• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) in Western Visayas (Region 6) is now in blue alert status in the wake of the havoc brought by El Niño.
In a memorandum issued to the local disaster councils, the RDRRMC-6 said it noted below normal rainfall conditions in the past several months, which has an adverse impact to water resources in Negros Occidental, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo and Guimaras, which are currently experiencing drought.
The raising of blue alert status aims to heighten monitoring and coordination of any untoward incident during the entire period of El Niño, said Raul Fernandez, regional director of the Office of Civil Defense-6, who also sits as the RDRRMC-6 chair.
Damage to agricultural crops in Western Visayas has reached P770 million, according to the RDRRMC-6 reports.
The observance of blue alert status also led to the activation of logistics, law and order, food and non-food, health and education clusters, the memorandum further said. | GB
