By JEN BAYLON

A state of calamity was not declared in Negros Occidental’s Cauayan town despite the locality suffering agricultural damage worth P66.1 million due to drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon.

Cauayan Mayor John Rey Tabujara said he did not consider placing the town under a state of calamity because the local government unit has funds that can be used as assistance for residents affected by the drought. 

“Two weeks ago, we released food assistance to 600 beneficiaries, and we have also informed them about the release of assistance for the second batch,” Tabujara said. 

He said the municipal government has P4.5 million in reserve funds that are considered enough to address the needs of the affected farmers.

The state of calamity declaration will enable the local government unit to utilize its calamity funds.

Earlier, Tabujara said they are conducting an inventory to determine how many affected farmers have not yet received any financial assistance from the provincial government and the Department of Agriculture.

The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) reported that Cauayan recorded the highest agricultural damage due to drought in the province with P66,139,789, as of April 25.

The dry spell has affected 1,130 rice farmers tilling 562.48 hectares of land in 20 barangays.

The OPA report also said that Negros Occidental’s 6th district, which includes Cauayan, is the hardest hit by drought caused by El Niño in the province.

State weather bureau Pagasa predicts that El Niño will continue until May or June of this year./JB, WDJ