(Eagle News)–Cebu has been placed under a state of calamity due to what authorities said were the “devastating” effects of El Niño in the province.
In a Facebook post, Vice Gov. Junjun Davide said the Cebu Provincial Board he presided over made the declaration in a resolution approved on Monday.
The resolution was also endorsed by Gov. Gwen Garcia following a recommendation by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
“The persistent heat indexes severely depleted the water resources, which are crucial for agriculture, livestock and those who are in the fish pond/pen business,” Davide’s post read.
It added the extreme heat also “caused a surge in heat-related illnesses and exacerbated pre-existing health conditions, increasing the number of patients in provincial and district hospitals.”
“The resolution added that forest and grass fire accidents pose a significant threat that may cause injury/death to persons or damage to property,” the post said.
With the declaration of a state of calamity, calamity funds are effectively made available.
The provincial government may also impose price controls.
Earlier, the Department of Social Welfare and Development said more than 4 million people were affected by the El Niño phenomenon.
This, according to the DSWD, translates to 1,181,568 affected families in 6,017 barangays in 14 regions.