By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Kabankalan City government is considering placing the locality under a “state of calamity” due to the ongoing drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon.

Kabankalan Mayor Benjie Miranda said yesterday that he will meet with the City Agriculture Office to discuss the proposal.

The Negros Occidental Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) reported on Wednesday, February 28, that the crop damage caused by the dry spell in Kabankalan has reached around P22.8 million, making the city the hardest-hit local government unit in the province.

Miranda said they have yet to decide on the type of assistance to be given to the affected farmers.

Earlier, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the proposal to place the province under a “state of calamity” should be carefully studied, adding that it is still too early to make a decision, as it will depend on how long the effects of the dry spell will last.

However, he emphasized that El Niño should not be underestimated, as it could cause significant damage to crops and farmers.

OPA’s latest data, as of Monday, February 26, showed that the damage brought by the ongoing drought has now reached P55.41 million.

A total of 79 villages across the province have been affected.

The damage to rice and corn crops is valued at P55.2 million and P157,000, respectively.

A total of 1,213 farmers and 1,064.14 hectares of crops have been affected./DGB, WDJ