Candon mulls calamity state due to El Niño; 5,000 rice farmers at risk

SAN ILDEFONSO, Ilocos Sur — The city government of Candon in Ilocos Sur is preparing to declare a state of calamity as the looming impacts of El Niño threaten rice farms, water supply, and public health, Mayor Eric Singson said.

“We are being guided by the advice of the president to be ready for the El Niño phenomenon,” Singson said in a video statement on Oct. 7.

The mayor added that the declaration would be based on current weather advisories and national government guidance on the effects of El Niño.

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READ: Candon City gives diesel subsidy to rice farmers amid El Niño threat 

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El Niño is a climate phenomenon marked by unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.

Citing data from the City Agriculture Office, Singson said at least 5,000 local rice farmers could be affected, with nearly 70 percent of the city’s rice lands already showing signs of drying.

He said the city government would provide qualified beneficiaries with 20 liters of diesel each for October, with another allocation being prepared for November.

The city has set aside about 100,000 liters of diesel, which will be distributed through fuel slips redeemable at designated gasoline stations.

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Singson said the city was also anticipating the direct effects of El Niño on water and power supplies.

The local government plans to acquire two water trucks and provide water storage tanks to barangays to deliver and store water if supplies become insufficient, he added. /mcm