Agri damage due to El Niño now P4.39B —task force

The damage brought by the El Niño phenomenon in the agriculture sector has already reached P4.39 billion, the government's Task Force El Niño said on Tuesday. 

''So, P4.39 billion na po 'yung estimated cost of damages to agriculture. That is equivalent to 77,731 hectares pero parati po kapag naglalabas ng ganyan ulat 'yung Department of Agriculture ay lagi po nila ini-emphasize na meron po bahagi niyan na puwede pa recover,'' task force spokesman and Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Assistant Secretary Joey Villarama told Palace reporters. 

(So, P4.39 billion was the estimated cost of damages to agriculture. That is equivalent to 77,731 hectares, but every time the Department of Agriculture releases that kind of information, they usually emphasize that part of those can still be recovered.) 

Villarama also said that around 131 cities and municipalities have declared a state of calamity due to El Niño. 

''Sa bilang po na ito mayroon po pitong buong probinsya. Nandiyan po 'yung Occidental Mindoro, Antique, Sultan Kudarat, Basilan, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, at 'yung nadagdag po is 'yung South Cotabato,'' he said. 

(In this number, the seven provinces are Occidental Mindoro, Antique, Sultan Kudarat, Basilan, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, and South Cotabato.) 

State weather bureau PAGASA earlier said that the El Niño phenomenon could last longer than expected and may affect a total of 56 provinces by April. 

Most of the affected areas are agricultural provinces in Northern and Central Luzon such as Benguet, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Cagayan, and Nueva Ecija.

In May 2023, PAGASA issued an El Niño Alert after forecasts showed that the phenomenon may emerge in the next three months at 80% probability and may last until the first quarter of 2024. —KBK, GMA Integrated News