Cebu under state of calamity due to El Niño

MANILA, Philippines — The Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office placed the entire province under a state of calamity yesterday due to the effects of El Niño on crops.

The provincial government has allotted P59 million for relief and assistance to affected farmers and fisherfolk, according to a report on ABS–CBN.

Bohol, Cebu and Southern Leyte will experience dry spell by the end of April, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.

PAGASA defines dry spell as three consecutive months of below normal rainfall or 21 to 60 percent reduction from the average.

Ana Liza Solis, chief of PAGASA’s Climate Impact Monitoring and Prediction section, said 51 areas, including Metro Manila, are expected to experience “meteorological drought” or way below normal rainfall by the end of April.

PAGASA defines drought as three consecutive months of way below normal rainfall or less than 60 percent reduction from the average rainfall.

PAGASA deputy administrator for research and development Flaviana Hilario said El Niño is expected to extend until August.

“There is an increasing probability... more than 50 percent that El Niño will prevail until August from the previous forecast of June,” she said. – May Miasco/The Freeman