• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) of Kabankalan has recommended to place the city in southern Negros Occidental under a state of calamity, Mayor Benjie Miranda said on Thursday (April 18).
Based on the report of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA), damage to rice and corn crops in 13 barangays of Kabankalan has been pegged at P41.9 million, affecting 1,214 farmers tilling 1,126 hectares of land.
The affected barangays were the villages of Hilamonan, Camansi, Binicuil, Linao, Locotan, Tabugon, Tapi, Bantayan, Pinaguinpinan, Camingawan, Orong, Tampalon and Salong.
Miranda said that they are rationing potable water to almost all 32 barangays, especially in the hinterland areas.
Miranda, however, said the request of CDRRMC has yet to be acted upon by the City Council, whose members are still seeking the opinion of the City Legal Office.
While they are not opposing the declaration, Vice Mayor Miguel Zayco said they are only asking why the sugarcane fields have not been included in the land area computation of affected areas.
The City Council held a special session on Tuesday, upon the request of the executive branch, to deliberate the proposal to place the city under a state of calamity.
Zayco said that should there be assistance to affected farmers, once the declaration of calamity is approved, the City Council is concerned that sugarcane farmers will not be listed as beneficiaries.
He said that they have already sent their request to the city administrator for the appearance of the representative of the City Legal Office in the regular session.
The municipality of San Enrique had earlier been placed under a state of calamity.
Local government units under a state of calamity can tap their calamity funds to assist affected residents and implement measures to mitigate the impact of El Niño. | GB
