Part of World Heritage Site in Ifugao under state of calamity amid El Niño

Ifugao, Philippines – To mitigate the adverse impacts of the prolonged drought, which severely affected hundreds of farmers in Mayoyao, Ifugao, the august body passed a measure declaring the town under a state of calamity.

Mayoyao is part of the Ifugao Rice Terraces, which were listed in 1995 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a World Heritage Site, representing "places on Earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity and, as such… to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy."

However, the place was among the towns in the country hit by El Niño, with millions worth of damaged crops reported, according to the Municipal Agriculture Office.

"After due deliberation on the data submitted, it was found out that almost all the barangays are affected by the El Niño phenomenon, thus warranting the declaration of the municipality under a State of Calamity," reads Resolution No. 19 approved by the Sangguniang Bayan of Mayoyao on March 11.

The declaration would trigger the release of funds or comprehensive assistance to the affected communities.

In a related development, the Regional Director of the Department of Agriculture – Cordillera, Jennilyn Dawayan, stated through the government’s official web-based newswire service that the El Niño Task Force had been mobilized for site validation and data collection to aid in decision-making.

In a report, she disclosed that the drought had so far affected 1,177 corn farmers and 134 rice farmers in Ifugao.

Around 1,350 hectares of corn and rice crops have withered.

Emergency interventions, such as seed distributions from the agriculture department’s regular programs, and others could soon be provided to those affected.