Dry spell parches 70 hectares of rice fields in Cotabato

Around 70 hectares of rice fields in the town of Matalam, Cotabato were parched by a dry spell in the area.

According to a report on GMA's 24 Oras on Sunday, citing the municipal agricultural office, rain has not been experienced in the area since the last week of December.

Big cracks in the dried-up lands were noticeable.

Five towns in Cotabato have already declared a state of calamity due to the dry spell.

PAGASA defines a "dry spell" as three consecutive months of below-normal rainfall (21 percent to 60 percent reduction from average) or two months of consecutive "way below normal" rainfall (more than 60 percent reduction from average).

According to data from MetraWeather, the chances of rain in Mindanao on Monday are still low except for the eastern section of the Caraga and Davao regions. — Dona Magsino/BM, GMA News