BADLY AFFECTED. A rice farm in Sibalom, Antique damaged by the El Niño phenomenon. Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Broderick Train said in an interview Tuesday (April 2, 2024) that the towns of Sibalom and Anini-y are most affected. (PNA photo by Annabel Consuelo J. Petinglay)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The El Niño phenomenon has adversely affected two municipalities in the province of Antique.
Antique Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer (PDRRMO) Broderick Train on Tuesday said the municipality of Sibalom is already under a state of calamity, while the town of Anini-y gears to declare in the next few days.
“The local government unit of Anini-y informed the PDRRMO only yesterday that they are now preparing their damage report so they could also declare a state of calamity following Sibalom,” Train said in an interview.
A report from the Sibalom municipal DRRM office, covering 52 of the 76 villages, showed losses to rice crops already amounted to PHP42.5 million; corn, PHP407,790; and high-value crops at PHP31 million as of Jan. 30.
MDRRMO Joel Odango said that in addition to the damage to crops, eight villages are experiencing a shortage in potable water supply, namely Lacaron, Mojon, Igsuming, Maasin, Tula-tula, Igdalaquit, Calo-oy, and Salvacion.
“With the declaration of the state of calamity in Sibalom, the LGU (local government unit) has allocated PHP2 million for the procurement of water tanks for barangays suffering from water shortage,” he said.
The Bureau of Fire Protection also conducts water rationing to requesting villages. (PNA)
