KORONADAL CITY РFourteen barangays in Surallah, South Cotabato province have been declared under state of calamity due to the intense heat and damages caused by El Ni̱o phenomenon.
Surallah Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Leonardo Ballon during told Bombo Radyo Koronadal that damage and losses to the rice sector were atleast P5 million while it was recorded that it climbed up to P156 million damage for corns.
The official stated that the 14 barangays affected mainly on corn were Brgy. Upper Sepaka, Moloy , Duwengas, Talahik, Colongulo, Buenavista , Tubiala, Veterans, Lamian, Naci, Lambuntong, Lamsugod, Little Baguio and Canahay.
Meanwhile, additional barangays wherein the mostly affected crops were rice has risen to 11.
Ballon added that the affected farmers are undergoing food- for-work programs to alleviate their predicament.
