ILOILO CITY (PNA) — The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) is yet to act on the request of Governor Niel Tupas Sr. who is proposing to put Iloilo province under a state of calamity to cushion the impact of the prolonged dry spell.

The request was endorsed to the SP last month but so far, no report has been made regarding the status of the proposal.

The Governor’s request was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, but Board Member George Demaisip, the Committee Chairman, has yet to call for a hearing on the matter, according to Board Member June Mondejar.

Mondejar said the Committee must immediately act on the concern, considering the problems on health and agriculture brought about by the El Niño phenomenon.

Provincial Administrator Manuel Mejorada said the SP, led by Vice Gov. Rolex Suplico, has failed to act on the request of Gov. Tupas to immediately declare a state of calamity, authorizing him to use a portion of the province’s five-percent calamity fund to undertake mitigation measures meant to soften the impact of the drought in affected areas.

“It is apparent that dirty politics has once again reared its ugly head on the issue, and the Suplico-led Sanggunian would rather allow the scope of destruction to grow in magnitude than see the Iloilo provincial government respond swiftly to the crisis and help avert widespread hunger among farmers and their families,” Mejorada said.

The drought has already caused damage to more than 31,000 hectares of riceland, he said.