With the Western Visayas currently undergoing El Niño conditions, which AccuWeather describes as a climate pattern that raises sea temperatures in the Pacific Ocean and results in drought conditions due to reduced rainfall, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) said they are waiting for local government units to declare states of calamity.

“‘Pag meron nang declaration, that’s the time papasok ‘yung PDRRMO and ‘yung office namin for the needed intervention (When there is a state of calamity declared, that is when the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office and our office will intervene),” explained Office of the Civil Defense-Region VI Director Jose Roberto Nuñez. “‘Pag makita na talagang kailangan talaga, kami mismo gagawa ng resolution declaring state of calamity to use the calamity fund (If it appears to be absolutely necessary, the RDRRMC will draft a resolution declaring a State of Calamity in order to use calamity funds).”

As of press time, Nuñez confirmed no local government units in the region have declared a State of Calamity but it is believed Bingawan, Iloilo has expressed an intention to make such a declaration.

Earlier this month, during the Negros Oriental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council meeting, Negros Oriental Provincial Agriculturist Nestor Villaflores forecasted a 50 to 70 percent decrease in rice and corn production.

The provincial official said, as a means of mitigating the said weather conditions, farmers will be provided “drought tolerant” varieties of rice, along with increasing small-scale irrigation systems.

Meanwhile, according to the Negros Occidental Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, a total of 237.52 hectares of farmland in the province are affected by the ongoing dry spell.

Negros Occidental provincial agriculturist, Atty. Japhet Masculino, said from January to February of this year, they have recorded a total of P8.32 million in damages to agricultural products./WDJ