7 Batangas towns under state of calamity due to fish kill

At least seven towns in Batangas have been placed under a state of calamity after being affected by a recent fish kill, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Saturday. In its 6 p.m. update, the NDRRMC said the Batangas Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council identified the seven towns under a state of calamity as:

• Talisay,
• Laurel,
• San Nicolas,
• Agoncillo,
• Sta. Teresita,
• Cuenca, and
• Alitagtag.

The NDRRMC said the Batangas provincial police established checkpoints to inspect fish being transported from the affected areas. The Batangas PDRRMC provided manual tools and chemicals for burying the dead fishes. It also deployed heavy equipment, including a backhoe, a payloader, and two dump trucks to help excavate the dead fishes. For its part, the municipal disaster management council of Talisay distributed masks to residents in affected areas. The NDRRMC said at least 350 fish cages owned by 23 fish cage operators were affected, with damage estimated at P142.530 million. The NDRRMC said the affected areas included Sampaloc in Talisay, Leviste in Laurel, Poblacion in San Nicolas, and Subic Ilaya in Agoncillo. Of the four, Sampaloc village had the biggest damage at P78.760 million, followed by Leviste village in Laurel with P43.676 million and Subic Ilaya with P15.235 million. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources is planning to distribute 5,000 fingerlings to small cage operators. — JE, GMA News