Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro under state of calamity due to El Niño

The municipal government of  Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro has declared a state of calamity due to the impact of the El Niño phenomenon, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Wednesday.

In its latest report, the NDRRMC said the Bulalacao government issued the resolution for the declaration of state of calamity on Monday.

The rivers and fields in the town have already dried up, affecting water supply and crops, the municipal government said in a separate statement on Wednesday.

“Sa kasalukuyan ay may humigit kumulang na 500 ektaryang taniman ng sibuyas na may 575 magsasaka, 539.1 ektaryang taniman ng palay na may 545 magsasaka, at 20.2 ektaryang iba pang mga pananim na may 28 magsasaka ang apektado,” the Bulalacao government said.

(Currently, the affected areas include 500 hectares of onion plantations with 575 farmers, 539.1 hectares of rice plantations with 545 farmers, and 20.2 hectares of other crops with 28 farmers.)

Due to this, farmers are now digging for water sources to save their crops, according to the local government.

Meanwhile, the NDRRMC said damage to agriculture worth P865,161,689 has been reported so far in Ilocos, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, and Zamboanga due to El Niño.

A total of 15,341 farmers and fisherfolks as well as 13,521 hectares of crops were affected.

Six barangays in Himamaylan, Negros Occidental have reported shortages of water for drinking and agricultural use since December 2023.

Also, Zamboanga City implemented a rationing scheme in its west coast and central areas amid limited water supply.

Assistance worth P362,564,850 has been provided to the affected individuals, according to the NDRRMC.

State weather bureau PAGASA declared the start of the El Niño phenomenon on July 4 last year.

The El Niño phenomenon is characterized by the abnormal warming of sea surface temperature in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean leading to below normal rainfall.

PAGASA recently said the mature stage of the El Niño phenomenon was seen to end this February, but its effects would still be experienced as it gradually decays around the March-April-May period.—AOL, GMA Integrated News