Lambunao under state of calamity as dry spell hits farmers

ILOILO CITY — The municipality of Lambunao, Iloilo, has been placed under a state of calamity after a prolonged dry spell affected thousands of farmers and caused an estimated PHP 46 million in agricultural losses.

The Sangguniang Bayan approved Resolution No. 2026-152 during its regular session on Nov. 9, allowing the local government to mobilize resources and seek additional assistance for farming communities hit by the dry spell.

Municipal Agriculture Office records show that 2,605 farmers, or 37.8% of the municipality’s farming population, have been affected.

The dry spell has also affected 1,763 hectares of agricultural land.

Municipal Agriculturist Paterno Navarra Jr. said the declaration would allow the local government to use part of its PHP 6 million calamity fund to finance interventions for affected farmers.

“We will not be utilizing all. But we could utilize even up to 50 percent of that,” he said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency on Nov. 11.

The local government is also seeking assistance from the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Iloilo provincial government to augment its response.

Navarra said his office had distributed 1,200 bags of corn seeds and would request an additional 1,500 bags to encourage farmers to continue planting amid the anticipated effects of El Niño.

He also plans to coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for possible aid to affected farmers through its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program.

The declaration gives the municipal government a basis to mobilize available resources and carry out response and recovery measures for affected agricultural communities, in accordance with existing laws and guidelines.

Such declarations rest on Section 16 of Republic Act No. 10121, the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, which requires a recommendation from the local disaster council grounded in a damage assessment and needs analysis.

Lambunao’s situation reflects the wider impact of prolonged dry conditions across Iloilo.

The province officially entered a dry spell on Nov. 1, according to the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-PAGASA).

A dry spell refers to an extended period of below-normal rainfall resulting in reduced water availability.

Drought is a more prolonged and severe shortage of water that can adversely affect agriculture, livelihoods, and communities.

A Nov. 4 PAGASA advisory put a very strong El Niño in the tropical Pacific, with the episode seen lasting into the first half of 2027.

Western Visayas faces its driest stretch from December through March, the weather bureau’s outlook shows.

Based on the Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office’s latest assessment, agricultural losses across the province have reached PHP 290 million, affecting more than 6,000 hectares of farmland and over 9,000 farmers.

Losses stood at PHP 124.26 million in early October, when seven municipalities accounted for 3,792.93 hectares of affected rice areas and 5,956 farmers.

Rice, corn, and high-value crops are among the commodities most affected.

The other affected municipalities are San Enrique, Dueñas, Banate, Janiuay, Bingawan, Lemery, and Concepcion.

Dueñas was the first municipality in the province to declare a state of calamity due to the prolonged dry spell.

That town acted after nearly three months of scant rain left about 190 hectares of farmland affected.

To prevent further losses, the provincial agriculture office has advised farmers in affected areas against additional rice planting or cropping.

Instead, they are being encouraged to consider alternative crops that can withstand prolonged dry conditions.

Farmers may also avail themselves of crop insurance to help protect their livelihoods against agricultural losses.

Meanwhile, the provincial government continues to implement water impounding projects to augment water supplies for agricultural use, particularly during periods of limited rainfall.

The 2024 El Niño cost Iloilo PHP 1.025 billion in agricultural damage as of April 26 that year and hit 23,699 farmers, with a provincewide state of calamity following on May 14, 2024.