Due to the severe impacts brought by the El Nino phenomenon in the province of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. led the inspection of farmlands at Sitio San Carlos in Barangay Central, Municipality of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro on April 23, 2024.

The president was accompanied by Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr., DA Assistant Secretary for Consumer Affairs Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra, together with National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Administrator Eduardo Guillen, Occidental Mindoro’s Lone District Representative Leody Tarriela, Occidental Mindoro Vice Governor Aniceta Diana Apigo-Tayag, and DA Region IV-B Executive Director Atty. Christopher Bañas.

A total of 8,489 farmers in Oriental and Occidental Mindoro were affected by the phenomenon, according to the bulletin from DA-Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office. The total volume loss accounted for crops including rice, corn and high value crops has reached 38,193 MT, valued at Php 1,044,318,541.

Five towns have recently been declared under a state of calamity as a result of the dry spell, including Mansalay and Bulalacao in Oriental Mindoro, and Looc, Magsaysay, and San Jose in Occidental Mindoro.

The president assured affected farmers of government assistance to provide relief and mitigate the far-reaching impacts of the drought. ### (Ira Y. Cruz, DA-AFID)