7 Batangas towns under state of calamity over fishkill

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BATANGAS CITY, Philippines – Seven towns affected by the fishkill in Taal Lake were declared in a state of calamity, Batangas Vice Governor Jose Antonio Leviste II said Thursday.

He said the Batangas Provincial Board unanimously passed on Wednesday a resolution declaring a state of calamity in the towns of Talisay, Laurel, Agoncillo, San Nicolas, Alitagtag, Cuenca and Sta. Teresita.

The declaration allowed the provincial board to approve the release of P10 million in calamity funds that would be readily available to the office of Governor Vilma Santos-Recto to help the beleaguered towns, which have lost millions of pesos due to the fishkill and were running against time to bury tons of rotting fishes.

Rosario Del Mundo, local officer of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, said that that as of May 31, more than 970 metric tons of fish valued at P76.6 million were killed in the lake.