PAGASA's latest El Niño advisory leaves little room for doubt. El Niño Advisory No. 5, issued on October 7, 2026, says "a strong to very strong El Niño is present in the Tropical Pacific," that it will "continue until the first half of 2027," and that it "may reach its peak before the end of 2026." For October, PAGASA forecast below-normal rainfall over most of Luzon, the Visayas and the Caraga Region, which includes Bislig.

Bislig's Sangguniang Panlungsod has been building a paper trail of preparations since mid-year. Here is what it has asked for so far.

July: a contingency plan for water shortages

On July 27, 2026, the council adopted Resolution No. 2026-621, authored by Vice Mayor Conrad C. Cejoco. It asks the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) to draft a contingency plan for El Niño "to prepare for the possible water shortages affecting both household consumption and agricultural usage."

The resolution warns that prolonged dry periods could compromise "access to safe and sufficient drinking water," and that Bislig's farm and fishery sectors are "highly vulnerable to water scarcity." It lists the kinds of measures it expects: assessment of water reserves, identification of alternative water sources, distribution of agricultural assistance, public water conservation campaigns and emergency response protocols. It cites Republic Act No. 10121, which requires local disaster councils to keep their plans updated.

August and September: irrigation and the water utility

On August 4, 2026, the council adopted Resolution No. 2026-644, asking the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to extend the irrigation canal to "the unirrigated portion of Poblacion, Bislig City along the airport."

On September 15, 2026, Resolution No. 2026-773 asked the Bislig City Water District (BCWD) and Hanabana Construction and Industrial Corporation for "a comprehensive status report on the city's water supply."

October: a permanent fix and a planting decision

Two resolutions adopted on October 6, 2026 go further.

  • Resolution No. 2026-798 asks Mayor Florencio C. Garay to create a Technical Working Group (TWG) "to develop a long-term and permanent solution to the water supply concerns of Bislig City."
  • Resolution No. 2026-800 asks the City Agriculture Office "to conduct a study and assessment on whether to proceed with palay planting or not, considering the effects of the El Niño phenomenon, especially in rainfed areas."

That second request matters to farmers. Rainfed fields depend entirely on rain, unlike irrigated land. Planting rice and then losing it to drought costs a farmer seed, fertilizer and labor with nothing to harvest. An assessment from the City Agriculture Office could guide whether farmers delay planting, switch to shorter-maturing varieties or plant other crops.

Only Resolution No. 2026-621 has its full text posted on the city's resolutions page as of October 25, 2026. The others are reported here by their published titles.

The bigger water picture

Water supply has been a recurring issue for the city this year. Bislig Today reported earlier that the P710-million bulk water supply project meant to address it hit a failed bidding round in April 2026.

Bislig Today has not found a published CDRRMC El Niño contingency plan, a TWG order or a City Agriculture Office planting assessment as of this writing.

What households and farmers can do

PAGASA's advisory urges government agencies and the public "to take appropriate preparedness and response measures," especially in areas vulnerable to dry spells. In practice, that means storing water safely in covered containers, fixing leaking taps and pipes, and for farmers, checking with the City Agriculture Office or their barangay agricultural technician before the next planting.

Bislig Today will report when the city releases its contingency plan or the agriculture office's planting advice.

Sources: DOST-PAGASA El Niño Advisory No. 5 (October 7, 2026); City of Bislig, Sangguniang Panlungsod Resolution No. 2026-621 (adopted July 27, 2026) and the published titles of Resolution Nos. 2026-644, 2026-773, 2026-798 and 2026-800, at bislig.gov.ph.