25 Caraga localities declare state of calamity amid drought threats

SURIGAO CITY — A total of 25 local government units across the Caraga region have been declared under a state of calamity as a severe El Niño phenomenon drives acute water shortages and heavy agricultural losses, civil defense officials reported Thursday.

Carlo Becera, information officer for the Office of Civil Defense in Caraga, said the calamity declarations encompass the entire province of Dinagat Islands, Agusan del Sur, Butuan City, Las Nieves in Agusan del Norte, and the municipalities of Carmen and Lanuza in Surigao del Sur.

Drought conditions have caused more than P500 million in damage to the region’s agricultural sector, prompting local authorities to implement temporary water service interruptions and suspend in-person school classes across several municipalities.

In response to the crisis, local disaster management agencies are coordinating emergency water rationing, deep-well drilling, and desalination projects to maintain municipal supplies.

The OCD and the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council previously launched the El Niño Action Plan 2026 to mitigate drought impacts and deploy relief resources across affected agricultural communities.

The dry spell extends beyond northeastern Mindanao. The OCD reported that dozens of other municipalities and cities nationwide have declared states of calamity, including 66 in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), 12 in Region 5 (Bicol), four in Calabarzon, and one in Region 1 (Ilocos).