The effects of El Niño affected over 428,000 individuals across the country so far, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Wednesday.
In its latest report, the NDRRMC said that 428,687 individuals or 115,246 families have been affected by the phenomenon. The affected population came from Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), Bicol Region, and Caraga.
The phenomenon also placed 106 cities and municipalities under state of calamity. Of this figure, 66 came from Cagayan Valley, 23 from Caraga, 12 from Bicol Region, four from Calabarzon, and one from Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City).
The agency said that P45,493,054.06 worth of assistance was provided to 34,649 families, which is equivalent to 73.74 percent of families needing assistance.
Meanwhile, in its first bulletin issued last September 26, the Department of Agriculture said that El Niño has already affected 223,214 farmers in 14 regions in the country, with damage in the agriculture sector already reaching P6.87 billion.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that El Niño may reach a very strong state by the end of 2026 and will continue until the first half of 2027.
Pagasa on Wednesday also said that more areas are expected to experience drought conditions from October 2026 to March 2027.