DAVAO CITY —
The town of Surallah in South Cotabato has been declared under a state of calamity as residents felt the adverse effects of the El Niño phenomenon.
The declaration followed after the Sangguniang Bayan on Monday unanimously approved Resolution No. 163 series of 2024 which declares the entire Municipality of Surallah under the State of Calamity.
According to the state weather bureau PAGASA, the temperature in the southern major city of General Santos hit 34.7°C — the ninth-highest recorded in the country on April 16, Tuesday.
The declaration will enable the local government to utilize the calamity fund to respond to the needs of the residents affected by the dry spell.
This was after the municipal agriculture office reported that the dry spell had affected 1,178 farmers and fisherfolks which cost at least P71 million.
The extremely hot weather ravaged more than 1,000 hectares of farms in the barangays of Buenavista, Canahay, Centrala, Dajay, Duengas, Lamian, Little Baguio, Talahik, and Upper Sepaka.
The provincial government has also assured the residents that it will intervene to mitigate the impact of El Niño.
