By PR | 07:20 PM April 13, 2024
Damage to agriculture in Bohol due to the El Niño has breached the P31 million mark.
Based on consolidated reports from eight local government units (LGUs) including Sevilla, Valencia, Catigbian, Sierra Bullones, San Miguel, Trinidad, Bien Unido and Carlos P. Garcia as of April 11, the total damage so far was placed at P31,282.967.09.
According to Liza Quirog, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) head, 95% of the damage is in rice production with the remaining on corn and high value crops.
Speaking during The Capitol Reports on April 12 that tackled the impact of the El Niño, she revealed production loss in 123 hectares with zero chance of recovery.
It will be recalled that during the first quarter meeting of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management (PDRRM) Council, Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado directed concerned agencies to conduct cloud seeding operations this month.
A total of P7.5M, P2.5M under the Disaster Fund of the PDRRMO and P5M from the Bureau of Soils and Water Management of the Department of Agriculture was allocated for the cloud seeding activity.
In a related news, livestock death due to heat stroke was reported in Bien Unido and a number of incidents on heat stroke symptoms in livestock across the province have been recorded, according to Dr. Stella Marie Lapiz, provincial veterinarian.
“I hope, I pray nga dili ta mag declare og state of calamity with all the measures undertaken, led by the office of the governor through the El Nino Task Force,” said Dr. Anthony Damalerio, PDRRM officer and vice chair of the Task Force.
The governor constituted the task force after PAGASA pronouncements of El Niño last year, with Aumentado designating provincial administrator Asteria Caberte as chair and lawyer Filipina Asoy-Piollo, chief of staff, as vice chair along with Damalerio.
Damalerio said the provincial government is on top of the situation, through information dissemination drives and immediate interventions across sectors in health, agriculture, DRRM, among others.
He also called for water conservation measures with Aumentado expected to issue a directive to cascade preparedness as PAGASA forecasts the persistence of the El Niño phenomenon until July.
A state of emergency due to El Niño was declared in 2016 agriculture sustained damage of over P300M and also in 2019 when assessed damage was at P179M. (PIMO/LMS)
