A total of 18 local government units (LGUs) in the Philippines have already declared a state of calamity due to the worsening effects of El Niño, a task force spokesperson revealed on Friday, April 5.
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Assistant Secretary Joey Villarama, spokesperson of Task Force El Niño, said agricultural damage caused by the phenomenon is now at P2.63 billion, not P2.76 billion as reported by the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Thursday.
“Based po doon sa talaan ng OCD [Office of Civil Defense], halos 20 na local government units ang nag-declare ng state of calamity dahil sa El Niño (Based on the data of the OCD, almost 20 local government units have declared a state of calamity due to El Niño),” Villarama said on the sidelines of the Food Security Cluster Communications Workshop in Nueva Ecija.
He later identified the areas as follows: all the 11 municipalities in Occidental Mindoro; Bulalacao and Mansalay towns in Oriental Mindoro; San Vicente, Palawan; San Andres, Romblon; Mayoyao, Ifugao; Sibalom, Antique; and Zamboanga City.
He said that most of the LGUs that declared a state of calamity are from Luzon, as the island is where most of the areas with drought conditions are located based on the observation of the task force.
The task force spokesperson said that the number might further increase as four municipalities in Iloilo are also mulling to declare a state of calamity, but he noted that they should meet the criteria to do so.
For an area to be declared under a state of calamity, Villarama said it must meet the criteria including: 15 percent of the population shall be affected, 30 percent of livelihoods shall be impacted, and there shall be damage to structures or vital installations.
“Kailangan pong pumasok sa criteria para po maayos po o tama po ang paggamit ng calamity fund (They should meet the criteria for an orderly utilization of the calamity fund),” he stated.
“As much as we want local government units to declare a state of calamity para po magamit iyong local calamity fund at iyong tulong mula sa national government, kailangan pong sundin natin 'yung mga panuntunan para po maayos po ang proseso (to utilize the local calamity fund and the assistance from the national government, we have to follow the guidelines for an orderly process),” he went on.
Villarama assured the public that amid the intensifying effects of the El Niño phenomenon, the national government’s fund to cushion its effects is ready for distribution to aid affected farmers.
“Kasi prinoject naman po natin na ang maapektuhan by end of April is 80 out of 82 provinces but in varying degrees (We had projected that, by the end of April, 80 out of 82 provinces will be affected but in varying degrees),” he said.
In addition, he said: “ Ang budget po ng Task Force El Niño ay nanggagaling sa lahat ng principal agencies na kabilang dito--so mayroong agency regular budget at may quick response fund po at kung sakali pong magkulang ay may other avenues tayo or ways na pwedeng pagkunan sa tulong po ng tamang proseso at as long as approved po ng Department of Budget and Management (The budget of Task Force El Niño comes from all principal agencies that are part of the task force—so there’s agency regular budget and the quick response fund and if these fall short, there are other avenues or ways to get assistance through the appropriate process as long as it is approved by the Department of Budget and Management).”
10 regions hit
So far, the El Niño phenomenon has devastated 10 out of the 16 regions of the Philippines, DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa said.
He said the dry spell has affected 54,203 farmers, mostly rice farmers.
Per the data of the DA, the affected regions are Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Region 1, Region 2, Region 3, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), Region 5, Region 6, Region 9, and Region 12.
De Mesa said Mimaropa is the region that has incurred the highest damage to agriculture at P770 million; followed by Region VI at P739 million.
Damage to rice fields, he said, was pegged at P1.7 billion; followed by corn with recorded damage of P591 million. Damage to livestock, on the other hand, was estimated at P59.6 million.
Arable lands affected
The land area of the rice fields damaged by El Niño is now at 34,264 hectares (ha), De Mesa said.
Only about 10,000 ha were totally damaged by the drought, representing one percent of the total area planted with rice which is one million ha, the DA spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, he noted that 25,000 ha of rice fields were partially damaged but these can still recover.
The agency spokesperson said El Niño is still expected to intensify, as forecasted by the state weather bureau, and it is forecasted to reach its peak this April.
The phenomenon is expected to subside gradually by May, he added.
Help to farmers
The DA official said the government has provided at least P1.08 billion worth of assistance to farmers affected by the El Niño phenomenon.
Most of the P1.08 billion aid was financial assistance, insurance claims, and loans from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), De Mesa noted.
The DA has also distributed seedlings, seeds, and fertilizers in areas affected and ready for planting.
He said the DA has been coordinating with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to help El Niño-affected farmers.