MISAMIS ORIENTAL doesn’t see the need to declare the province under a state of calamity despite widespread damage to crops, fruit trees and aquaculture farms brought about by the prolonged dry spell.
Instead, the provincial agriculture office has proposed drawing P1.6 million from the calamity fund to help farmers in the stricken municipalities of Balingasag, Lagonglong, Naawan, Opol, Claveria, and Jasaan.
Concepcion Salcedo, provincial agriculturist, told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro Tuesday the dry spell is ordinary and “doesn’t warrant the state of calamity declaration.”
The provincial agriculture office has reported that 83 hectares of rice, 418 ha of corn, 101 ha of vegetables, 118 ha of fruit trees, 111 ha of industrial crops, 0.1 ha of tilapia fishpond in Opol, and 3.8 ha of falcata trees were damaged by drought.
Here is how the P1.6 million will be broken down: P204,000 to buy rice seedlings, P546,400 for corn, P61,080 for vegetables, P413,000 for fruit trees, P390,250 for industrial crops, P13,300 for falcata trees and P1,250 for fingerlings and organic fertilizers.
Salcedo said his office hopes to distribute the assistance in June. “As of now, the validation is still ongoing," he said.
Rolf Ibale, a farmer from Claveria, said that anxiety is growing among farmers because they cannot plant their crops.
"Dili gyud mi maka-tanum kay naa pa'y hulga anang demolisyon, gidungagan pa aning taas kaayo na init, lisud gyud kaayo," Ibale said.