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Farmers in Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro, show rice fields affected by the dry spell caused by the drying of rivers due to the El Niño phenomenon in this photo issued on February 25, 2024. Dennis Datu, ABS-CBN News

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Dennis Datu

ABS-CBN News

<div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/20240225-el-nino-oriental-mindoro-DD-10.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Farmers in Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro, show rice fields affected by the dry spell caused by the drying of rivers due to the El Niño phenomenon in this photo issued on February 25, 2024. Dennis Datu, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Farmers in Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro, show rice fields affected by the dry spell caused by the drying of rivers due to the El Niño phenomenon in this photo issued on February 25, 2024. <em><strong></strong>Dennis Datu, ABS-CBN News<strong></strong></em></span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">MANILA -- The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is not yet recommending that the entire country be placed under a state of calamity due to El Niño. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This, even with more than 50 provinces expected to experience severe drought in the coming month.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;Ang malaking pagsubok natin ay Marso pa lang ngayon, at inaasahan … Sang-ayon ang PAGASA [na sa] Abril ang paglala pa niyan,&quot; said OCD Administrator USec. Ariel Nepomuceno. &quot;Ngayon, nasa 20 [na probinsiya] ang nasa drought o mahigpit na tagtuyot.&quot;</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;Pagdating ng Abril, mahigit 50 pang mga probinsiya na [ang] mapapasailalim sa tinatawag na matinding tagtuyot,&quot; he added. &quot;Eh 82 lang ang probinsiya natin. Mayroong 52 pa o mahigit na probinsiya na, apektado halos buong bansa.&quot;</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Nepomuceno was speaking during a visit to Oriental Mindoro on Saturday, where the town of Bulalacao declared a state of calamity last Monday.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Nepomuceno said he will not recommend to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that a state of calamity be declared in the country due to drought.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;Iba&#x27;t iba kasi ang sitwasyon [sa] bawat probinsya,&quot; he explained. &quot;Hihintayin natin ang sitwasyon sa bawat probinsiya.&quot;</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Meanwhile, the damage caused by El Niño continues to worsen in the agricultural sector in the towns of Mansalay and Bulalacao. According to Governor Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor, they continue to exert efforts to alleviate the effects of drought in other towns in the southern part of the province.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The provincial government has already sent heavy equipment to the affected towns for excavation to find possible sources of water for irrigation, in order to save the remaining crops such as rice and onions.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;Ang pamahalaang panlalaliwagan, nakipag-ugnayan tayo kung saan pwedeng gamitin ang mga heavy equipment ng kapitolyo sa paghuhukay ng mga posibleng sources ng irrigation water,&quot; said Dolor. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;Para ma-sustain ang water sources na ito, bibili ang pamahalaang panlalawigan ng sariling drilling machines, para kapag lumawak sa iba pang bayan, may sariling gamit na sa pandi-drill ng tubig,&quot; he added.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">In the latest report from the provincial agriculture office, the damage caused by severe drought to crops such as rice, onions, garlic, and other high-value crops has reached over P350 million.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The production of onions in Oriental Mindoro, as well as melons for which the town of Mansalay is known, has also declined. The drought has affected over 1,649 hectares of crops in the two towns, and some 1,669 farmers have lost their livelihoods.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said their department has prepared food packs for those affected by the El <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:justify;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Niño</span>.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;Sa laki nito, alam natin na hindi kakayanin ng DSWD mag-isa, kaya nakikipag-ugnayan kami sa iba-ibang government agencies na pwedeng tumulong,&quot; Gatchalian said.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The food packs from DSWD have arrived in Bulalacao, and the Department of Agriculture will also begin distributing 5,000 pesos in rice farmer assistance to 945 farmers on March 7.</span></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="2970922"></ivs-player></div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script>

<p>The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is not yet recommending that the entire country be placed under a state of calamity due to El Niño.</p>

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is not yet recommending that the entire country be placed under a state of calamity due to El Niño.

'Not yet necessary to declare state of calamity in PH due to El Niño'

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'Not yet necessary to declare state of calamity in PH due to El Niño'

Dennis Datu,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 02, 2024 02:52 PM PHT

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Updated March 02, 2024 02:56 PM PHT

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agriculture

farming

weather

climate

Office of Civil Defense

Oriental Mindoro

Ariel Nepomuceno

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