa and Representative from PAGASA. The Provincial Coordinators are Mr. Lorenzp Locara of Provincial Agriculture Office, Mr. Jerry Bionat of Community Affairs Office and Mr. Ian C. Espada of Provincial Information Office.
(Capitol News)