BANAUE, Ifugao – With water sources drying up due the continuing dry spell, the municipal government here declared this tourist spot under a state of calamity.

Resolution 422-2010 states that there are households that need to find other sources of water because their original sources have dried up.  It also stated that most of the Banaue people are farmers and/or irrigators, and that riceland irrigation is as important as life itself.

Mayor Lino Madchiw said that farmers here planted vegetables and other rootcrops instead just to have food this dry season.
Most of the farmers here are now looking for alternative jobs just to make a living. Some became tourist guides while some went into tricycle driving. This is the peak season for the tourism industry of the municipality with its world famous rice terraces.

Meanwhile, alarmed with the effect of the dry spell, the Lagawe Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council has requested the local legislators to declare the municipality under the state of calamity as well. This move was made after the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) presented its initial report on the council the damage caused by the El Niño phenomenon in the different barangays. According to the MAO’s report, about P56.9 million worth of aquatic and agricultural resources were damaged since the start of the drought.

Among the reported damaged crops, rice was the worst hit with a total market value of P38.2 M planted in 750 hectares, followed by corn with P17.1 M; fisheries, P0.8 M; fruit trees, P0.5 M; and vegetables, P0.3 M.

The MDCC has proposed some mitigating measures to help the farmers affected by the El Niño phenomenon in the municipality. These include the rehabilitation of 11 communal irrigation systems, the provision of 24 shallow tube wells, and 30 plastic rolls of hose in the seven barangays and the municipal nursery.

Also, 20 power sprayers, 750 bags of certified rice seed, 476 bags of high breed corn seed, 25 kilos of as sorted vegetable seed, and 3000 assorted fruit tree seeds will be provided to the affected barangays.