Negros Occidental has the biggest share of the food packs distributed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development to El Niño-affected families in Western Visayas.
Negros Occidental received 37,367 food packs, followed by Antique with 33,054 packs, Iloilo with 18,880, Aklan with 10,707 packs, Capiz with 1,809 packs, and Guimaras with 1,000 packs.
Region-wide, the agency released a total of P64,829,829.90 worth of assistance.
As of May 10, the department already served 102,817 family food packs to 102,817 families in 45 different cities and municipalities.
The DSWD 6, through its Disaster Response Section of Disaster Response Management Division, continuously coordinates with other local government units for the immediate release and distribution of food packs in their localities.
DROUGHT DAMAGE BREACHES P300M
Drought damage to agricultural crops, including fisheries, in Negros Occidental has breached the P300 million mark, according to a report by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist.
The report, dated May 8 showed that the total damage to agricultural products is P302,224,913.33.
Of the total number, rice crops were hit the hardest with damage at P291,747,976.57, corn – P7,809,894.76 and fisheries – P2,667,042.
Dina Genzola, OIC provincial agriculturist, reported that the drought has hit 5,864 hectares of rice lands in 216 barangays in 28 of the 31 LGUs in Negros Occidental, and has affected 8,285 farmers.
The drought also damaged 178.91 hectares of corn land in 40 barangays in 12 local governments and affected 265 farmers.
Kabankalan City is the hardest hit locality with P99,624,716.80 worth of damage to its rice land.
Earlier, San Carlos City, Kabankalan City and San Enrique have declared states of calamity because of the drought damage to their agricultural lands.*
