Over 655,000 families affected by El Niño, says OCD

MANILA, Philippines — More than 655,000 families have been affected by the ongoing El Niño phenomenon, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said on Tuesday.

According to its data as of April 30, this translates to around 2.79 million individuals.

READ: El Niño sends 131 areas into state of calamity

OCD Director Cesar Idio likewise reported in a Senate panel briefing that 131 cities and municipalities have also declared a state of calamity due to El Niño.

“There are 131 cities and municipalities who [have] declared state of calamity particularly in Region CAR, 1, Mimaropa, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, and BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao),” Idio said.

Meanwhile, agricultural damages were marked at P4.39 billion, with 77,700 hectares of agricultural land affected due to dry conditions.

Of the agricultural land affected, 60,000 hectares had a chance of recovery, while 17,700 others did not have a chance of recovery.

READ: Pagasa: Strong El Niño expected to prevail until February

The OCD added that 85,200 farmers were likewise affected.

In an earlier report of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, the state seismology bureau said that El Niño will persist until May 2024, while weather conditions are expected to reach a neutral status in the April-May-June 2024 season.