Laoag City steps up aid for farmers, fishers ahead of Super El Niño

In Laoag City, mayor James Bryan Alcid convened heads of municipal departments and the Bureau of Fire Protection to finalize a comprehensive strategy against the forecasted Super El Niño. The plan allocates aid to 1,519 farmers, providing fertilizer, hybrid seeds, and machinery with funding from the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office I and city resources. Fisherfolk are also included, and the House Majority Leader’s office, together with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Labor and Employment, will supply fuel subsidies to tricycle and kutsero drivers.

Additionally, wages have been released to participants in the city’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration expects the El Niño to intensify into a “Very Strong” phase from September-December 2026 and continue into the first half of 2027. Officials say the assistance aims to protect residents’ livelihoods and maintain local food supplies during the extreme weather event.