The declaration of a state of calamity in San Enrique, Negros Occidental, was recommended on Friday, April 5, with the extreme heat brought on by the El Niño phenomenon having already damaged P9.9 million in crops and fisheries in the town.
The San Enrique Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) recommendation will be forwarded to the town’s Sangguniang Bayan for concurrence in a special session on Monday, Mayor Jilson Tubillara said.
Tubillara said the drought has affected all 10 barangays of San Enrique. Wells, fishponds and crops drying up have left a lot of residents without jobs, he said.
The dry spell has affected 6,000 families in the town, Tubillara said.
A declaration of a state of calamity will enable the town government to use its calamity funds to assist residents, he said.
The MDRRMC resolution cited the Municipal Agriculture Office’s report that rice and sugarcane damage in San Enrique has hit P7,458,547 affecting barangays Bagonawa, Batuan, Baliwagan, Guintorilan, Poblacion, and Tabao Rizal.
Damage to fisheries was placed at P2,493,042.00 covering barangays Baliwagan, Bagonawa, Poblacion, and Tabao Baybay.
The state weather bureau PAG-ASA has projected that El Niño will continue until May or June, which will affect the marginalized sector and low-income daily wage earners the most, the resolution said.
The Municipal Health Office has also reported that cough, hypertension, diarrhea, allergies, common cough and colds are becoming prevalent in the town.
The Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office also reported that all barangays of the town are requesting for livelihood assistance.
The Bureau of Fire supplies water to four puroks in Barangay Tibsoc, San Enrique, badly hit by the drought.
There are also shallow wells in Barangay Tabao Baybay that have no more water. Shallow wells and dug wells in barangays Batuan and Bagonawa and fishponds in barangays Bagonawa, Poblacion and Baliwagan are also drying up, the MDRRMC said in its resolution.
They are urging the Department of Agriculture to conduct cloud seeding to help the farmers, Tubillara said.
It was agreed during the town’s School Board Meeting that face to face classes only be held from 7:30 – 10:30 a.m., and that modular learning from home be adopted in the afternoons, the MDRRMC resolution said.*