El Niño damage in Cebu City: P4.6 million

CEBU, Philippines — Damage to agriculture in Cebu City due to weak El Niño has reached P4.6 million, according to the City Agriculture Department (CAD).

City Agriculturist Apple Tribunalo said the phenomenon is affecting at least 133 farmers in 28 upland barangays based on the initial data gathered last week.

“Crops valued at P4.6 million have so far been lost to the early effects of an El Niño phenomenon,” she said.

The barangays are Busay, Pulangbato, Budlaan, Binaliw, Mabini, Agsungot, Malubog, Taptap, Adlaon, Guba, Lusaran, Cambinocot, Paril, Sirao, Pamutan, Toong, Sapangdaku, Kalunasan, Buhisan, Pung-ol Sibugay, Babag, Bonbon, Sudlon 1, Sudlon 2, Sinsin, Tagbao, Tabunan, and Buot.

Data showed that the damage covers 30.9-hectare of agricultural lands—1.5-hectare is badly affected and 29.4-hectare is partially damaged.

Affected crops include eggplant, tomato, ampalaya (bitter melon), hot pepper, string beans, sweet corn, yellow corn, and among others.

Tribunalo said the data will be submitted to the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) as basis for possible declaration of a state of calamity in the mountain barangays.

The declaration of a state of calamity will allow the local government to use emergency funds to assist farmers.

Tribunalo said the city will distribute 1,200 water drums, 500 hoses, and 150 power sprayers worth P10 million to the affected farmers. The money was sourced from CAD’s approved budget this year.

Tribunalo said they will also have the farmers’ crops and poultry enrolled in an insurance coverage for free.

“We will continue assisting our farmers,” she said.

To address water shortage, the city recently deployed water tankers to the affected barangays.

On March 19, the Cebu City Council placed the city under a state of preparedness in a bid to lessen the impact of El Niño.

The executive body also requested the 80 barangays to submit reports on their current water supply and the state of farmlands to the CDRRMO.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration earlier said the phenomenon is seen to continue until June this year.

With the weak El Niño, less than the average rainfall is expected. — KBQ (FREEMAN)