Google map of Malaybalay City, Bukidnon.
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The city government of Malaybalay in Bukidnon province released PHP10.9 million in assistance to farmers affected by the recent drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon.
Richard Leono, chief of the Malaybalay City Agriculture Office, said the cash aid is under the Crops and Inland Fisheries Financial Assistance, which assessed a value of PHP5,000 per hectare of farmland owned by the farmers.
"We assessed the ponds at PHP22 per square meter for inland fisheries. We have stringent validation and assessment to the extent of the damage to their farms and fishponds," Leono said in a statement on Friday.
The assessment of the farmlands was based on the impact of El Niño from January to May this year.
Leono said the province did not declare a state of calamity at the time because the extent of damage to the farmlands was only 22 percent.
To declare a state of calamity, he said the damage must be at a minimum of 30 percent of the total farmland area of the province. (PNA)
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