The continuing dry spell in the country has already caused more than P3 billion worth of damages on agricultural products and livestock in various regions, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). NDRRMC’s situational report said the damage caused by at El Niño was estimated at P2.28 billion in the regions of Calabarzon, (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Mindanao and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), while the Cordillera Region reported loses of more than P1 billion. In Baguio City, the agriculture regional operation center in the Cordillera said that as of March 22, about P1.18 billion worth of rice, corn cassava and other high value crops had been damaged. In Calabarzon rice damage was at P12.8 million; while Mimaropa had P181.3 million damage in rice, P3.6 million for corn and P7.6 million for other products. Mimaropa was the region mostly affected by the dry spell, with total damage hitting P192.5 million. In Central Mindanao, the total damage hit P808.6 million, but the NDRRMC did not disclose a breakdown for each agri product damaged in each province. BARMM incurred P212.5 million damage in rice and P190.8 million in corn, or a total of P403.3 million. Several towns and provinces in Mimaropa, Zamboanga Peninsula, Central Mindanao and BARMM have declared a state of calamity. A total of 71,909 families or 359,545 people were affected by the dry spell in North Cotabato. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said it expected that 51 provinces would be suffering from the effects of El Niño until the end of April. Meanwhile, the NDRRMC reported that the dry spell and water shortage had affected five hospitals in Metro Manila, namely the National Center for Mental Health, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, Quirino Memorial Medical Center and the Rizal Medical Center.

Damages in CAR 

The most badly hit crop in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) was corn with P958.92 million in loses, followed by rice with P207.05 million, while damages to high value crops were recorded at P10.80 million and P3.76 million for cassava. Ifugao province was the most badly hit by drought with P470.652 million in damages followed by Apayao with P456 million. Records from Benguet and Mountain Province have yet to be finalized. Taking the cue from advisories on the El Niño of Pagasa, Lito Mocati, focal person of the Department of Agriculture-CAR Disaster Risk Reduction, warned that the drug spell would bring more damages than the frost experienced in the highlands. Livestock, according to Mocati, were not spared and there was a reduced stream flow leading to insufficient water for irrigation following the reduction in yield and total crop loss. Aguinaldo town in Ifugao and Rizal in Kalinga were the first to suffer from the effects of El Niño, he said. Meanwhile, Benguet farmers were also bracing up for the effects of El Niño effects this month which was expected be felt up to the first week of May, just before the rainy season, although scattered rainshowers have been experienced in some parts of Benguet, including Baguio City, for the last two weeks. Source - https://www.manilatimes.net