ILOILO CITY, April 29 -- The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDDRMC) on Monday approved a resolution recommending that Iloilo province be placed under a state of calamity due to the El Nino phenomenon.

"We need a declaration so that we can access more funds for El Nino adjustment measures. The declaration of the state of calamity can be helpful to us now," Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr., who sits as chair of the PDRRMC, said in an interview.

Among the adjusted measures to be enforced is to focus on other aspects of agriculture not too dependent on water.

This included diversion to animal-raising instead of planting palay.

During the meeting, Iloilo PDRRM officer Cornelio Salinas presented that the valu...