Maguindanao Under State of Calamity Anew

Cotabato City (PNA) — Another state of calamity has been declared in Maguindanao due to dry spell that already affected more than 2,000 farmers in 36 municipalities.

It was the second time the provincial government declared a state of calamity. In early March, the provincial legislative body declared calamity in 12 towns in Maguindanao’s second district due to armed conflict.

Governor Esmael Toto Mangudadatu said that the provincial board has approved a resolution declaring the entire province under state of calamity as damages to agricultural crops reached about P80 million.

He said the declaration will hopefully pave the way for national government agencies to extend assistance to affected farmers.

A month-long law enforcement operations against lawless Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) has displaced about 20,000 families or 120,000 persons.

The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), through the Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team (HEART), today reported more than 90 percent of the IDPs have already returned home 27 days after the military called off its offensives against the BIFF.

To date, ARMM-HEART said, the remaining IDPs are only 8,783 families or 43,915 persons in 11 evacuation centers situated in six municipalities.

Mangudadatu sought the help of the provincial council to place the province under state of calamity due to drought after he received reports from Dr. Salik Panalunsong, Maguindanao provincial agriculturist, that almost P80 million worth of crops have been destroyed.

More than P60 million worth of corn and P20 million worth of palay have been destroyed with no chances of recovery.Damage to livestock was placed at more than a million pesos.

Earlier, the town of Makilala in North Cotabato also placed its municipality under calamity after high value crops amounting to more than P110 million were destroyed due to dry spell.

Makilala was the fifth town in North Cotabato to have declared calamity next to Mlang, Kabacan, Magpet, and Midsayap. (PNA) LAM/NYP/EOF