Low-lying villages in Cotabato hit by mild El Nino

MLANG, Cotabato —At least 24 of 37 villages in the town of Mlang in North Cotabato province are experiencing the mild effect of El Nino phenomenon, a disaster officer confirmed.

Bernardo Tayong, Mlang town Disaster Reduction and Management Officer-Designate said some of these villages are dependent on rain while the rest though near the irrigation canals get less water supply.

"Actually there are irrigation canals that dried up already due to severe temperature which started in mid-December," Tayong said.

Tayong said the officials in these affected villages have convened Wednesday at the town hall to discuss solutions aimed at mitigating the El Nino phenomenon effect.

Officials suggested that instead of giving the residents fertilizers and rice seedlings, they prefer to have fuel and water pump subsidies as counterpart of the local government unit to help them get through the El Nino devastation.

Tayong said about 4,000 hectares of rice fields are affected by the dry spell in the said 24 villages, involving some 1,600 farmers.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Mindanao Regional Services Division in its advisory dated January 7, 2019 pointed out that they recorded below normal of rainfall in Zamboanga City and other parts of Mindanao including the Western part of North Cotabato. —LDF, GMA News