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Friday, May 20, 2005
El Niño damages P146-M worth of crops in N. Cotabato
AN ESTIMATED P146 million worth of crops were damaged by the prolonged dry spell in North Cotabato.
The provincial agriculturist office said 12 out of 17 municipalities in North Cotabato were badly hit by the El Niño phenomenon, among them were the municipalities of President Roxas and Antipas.
The provincial social welfare and development office (PSWDO) meanwhile claimed to have started their relief operations to the two most affected areas last May 12.
PSWDO said they had helped so far about 4,038 families from the two towns alone with each family receiving 10 kilograms of rice each and other relief goods.
It was learned that last month, the Provincial Board declared North Cotabato under the state of calamity after Governor Emmanuel Piñol's request for authority for the utilization of their calamity fund.
In a report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) published on May 15, about 300 lumad families in President Roxas were said to have been experiencing hunger for the past five months now due to drought.
The lumads have reportedly resorted to eating poisonous wild yam called "kayos."
Like cassava, kayos has high hydrocyanic acid (HCN) content, according to experts at the Central Mindanao Integrated Agricultural Research Center (Cemiarc).
The PDI report said the Manobo people are aware that kayos is not actually safe to eat but they had no other choice.
"Another resident, Presco Mansulay, said he was forced to feed their children kayos than to watch them die of starvation," the report stated.
According to a report by the Apo Sandawa Lumadnong Panaghiusa sa Cotabato (ASLPC), three lumads had died under hunger-related circumstances. One of them succumbed after eating kayos.
At least 93 lumad, including children, have been poisoned, stated the ASLPC report.
At least nine of the 17 towns in the province had reportedly been forced to eat kayos because of the drought. Aside from President Roxas, the towns are Arakan, Antipas, Magpet, Makilala, Matalam, Kabacan, Carmen and Tulunan.
Lumad residents of Columbio town in Sultan Kudarat are experiencing the same situation.
Many lumads reportedly felt dizzy or nauseated after partaking of the root crop. They eat sugar and coconut as a means to counter the poisonous effect.
According to medical books, the first symptoms of poisoning are rapid, deep breathing and shortness of breath, followed by convulsions and fainting. In acute cases, death is extremely rapid.
Those exposed to hydrogen cyanide experience asphyxia, weakness, headache, confusion, nausea and vomiting.
Primarily affected are the central nervous and cardiovascular systems, liver and kidneys.
It was learned that the HCN content of kayos can only be reduced but not totally eliminated by repeated wedging of the grated meat.
In April, the provincial agriculturist's office said at least 22,217 hectares of palay and corn farms have been damaged due to lack of water.
Back in 1998, most people in the upland areas of North Cotabato, such as the Arakan Valley, were also forced to eat "kayos" because no other food was available. (BOT)
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (May 20, 2005 issue)
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