House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan is urging local government units (LGUs) and community organizations to prepare for the expected onset of El Niño conditions by maximizing access to the government’s P1-billion People’s Survival Fund (PSF) for climate adaptation projects, including rainwater harvesting systems.
Libanan said the 2026 General Appropriations Act allocates P1 billion to the PSF to finance initiatives that strengthen community resilience against climate-related risks, particularly freshwater shortages.
“Through the People’s Survival Fund, LGUs and community organizations can implement practical adaptation projects such as rainwater collection and storage systems that help secure water supply during prolonged dry periods,” Libanan said.
He stressed that the fund is available for eligible proposals aimed at reducing vulnerability to climate impacts.
“We should make rainwater harvesting a regular practice so communities can build reserves ahead of severe dry spells,” he said. “Every liter of rainwater captured today helps cushion households tomorrow. It is one of the simplest, most practical, and cost-effective adaptation measures available.”
The call comes as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warns that Metro Manila and 47 provinces may experience below-normal rainfall in the coming months as El Niño develops.
By November, PAGASA projects “dry conditions” in Metro Manila and several Luzon provinces, including Abra, Albay, Apayao, Aurora, Bataan, Batangas, Benguet, Bulacan, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Cavite, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, Kalinga, La Union, Laguna, Marinduque, Masbate, Mountain Province, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Quezon, Quirino, Rizal, Romblon, Sorsogon, Tarlac, and Zambales.
PAGASA defines “dry condition” as two consecutive months of below-normal rainfall, or a 21 to 60 percent reduction from average precipitation.
Camarines Sur may also experience a “dry spell” by November, defined as three consecutive months of below-normal rainfall within the same reduction range.
In the Visayas, Aklan, Antique, Biliran, Eastern Samar, Guimaras, Iloilo, Northern Samar, Samar, and Southern Leyte are also expected to be under dry conditions.
In Mindanao, Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte are projected to be similarly affected.
The People’s Survival Fund is managed by a board composed of the secretaries of Finance, Budget and Management, Interior and Local Government, and the Department of Economy, Planning and Development; the chairperson of the Philippine Commission on Women; the vice chairperson of the Climate Change Commission; and representatives from the scientific, business, and non-government sectors.