CEBU, Philippines - Bayawan City has declared a state of calamity due to destruction of crops, farm products, including corn and palay, as a result of the El Niño phenomenon.
Heavy damage was reported on rice fields due to dried up irrigation systems , affecting more than 24,520 farmers.
A rice farmer identified as Ruperto Perinal noticed a big reduction of his income since January this year. He used to harvest 130 sacks of palay per hectare in normal times, but with El Niño, he can only harvest 30 sacks of palay per hectare.
Perinal said the drought had caused the farmers to abandon their rice fields. And with the very low water level, only Barangay Nangka is being supplied from the irrigation, he said.
The other three rice producing barangays in Bayawan City—Maninihon, Villareal and Poblacion—have no supply of water, and that the Bayawan river is almost dried up.
Total crops affected by El Niño in Bayawan is estimated to cost P79,187.879. Heavy damage is on sugarcane with P30,132,000; rice at P25,545,775; and corn at P18,561,468.
The Department of Agriculture has already conducted cloud seeding activity last week but the farmers said it was not enough, according to City Administrator Rene Gaudiel.
As a result of the declaration, some P35 million worth of calamity fund from the 30 percent of quick response fund will be used to help the affected farmers and provide them alternative livelihood. The city government is also asking for assistance from the provincial and national governments. —(FREEMAN)