There are now 131 cities and municipalities placed under state of calamity due to El Niño around the country, a Palace official bared.
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Assistant Secretary Joey Villarama, who serves as Task Force El Niño spokesperson, disclosed that these cities and municipalities under state of calamity were scattered across the country.
Seven provinces—Occidental Mindoro, Antique, Sultan Kudarat, Basilan, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao Del Norte, and South Cotabato— have been under a state of calamity due to the phenomenon, Villarama added.
"As of the latest update from the Office of Civil Defense nasa 131 cities and municipalities na po yung nadeklara ng state of calamity, kalat kalat po iyan sa buong Pilipinas (there are now 131 cities and municipalities declared under state of calamity, it is scattered around the Philippines)," Villarama said in an interview on Tuesday, April 30.
"Sa bilang po na ito meron po pitong buong probinsya. Nandiyan po yung Occidental Mindoro, Antique, Sultan Kudarat, Basilan, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao Del Norte, at yung nadagdag po is yung South Cotabato (Of this number, there are seven provinces. These include Occidental Mindoro, Antique, Sultan Kudarat, Basilan, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao Del Norte, and South Cotabato was added)," he also said.
Villarama explained that "practically" the entire Philippines is suffering from the effects of El Niño but in "varying degrees," stressing that not all areas are experiencing drought.
At present, he said there are at least 41 areas experiencing drought.
The official further said that the estimated damage to agriculture due to El Niño grew to P4.39 billion, which is equivalent to 77,731 hectares.
Of the over 77,000 hectares damaged by the phenomenon, 77 percent is recoverable.
The government, Villarama said, is hoping that by the end of May the country's climate pattern would transition to neutral condition. However, people should not be complacent about it, given the threats of looming La Niña.
"Sa ngayon po meron pa po tayong isang buwan, Mayo, na kailangan bunuin bago hopefully mag-transition to neutral condition po yung climate pattern (As of now, we still have one month before, hopefully, our climate patter transitions to neutral condition)," Villarama said.
"So, alam naman natin sa projection or sa forecast din ng PAGASA, pwede mag-shift to La Niña yung climate pattern. Pero it doesn't mean na kahit nandoon na tayo sa tail-end ng El Niño eh kailangan na tayo maging complacent (We know that the projection or forecast of PAGASA, the climate pattern might shift to La Niña but it doesn't mean that because we are already at the tail-end, we would be complacent)," he added.