El Niño damage in Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula hits P151.3-M —task force

The agricultural damage in Western Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula due to the ongoing El Niño phenomenon has reached P151.3 million, the Task Force El Niño said Sunday.

Presidential Communication Office Assistant Secretary Joel Villarama, who is the task force’s spokesperson, said that Regions 6 and 9 are the ones suffering most from the effects of El Niño, affecting 4,000 of their farmers.

“Ang pinsala diyan sa huling tala ng Department of Agriculture, umabot na sa P151.3 million. Ang bulk niyan mga 93% ay sa palay at ‘yung remaining 6% ay sa mais. Ito na ‘yung mga hindi na maisasalba na crops,” he said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(Based on the record of the Department of Agriculture, the damage has reached P151.3 million. About 93% of the damage involved rice, while the remaining 6% was in corn. These are crops that could no longer be saved.)

Villarama said the 4,000 farmers affected directly will receive assistance from the DA and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

He also explained several strategies in farming like the alternate wetting and drying, and quick turnaround which the farmers could explore to continue planting rice.

He said the DA is also anticipating possible infestations in some farms due to the extreme heat.

“In the meantime, bibigyan muna ng ayuda ang mga farmers na naapektuhan. Tapos bibigyan sila ng alternative na pwedeng pagkakitaan... Namigay ng mga domestic animals, ng livestock para 'yun muna ang alternative na pagkakitaan ng mga magsasaka. Patuloy ang pagbibigay ng heat tolerant, heat resistant na punla,” he added.

(In the meantime, financial aid will be given to the affected farmers. They will also be given an alternative source of income such as domestic animals or livestock. They will also be provided with heat tolerant and heat resistant seedlings.)

Aside from direct interventions, Villarama said that the government is also repairing irrigation canals to help the farmers.

The number of provinces affected by the El Niño phenomenon decreased to 41 from 50, according to state weather bureau PAGASA.

It said that drought is still being experienced in Apayao, Benguet, Cagayan, Cavite, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Kalinga, La Union, Mountain Province, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Palawan, and Pangasinan.

Meanwhile, the task force said the El Niño would affect 10 more provinces by the end of February.

Villarama said provinces that experience drought have already received interventions from the DA, as well as the National Irrigation Administration. —KG, GMA Integrated News