BANGSAMORO Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm) Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua has placed Barmm under a state of calamity following the combined impact of the global oil crisis and the ongoing El Niño phenomenon.
Macacua, through Proclamation 002, Series of 2026, declared a state of calamity across the entire Barmm to address worsening socioeconomic disruptions caused by rising fuel prices and prolonged dry conditions linked to El Niño.
"El Niño-Southern Oscillation (Enso)-neutral conditions prevailing over the Tropical Pacific have triggered an El Niño Alert since April 22, 2026, with climate models projecting the phenomenon to continue until early 2027," the proclamation stated.
Macacua called for urgent action from local government units and the private sector, including the facilitation of international humanitarian assistance to help mitigate the crises.
"The Bangsamoro Government and local government units may immediately access calamity and emergency funds for rescue, relief, recovery, and rehabilitation efforts, including the delivery of essential services to affected communities," he said in a statement Thursday, May 21, 2026.
He directed all concerned ministries, offices, and agencies of Barmm to continuously undertake urgent and critical disaster response to save lives, reduce adverse impacts, ensure public safety, and meet the basic subsistence needs of the Bangsamoro people.
Barmm's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (Mafar) Minister Abunawas Maslamama said the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (Enso) has already affected around 800 rice and corn farmers in Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte.
Maslamama said the data shows that as of April 24, about 851 hectares of farmland across 36 municipalities and 167 villages were damaged, including 537 hectares of rice fields and 314 hectares of corn fields.
He said the dry spell also caused losses of around 1,500 metric tons of rice and corn.
Aside from agricultural losses, the proclamation also highlighted the growing burden caused by the global oil crisis.
Earlier this year, fuel prices increased sharply, with diesel prices rising by as much as P11.88 per liter and gasoline by P6.47 per liter in March 2026, based on Department of Energy monitoring.
The proclamation stated that the combined effects of El Niño and rising fuel prices have disrupted food security, transportation, livelihoods, and the overall welfare of Bangsamoro people.
The Bangsamoro Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, through Resolution 07, Series of 2026, recommended the declaration after confirming that conditions in the region already met the criteria for a state of calamity.
The declaration took effect immediately upon signing on May 14, 2026, and will remain in force until lifted by Macacua as the Barmm Government intensifies efforts to address the worsening impacts of the oil crisis and El Niño on communities across the region. (SunStar Zamboanga)