Govt urged to widen declaration of state of calamity in Mindanao
THE Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) is calling on the government to declare a state of calamity in Davao Region amid “contrasting” extreme weather events unfolding in Mindanao.
According to PMCJ, literally opposing extremes— flooding on the eastern seaboard and a dry spell on the western side—is alarming as the unlikely scenario of climate impact has not been seen in decades.
The continuous rains brought in by the trough of low pressure area (LPA) has affected the Davao Region since last week, with a reported 10 people killed in a new round of landslides and flooding in Davao de Oro province, the group said.
“Provinces in the Davao region have yet to recover from flooding and landslides brought about by the shear line in January,” Rara Ada, Mindanao Coordinator of PMCJ, said in a statement.
“And the first week of February brought another round of landslides and floods caused by rains brought by the LPA,” Ada added.
The provinces of Davao de Oro and Davao Oriental have declared their respective areas under a state of calamity to bring relief to the residents and address the destruction left behind by the previous weather phenomenon.
According to Ada, there is an urgent and immediate need to capacitate local government units to deal with the future climate impacts and at the same time declare a climate emergency in their respective localities.
Tawi-tawi water crisis
MEANWHILE, Sitio Lumbus in the barangay of Mandulan in Bongao, Tawi-tawi has been facing a critical issue with its freshwater source since the beginning of this year, PMCJ reported.
The group said residents have noticed a gradual depletion of the community well in which they rely heavily for their water needs.
The villagers endure long queues to fetch water from the aforesaid well, which now produces only a small amount of water. Adding to their difficulties, they have not had rain for several months. Residents are going deeper into the forest, away from the coastal area where they live, just to get water.
“This shows how serious the residents’ situation is and how important it is to find long-term solutions,” said Ada.
“As a municipality on an island, scarcity of water will become commonplace as global climate crises will have a direct and immediate impact on its environment,” she noted.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), a strong and mature El Niño is forecasted to persist until this month, with the majority of global climate models indicating its continuation until the March- April- May 2024 season.
A transition to El Niño-southern Oscillationneutral conditions is expected in the April- Mayjune 2024 season.
The Municipal Disaster and Risk Reduction Office in Bongao, led by Al-gibran Amilasan, is closely monitoring the potential impact of drought, as forecasted by PAGASA.
Zamboanga Del Norte
IN Zamboanga del Norte, a dry spell due to El Niño is harming agriculture in the area. The Department of Agriculture (DA) reported losses of P717,503 affecting 22 farmers and 22.3 hectares of rice fields.
To mitigate the effects, the DA is providing crop management strategies to counter the dry spell. However, the situation is expected to worsen, with the Philippines projected to become the world’s top rice importer, importing a record 3.8 million tons in 2024 according to data from the United States Department of Agriculture.
The dry spell is forecasted by PAGASA to persist until March, and has raised concerns about its impact on the country’s food supply. Rice inflation has already surged to 19.3 percent, the highest recorded since March 2009, posing significant challenges to food security.
“PMCJ is calling on the national government to decisively act on these highly unusual and calamitous weather occurring on opposite sides of the island and declare a state of emergency in Mindanao, as these may be a harbinger of more extreme weather events to unfold on the rest of Mindanao,” Ada concluded.