ILOILO – Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. has requested the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) to place the province under a state of calamity, citing the massive adverse effects of the El Niño phenomenon to Iloilo’s agriculture.
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) recommended the declaration of a state of calamity in a recently passed resolution.
The PDRRMC also recommended a budget of P29,725,790 to fund El Niño mitigating measures charged against the available Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management trust fund.
According to Jerry Bionat, PDRRMC executive officer, El Niño’s damage to Iloilo’s agriculture and livestock has become widespread and over 22 percent of the province’s population is already affected.
Under National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s (NDRRMC) Memorandum Order No. 86, series of 2018, a city, municipality, province or region may be declared under a state of calamity whenever two or more of the following conditions brought by drought-affected crop production are present:
* at least 20 percent of the population are affected and in need of emergency assistance
* widespread destruction of fishponds, crops, poultry and livestock, and other agricultural products
Bionat said current conditions met the criteria. All 42 towns and the component city of Passi have submit reports to the Provincial Agriculture Office detailing adverse effects of the El Niño to their agricultural crops, fishponds, poultry, and livestock.
A total of 32,903 farming families or 197,418 individuals are affected, he added.
Six municipalities have so far declared a state of calamity – Bingawan, Lambunao, Janiuay, Maasin, Santa Barbara, and Mina.
The proposed mitigating measures were for the following:
* production and support services (P10,821,350)
* health impacts (P5,803,920)
* social impacts (P100,520)
* on water (P9 million)
* environment protection (P1 million)
* veterinary services (P2 million)
* information and education campaign (P1 million)
Losses in the province’s livestock and poultry industries due to the El Niño from January to March this year have reached P102,401,272 already, according to the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO).
The losses, however, could still increase. Only nine municipalities have so far filed reports to the PVO – Bingawan, Cabatuan, Dueñas, Igbaras, Janiuay, Lambunao, Miag-ao, San Dionisio, and Santa Barbara.
Iloilo province has 42 municipalities and one component city, Passi.
As to agricultural produce, damage to palay and other high-value crops since October 2018 already reached P1.2 billion covering 34,688.25 hectares and adversely affected./PN
Agricultural production support and health support are favorites of our politicians because it is extremely easy to fudge the list of beneficiaries and pocket the money. Coming into an election month i guess there needs to be a calamity, even if artificial, so that liquid resources are available to politicians to grease their way into reelection or help in placing their relatives into office.