• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Stressing that they have enough funds to help their drought affected residents, Mayor John Rey Tabujara announced yesterday that they will not declare a state of calamity, amid reports from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist that among the local government units in Negros Occidental, the town is worst hit by the El Niño phenomenon.
OPA reports indicated that as of April 26, damage to crops has been pegged at more than P66 million, affecting 1,130 farmers tilling 562.48 hectares in Cauayan.
In a meeting with members of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Tabujara said they stressed the need to prepare for the La Niña phenomenon that will bring heavier than normal rainfall, as he recalled that Cauayan was twice hit by flooding in previous years.
“If we use the calamity funds, we may find it difficult to mobilize funds when the typhoon comes. We want to ensure that available funds are stable,” the mayor said.
On top of more than 600 food packs they have distributed to the affected farmers, 1,000 more are also up for distribution, in tandem with the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Tabujara said they will also extend financial assistance to Cauayan residents, with the amount yet to be determined.
He added that they have reserve funds of P4.5 million, excluding those appropriated in the 2024 budget.
Most of the affected farmers actually don’t own the farmlands, but are mostly the ones working in the fields, Tabujara said.
The provincial government of Negros Occidental is also set to distribute financial assistance of P2,000 each to drought affected farmers in the province.*
