Families in Maguindanao forced to eat 'darak' because of El Niño drought

The drought has taken its toll in South Upi, Maguindanao forcing lumad residents who depend on farming to find ways to keep hunger at bay.

A report by Susan Enriquez on GMA-7’s "24 Oras" on Monday showed how hectares of land that used to grow crops and grains has dried up with two months passing since the last raindrop hit.

"Talagang kinakabahan po. Hindi lang po ako. Lahat po ng tao sa barangay namin... Gutom na talaga ang dinadanas ng mga tao," Teduray-Lambangian Civil Society Representative Conchita Quinlat said.

"Magpasalamat ka kung makakain ng isang beses sa isang araw," she added.

The family of Maria Luz Garcia is one of those affected by the drought caused by the strong El Niño in South Upi. Her eldest daughter may have developed a mental problem because of hunger and depression.  Garcia was forced to tie her daughter up to a post after she tried to burn their own house and two others down.

At the other side of their house, Garcia’s youngest, a two-year-old child, was nibbling coconut meat. Her husband was out looking for food because their vegetable garden has also dried up.

Instead of buying rice, Garcia has been forced to feed her family "darak," meant for pigs and chickens because it is much cheaper.

"Ngayong tag-init, ang asawa ko kung saan ang harvest... doon siya nagha-harvest, tsaka ipagiling, ipadala sa amin dito," she said.

According to Maguindanao Provincial Agriculture Department, 17,000 hectares of rice and corn fields are affected by the drought. Rats have also destroyed 5,000 hectares  of land in 18 towns in Maguindanao.

All of these are affecting 21,000 farmers in the province alone.

"Failure po talaga. Dahil wala talagang ulan mag-two months na ngayon," farmer Joven Padilla said.

"Maka-harvest kami ng 100 or 90 [sacks]. Ngayon, mabuti nalang may 20 o 15 sacks nalang talaga. Gross po iyan," he added. —Trisha Macas/JST, GMA News