PB approves declaration of Cebu under calamity state

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu Provincial Board has passed a resolution declaring the entire Province of Cebu under a state of calamity due to the ill-effects of El Niño phenomenon.

The body officially made the declaration after Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said she would be placing Cebu under the state of calamity last week.

Cebu has been experiencing extreme heat for several months now resulting in damage to crops and shortage of water in different towns and cities in the island.

Last week the Provincial Agriculturist’s Office presented its partial consolidated data from the different local government units reporting the extent of damage to crops and aquafarms.

A total of 12,312 fisherfolks and farmers from the different towns and cities in the province are affected by the ongoing El Niño.

As of May 16 data, 32 local government units submitted damage and assessment reports to the Capitol wherein a total of 3,179.32 hectares are affected and the total value of damage to crops and aquafarms has reached P176.8 million.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) has also recorded several devastating effects of the drought to different sectors in the towns and cities of Cebu.

It’s also the PDRRMO that recommended the “urgent declaration” of a state of calamity in the province.

The PB said the extreme heat being experienced has also caused forest and grass fires and pose a threat on the potential escalation of risks to the communities causing harm to life and property, thus the necessity to make such declaration.

The resolution was sponsored by third district board member Victoria Corominas-Toribio and co-sponsored by board members Thadeo Jovito Ouano, Andrei Duterte, Raymond Calderon and Stanley Caminero. — (FREEMAN)