A Task Force El Nino spokesman admitted that the dry season harvest might be affected as more provinces in the country have started to feel the impact of El Nino.

"We are not discounting the fact that it will affect the harvest because the dry harvest season is just about to start," Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Assistant Secretary Joey Villarama, Task Force El Nino spokesperson said during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing.

It may have a small kink in our expected harvest but for now we would like to assure the public that we have enough supply of rice and food," he added.

Villarama said aside from Western Visayas and Zamboanga peninsula, the damage to agriculture in Ilocos and Mimaropa regions is also increasing.

"Last week, I was mentioning Region VI and IX, now the damage to agriculture has increased in Region I and Region IV-B, or MIMAROPA. But we would like to assure the public that the devastation that we see in the rice field and farm lands are still a small portion," he said.

"Based on the projection of the National Irrigation Administration there will be 275,000 hectares that may possibly be affected by El Nino, but as of now only 6,600 hectares were affected," he added.

Villarama said based on the latest update the number of provinces affected by the dry spell rose to 51.

"As of February 25, it reached 51, it will still increase to 73 and up to 80 before it goes down again to 50 plus. So, we are saying that the effects of strong and mature El Nino will persist until May-June," he said.

"We will see what else we can do, but for now the preparations of the agency to avert the possible effect in the water water resources, in food supply, and in energy and health," he added. Robina Asido/DMS