Senators in the Philippines are pushing President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to declare a state of calamity in areas affected by El Niño. Multiple outlets report that 20 senators signed or filed Senate Resolution No. 765, which urges the President to issue the declaration based on recommendations from the National Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council and in line with applicable laws.
In response to the push, the Palace says a state of calamity has not yet been declared because government agencies are already working to mitigate El Niño impacts. One outlet notes that some localities have already declared calamity status, while highlighting concerns about how assistance reaches affected farmers.
Overall, the reports align on the existence of the Senate resolution and the call on the President. They differ mainly in how they describe the scale of local declarations and whether they include details about aid delivery to farmers.
