By Annabel Consuelo Petinglay/Philippine News Agency
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique — The province of Antique on Monday activated its Task Force El Niño.
Nicolasito Calawag, head of the Office of the Provincial Agriculture and of the Task Force, said it was last activated in 2002 when the province also experienced the same climatic condition.
Calawag said it was activated so they could provide assistance to the affected sectors, particularly the farm laborers displaced by the drought.
“Task Force El Niño has been reactivated with our first meeting last Monday,” he said, adding that the towns of Sibalom and Sebaste have already declared a state of calamity.
“The Task Force will be validating the reports on the El Niño affectation, especially on the two towns so that assistance could be provided by the province,” he added.
Antique Provincial Veterinarian, Dr. Romeo Magdato, who is also a member of the Task Force, asked municipal agriculture officers to include in their report the effects on farm animals.
“We will also be going to Sibalom and Sebaste to verify the effects of El Niño on livestock,” Magdato said.
During its regular session last April 5, the Municipal Council of Sibalom passed Resolution 039-2019 declaring the town under a state of calamity.
Calawag said they need to validate the reports so that by April 29, they could already come up with concrete figures and if it would warrant a declaration of a state of calamity.
The provincial government has an available Quick Response Fund of PHP19.66 million it can use for those affected by the El Niño.
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