• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Damage to crops in Western Visayas, as a result of the drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon, further increased to P770,589,300 as of April 1, according to Office of the Civil Defense 6 head Raul Fernandez.
It also affects more than 20,000 farmers, OCD 6 reports also indicated.
Fernandez, however, said that the criteria for the affected local government units to declare a state of calamity has not yet been met.
Iloilo province reported the most damage, totaling P519 million, followed by Antique with P130 million; Negros Occidental with P78 million; Aklan with P30 million; and Capiz with P12 million.
No reports of El Niño-related damage has been received from the province of Guimaras.
Fernandez also reported that the water level remains generally fine in Negros Occidental, although Himamaylan City has reported water rationing in some of its barangays, while other local government units have also reported lowered water levels in their areas.
On the other hand, Mayor Daph Anthony Reliquias also reported the water level dropping in some Hinobaan barangays.
As part of its mitigating measures against the onslaught of the El Niño phenomenon, the municipal government of Hinobaan is constructing water impounding stations to cater to the needs of farmers.
Reliquias noted the water level dropping in some of Hinobaan’s southernmost barangays, with the villages of Pook, Asia, and a portion of Bacuyangan, now experiencing water shortages for use in farms.
Reliquias however said they still have enough supply of potable water.
He said they are now getting water sources in Brgy. Alim, Hinobaan, using water pumps to supply water to the drying farms.
Reliquias also said that they are also preparing food assistance to some of the farmers affected by the drought, along with possible cash assistance.
As of the March 27 report of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, a total of 178 farmers in 13 Hinobaan barangays were affected by the drought, with damage to crops valued at P2.5 million.*
