ANTIQUE – The provincial government of Antique is set to declare a state of calamity due to the El Niño phenomenon.
On Monday, April 15, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) convened for an emergency meeting and passed a resolution recommending the declaration of a state of calamity in the entire province.
This comes after the declaration of the state of calamity in Sibalom on March 13, Anini-y on March 27, and Laua-an on April 12.
“The towns of Sibalom, Anini-y, and Laua-an have now come up with their own declarations of the state of calamity that is why the PDRRMC also had come up with a declaration for the province,” said Antique PDRRM Officer Broderick Train.
Train said the PDRRMC submitted its recommendation for the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) to deliberate in their regular session on Monday, April 22.
Gov. Rhodora Cadiao, however, said the SP headed by Vice Gov. Edgar Denosta would possibly call for a special session this week to approve the PDRRMC’s recommendation.
The PDRRMC will allocate an initial of P10 million for various purposes from the P30-million Quick Response Fund (QRF).
“We will allocate P10 million to assist the affected families and individuals,” said Cadiao, who presided over the PDRRMC meeting.
This includes the procurement of movable water tanks for the PDRRMC, provision of food assistance, Aid to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) through the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO), aid to farmers facilitated by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA), and provision of fuel for essential services such as the Philippine National Police and Bureau of Fire Protection.
Latest data from the PSWDO showed that 12,552 families, or 50,292 individuals, from 281 barangays in Antique were affected by the drought, either because of damaged crops or destroyed houses.
The combined total loss for agriculture, including rice, corn, high-value crops, livestock, and fisheries/aquaculture, amounted to P213,527,105, OPA data further showed.
Cadiao underscored the importance of coordinated efforts among partner agencies to ensure effective assistance delivery. She emphasized the need to avoid duplication of efforts and ensure that aid reaches those who need it most.
“Dapat man-an naton kung sin-o ginapanugru-an niyo agud nga mag-abot rugya hindi ron mag-double. Ang kwarta kang national government is being used and abused for personal interest. Ang distribution daad should go hand in hand with the status that we have regarding El Niño,” Cadiao added./PN
