North Cotabato Town Declares State of Calamity Due to Drought

Makilaa, North Cotabato (PNA) — As the damages due to drought in different villages here hit more than Php100 million, the municipal government, through the town council, placed the entire town under a state of calamity, officials said Monday.

In passing Resolution No. 445 series of 2015, the Sangguniang Bayan put the town under state of calamity as the agriculture office placed the damage to crops to about Php110-million.

The declaration also authorized Mayor Rudy S Caoagdan to utilize the calamity funds for calendar year 2015 to cushion the effects of drought.

The Resolution was approved during the 80th regular session, according to Vice Mayor Ricky Cua. Cua said nine members of the council attended the session.

Town councilors unanimously approved the resolution in consideration to the damage to agricultural crops affected by the dry spell.

In a letter to the legislators, Caoagdan, also chair of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management, requested the resolution so the local government could utilize the calamity fund in helping the affected farmers.

Vice Mayor Cua said the legislative body found it appropriate to institute measures to cushion the impact of the calamity.

Municipal Agricultural Services Office (MASO) Agriculturist Rosario Paguican reported to Provincial Agriculturist Eliseo Mangliwan that the dry spell has destroyed agricultural products in Makilala’s 38 barangays worth about Php110,342,882.

It affected 1,240.15 hectares of land, affecting 1,972 farmers.

Paquican said the heavily affected agriculture products were newly planted and productive banana trees with damages amounting to Php49,280,000.

The rubber nursery seedlings amounting to Php 46,425,000, was the second hardest hit and the newly planted rubber trees affecting 420 hectares of rubber plantation with damages amounting to Php5,242,500.

Earlier, the towns of Mlang and Kabacan in North Cotabato also placed its localities under state of calamity due to what agriculture officials called ‘mild El Niño” phenomenon hitting the province. (PNA) FPV/NYP/EOF