The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Western Visayas said Aug. 8 that it released P207 million for families affected by the prolonged El Niño phenomenon in the first half of this year, and almost P55 million went to beneficiaries in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City.
All six provinces in Western Visayas experienced drought, and the DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Management, Information and Communication (DROMIC) reported that dry to drought conditions affected thousands of families as well as agricultural lands, crops, livelihood, and water supplies in 128 municipalities in the region.
“We responded to the needs of localities affected by El Niño as fast as we can,” Atty. Carmelo Nochete, DSWD6 regional director, said in a statement as he commended his staff for giving their best, particularly those in the field, who distributed the goods, and those assigned at the Disaster Response Management Division.
The assistance included P59.9 million to families in Iloilo, Negros Occidental, P50.9 million; Antique, P46.9 million; Capiz, P18.5 million; Aklan, P14.7 million; Guimaras, P11.9 million; and Bacolod City, P4 million.
Local government units also disbursed from their own resources to help the affected population in their respective areas, the DSWD said.
The Department of Agriculture earlier said that El Niño damage and losses incurred on agricultural and fishery areas in 15 regions, including Western Visayas, reached P15.30 billion, with 333,195 farmers and fisherfolk affected.
As per the DA-DRRM Operations Center final bulletin Aug. 2 on the effects of El Niño, production losses from the affected agricultural and fishery areas were estimated at 330,717 metric tons (MT) for palay, 327,310MT for corn, 112,681MT for high-value crops, 2,320MT for cassava, and 11,317MT for aquaculture produce, for a total of 784,344MT.
After thorough assessment by the DA regional field offices in areas affected by El Niño, damage and losses have been incurred on agricultural and fishery areas in Western, Central, and Eastern Visayas, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Zamboanga Peninsula, Central Mindanao, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, and Caraga, with an estimated amount of P15.30 billion, in 270,855 hectares of agricultural areas, the report added. ||
