HEADLINES: Drought looms in 17 provinces | Jan. 4, 2024

Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Thursday, January 4, 2024.

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BANNER: Drought looms in 17 provinces

AT least 17 provinces in Luzon will experience drought by the end of January due to the effects of the El Niño phenomenon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Wednesday. The agency said a strong El Niño is present in the tropical Pacific, showing signs of further intensification in the coming months as sea surface temperatures reach more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. The El Niño increases the likelihood of way below to below-normal rainfall conditions, which could bring dry spells and drought to some areas of the country until the first quarter or up to the second quarter of 2024.

PAO chief one of top senatorial bets

PUBLIC Attorney's Office chief Persida Rueda-Acosta emerged as one of the most popular Senate candidates in the 2025 midterm elections, a Social Weather Stations survey showed. The results of the face-to-face survey conducted from Dec. 8 to 11, 2023, obtained by The Manila Times showed that, overall, 82 percent of respondents know Acosta. Among those who recognized her, 47 percent said they had much trust in the PAO chief, 31 percent were undecided, while 13 percent said they had little trust, for a good net trust rating of +35. By socio-demographics, awareness of Acosta ranged from 69 percent to 98 percent in December 2023, S.W.S. Vice President Gerardo Sandoval said.

NGCP calls for better energy planning

THE National Grid Corp. of the Philippines called for better energy resource planning following the power outage in Panay Island on January 2 caused by the tripping of multiple power plants. Among the affected power plants in Panay Island were P.E.D.C. Units 1 and 2 (83 megawatts each) and P.C.P.C. (135 megawatts). With the tripping of three of the largest power-generating units and the planned maintenance shutdown of P.E.D.C. Unit 3 (150 megawatts), 451 megawatts or 68.75 percent of the total 656 MW in-island generation