LIPA CITY, Batangas — The fish kill continues to plague Batangas province as one of the villages of its poorest towns, Mataas na Kahoy, was the latest area to be placed under a state of calamity, authorities reported Tuesday.

Barangay Chairwoman Soily Manalo of Lumang Lipa, Mataas na Kahoy, declared a state of calamity at noon on Monday and sought help from Governor Vilma Santos-Recto after half of its barangay population of 4,000 residents was severely affected by the fishkill last Sunday.

Manalo said 27 fish cages affected in the fish kill were legal and owned by Filipinos, losing 150 metric tons of fish amounting to P7.5 million.

Manalo said that with the help of businessman Engineer Elmer Gardiola and town Mayor Danilo Sombrano, a backhoe, a payloader and a six by six dump truck of the Philippine Air Force were immediately dispatched to her village to haul the dead fish and expected to be finished Wednesday. Manalo said she and her barangay council, allotted a land where the fish would be buried.

Manalo added that most of her constituents rely on fishing for their livelihood and their village only had P1.4-million Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) annually.