ILOILO CITY – The Municipality of Lambunao in Iloilo has been placed under a state of calamity due to prolonged drought and the effects of the El Niño phenomenon, allowing the local government to mobilize funds and seek additional assistance for affected farmers.
Municipal Agriculturist Paterno Navarra Jr. said in an interview on Wednesday that the declaration will allow the town to use part of its PHP6 million calamity fund to provide interventions for affected farmers.
“We will not be utilizing all. But we could utilize even up to 50 percent of that,” he said.
The declaration will also allow the municipality to seek additional assistance from government agencies, including the Department of Agriculture and the Iloilo provincial government.
Navarra said his office had distributed 1,200 bags of corn seeds before the declaration. He plans to request an additional 1,500 bags to encourage farmers to plant corn amid anticipated effects of El Niño.
He will also coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development to seek possible assistance for affected farmers under its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program.
Data from the Municipal Agriculture Office showed that the prolonged dry spell has affected 2,605 farmers, representing 37.8 percent of the town’s farming population.
The drought has also affected 1,763 hectares of agricultural land, resulting in estimated damages of PHP46 million.
The Sangguniang Bayan declared the municipality under a state of calamity through Resolution No. 2026-152, adopted during its regular session on Nov. 9. (Perla Lena/PNA)
