ILOILO – The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Region 6 has instructed local government units (LGUs) to prepare action plans to mitigate the effects of El Niño, as the entire Western Visayas region experiences its impact.
DILG-6 director Juan Jovian E. Ingeniero, also the co-chair of the Western Visayas El Niño Task Group under the supervision of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC), said city or municipal disaster risk reduction and management councils (MDRRMCs) must prepare, especially for the possibility of a drought.
Ingeniero stressed the need for each LGU to have a detailed action plan for drought scenarios, noting that while LGUs already have contingency plans, it is crucial to ensure their effectiveness.
The region is currently experiencing a dry spell, with the exception of Negros Occidental, which is already facing a drought.
A dry spell is defined as three consecutive months of below-normal rainfall (21 to 60 percent reduction from average rainfall), while a drought is defined as three consecutive months of way below-normal rainfall conditions (more than a 60 percent reduction from average rainfall).
Ingeniero expressed concern that El Niño could persist until May, potentially causing significant impacts on livelihoods, especially in the agricultural sector.
Ingeniero’s action plan for LGUs includes ensuring a sufficient water supply for domestic use.
He also encourages LGUs to coordinate with water districts or suppliers to guarantee the availability and efficient distribution of water.
So far, DILG-6 has not received any complaints about water supply shortages from residents, indicating that LGUs are managing the situation effectively.
Ingeniero said DILG-6 is continuously coordinating with partner government agencies, such as the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), to prepare for any water needs that may arise for water districts and farmers.
He mentioned that they have not yet received any reports from LGUs regarding the declaration of a state of calamity.
Ingeniero advises LGUs to coordinate with RDRRMC if they need assistance in facilitating support from concerned agencies.
Last week, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 6 director Raul Fernandez said the situation is under control and that Western Visayas is not yet eligible to be declared a state of calamity.
Fernandez explained that there are specific criteria for declaring a state of calamity, including the impact on the population, livelihoods, infrastructure, and the environment.
According to the NDRRMC Memorandum Order No. 60 and Republic Act 10121, the declaration of a state of calamity is based on these criteria.
In the region, the provinces of Antique and Iloilo are the most affected, with significant agricultural damage reported by 13 LGUs in each province. Negros Occidental has eight affected LGUs, and one in Capiz.
The reported damage are: Iloilo province, P365 million; Antique, P102 million; Negros Occidental, P60 million, and Capiz, P2.7 million.
Despite the extensive damage to agriculture, Fernandez assured the public that there is no cause for concern, as government agencies have been preparing for the agricultural effects since last year.
Under Memorandum Order No. 60, here are some of the important criteria for the declaration of a state of calamity:
* at least 15 percent of the forecasted affected population based on science-based projections needs emergency assistance;
* at least 30 percent of the means of livelihood in the agricultural, business and industrial sectors are affected;
* widespread destruction of fishponds, crops, poultry and livestock
* disruption of lifelines such as food chains, electricity, potable water systems, other transport systems, communication systems, access to health service, and other related systems that cannot be restored within one week, or in the case of highly urbanized areas where restoration of the above lifelines cannot be done within twenty-four hours; and
* significant degradation of the environment and natural resources based on the recommendations of government agencies./PN
