South Cotabato. INQUIRER FILES
KORONADAL CITY – South Cotabato was placed under a state of calamity on Friday due to the effects of the prolonged dry spell which resulted in agricultural losses worth over P200 million.
South Cotabato is the fourth province in Mindanao to have declared a state of calamity due to the El Niño weather phenomenon after Sultan Kudarat, Basilan, and Maguindanao del Sur.
Provincial Board Member Junette Hurtado, who presided over the special session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, said the attending provincial legislative members unanimously approved the measure declaring the entire province under a state of calamity.
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) proposed a budget of at least P25 million to help those affected by the drought across the province, including farmers.
Rolly Doane Aquino, PDRRMO officer-in-charge, said that at least five of the 11 localities in the province have been hit hard by El Niño.
The worst-hit areas, so far, are the farming towns of Banga, Norala, Surallah, Tantangan and T’boli, he said.
South Cotabato is also composed of the towns of Tampakan, Tupi, Polomolok, Sto. Nino, and Lake Sebu, and Koronadal City, the provincial capital and seat of government of Region 12.
So far, the municipal governments that declared a state of calamity are Banga, Surallah and T’boli.
“Even if the other local governments in the province have not declared a state of calamity, they can utilize their quick response funds to address the impact of El Niño in their localities because the provincial government has already placed the entire province under a calamity state,” Aquino said during the special session.
Aquino said preliminary data they gathered indicate the El Niño caused damage to crops, livestock and infrastructure, in all worth P201.9 million.
At least 2,767 farmers in the province have been affected by the drought, data from the Office of Provincial Agriculturist said.
In T’boli town, Vice Mayor Ronie dela Peña said the estimated damage caused by the drought to agriculture reached P62.3 million as of April 17.
In Surallah, Mayor Pedro Matinong said El Niño destroyed crops and inland fisheries worth P71.8 million.
In their town, 1,178 farmers with 999 hectares of land were affected by the dry spell, Matinong said.
Last Wednesday, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council convened and agreed to recommend to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan the calamity declaration due to the long dry spell which caused water shortages and crop failures in parts of the province.
In Basilan, local authorities have estimated agricultural losses at P315 million, with crops wilting due to extreme heat and lack of rain.
In Maguindanao del Sur, local disaster officials accounted for some P346 million in crop losses, affecting 5,601 farmers.
Throughout Mindanao, at least 20 towns have been placed under a state of calamity.
The highly urbanized city of Zamboanga was the earliest locality to have declared a state of calamity because of the long dry spell which affected the supply of potable water. (With reports from Ryan D. Rosauro)