The El Niño damage to crops in Western Visayas has hit P761,240,675 affecting 20,488 farmers, Regional Director Raul Fernandez of the WV Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said Wednesday, March 13.
The WV agricultural land affected is 15,417 hectares, he added.
The damage has not met the criteria for the declaration of a state of calamity yet, Fernandez said.
The top three WV provinces with the most crop damage are Iloilo at P519,198,659, Antique – P130,701,505 and Negros Occidental – P78,451,351.
Also damaged were crops in Aklan totaling P30,187,159 and Capiz – P2,702,000
Fernandez said a WV interagency meeting to assess the El Niño damage and plan responses was held Tuesday.
An agreement was reached for the Department of Agriculture and Department of Social Welfare and Development to validate each others data to determine the allocation of assistance, he said.
The DSWD determines the number of affected population, which is part of the criteria for determining if a state of calamity can be declared, Fernandez said.
Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental has reported that eight of its barangays are experiencing a water shortage, he said.
They have not received reports of water shortages in other provinces in Western Visayas, although water levels have dropped in some dams, he said.
Twelve local government units in Negros Occidental are affected by the drought, Fernandez also said.
Fernandez said the criteria for the declaration of a state of calamity states that at least 15 percent of a local government unit’s population must be in need of emergency assistance based on a report of the DSWD.
At least 30 percent of the means of livelihood in the agricultural, business and industrial sectors of the LGU must also be affected to declare a state of calamity, he added.*