CEBU CITY, Philippines – A state of calamity was declared in Cebu province today, March 25, to caution the ill effects of the El Niño phenomenon.

Members of the Cebu Provincial Board (PB) passed a resolution authored by PB Member Thadeo Jovito Ouano of the sixth district of Cebu for the said declaration in this afternoon’s regular session.

Ouano is chairperson of the PB’s environment committee.

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Julius Regner, spokesperson of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said that they based their request for the declaration of a state of calamity on the outcome of their province-wide assessment.

With the declaration, the provincial government can now spend P22 million of its P59 million quick response fund (QRF) to aid farmers and other Cebuanos who were affected by the dry spell./dcb