DRIED UP. A part of a dried up rice field in Barangay Centrala, Surallah, South Cotabato in this undated photo. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Sunday (May 26, 2024) reported that the government has provided PHP1.131 billion worth of assistance to communities hit by the El Niño phenomenon. (Photo courtesy of MDRRMC-Surallah)
MANILA – The government has so far provided a total of PHP1,131,932,601.77 worth of assistance to communities affected by the El Niño phenomenon, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported Sunday.
The communities are in the regions of Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Soccsksargen, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), the agency said in its latest situation update.
Some 175,063 farmers and fisherfolk nationwide have also been affected by the weather phenomenon, broken down into 9,736 in Ilocos; 43,526 in Cagayan Valley; 4,402 in Central Visayas; 2,671 in Calabarzon; 28,167 in Mimaropa; 12,997 in Bicol; 41, 673 in Western Visayas; 213 in Eastern Visayas; 2,354 in Zamboanga Peninsula; 118 in Northern Mindanao; 1,344 in Davao; 15,159 in Soccsksargen; and 12,703 in the CAR.
The total affected crop area was estimated at 163,709.49 hectares, of which 47,827.66 were assessed as totally damaged or having no chance of recovery and 115,881.83 as partially damaged and with a chance to recover.
The NDRRMC estimated the total agricultural damage cost at PHP9.496 billion, which is equivalent to 415,463.58 metric tons of production loss. (PNA)
