Cities under state of calamity due to El Niño rise to 127

The total number of areas declared under a state of calamity due to the onslaught of El Niño has already reached 127, according to Task Force El Niño on Tuesday.

According to the unit's spokesperson Asec. Joel Villarama, the tallied total number was recorded after the entire province of South Cotabato was put under the said condition.

“The entire province of South Cotabato has declared a state of calamity. Now, we have seven entire provinces that have declared a state of calamity. If we count that in terms of cities and municipalities, a total of 127 municipalities or cities have declared a state of calamity as of yesterday,” he said in a radio interview.

Villarama explained that there are different grounds as to when a state of calamity should be declared, such as in cases of adverse damages to livelihood, primarily in agriculture, and the existence of water crises like what was experienced in the cities of Zamboanga and Cebu.

“In the case of the majority who declared a state of calamity, the basis was the damage to agriculture. Their population is affected because most of them are farmers, and their livelihood is also affected. That was the basis for declaring a state of calamity," he said.

The task force official further noted that the El Niño phenomenon experienced in the country at present is the strongest in terms of the heat index, "but in terms of agriculture, somehow [the impact] was reduced or alleviated” due to government interventions.

Moreover, Villarama urged the public to conserve water, as he said this is the main step in guaranteeing a secure supply of water in the coming weeks.

“As it gets hotter, the consumption of water and electricity increases. The DENR [Department of Environment and Natural Resources] is making sure, particularly in Metro Manila, that there is enough water. Conserving is really the solution because we can't make water out of now,” Villarama said, adding that the DENR will soon be imposing a prescribed water conservation action.

“This is the biggest solution that we can see so that we don't lose water in the coming weeks,” he stressed.

As of 16 April this year, the Department of Agriculture reported that agricultural damage due to El Niño is now P3.94 billion, equivalent to 162,793 metric tons of volume loss, affecting 73,713 farmers and fishermen and 66,065 hectares of crop areas, of which 15,281 hectares, or 23.13 percent, have no chance of recovery.