By JEN BAYLON

Negros Occidental’s San Enrique town was placed under a state of calamity due to the effects of the El Niño phenomenon on agriculture.

Mayor Jilson Tubillara said the Sangguniang Bayan approved the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s recommendation for declaring a calamity state in the locality during a special session yesterday.

The local government unit will allot a portion of its calamity funds for cash assistance to help the affected farmers.

“Our farmers cannot afford to put up their own water pumps for their farms,” Tubillara said.

The dry spell has caused P9.9 million worth of damage to agriculture, including crops, livestock and fisheries in the town.

Around 6,000 families from 10 barangays in the locality have been affected by drought./JB, WDJ