MANILA, Philippines - The town of Murcia in Negros Occidental province has declared a state of calamity due to the effects on crops of the ongoing dry spell caused by the El Niño phenomenon.

Murcia town Mayor Esteban Coscolluela said they needed the declaration to be able to release funds for the farmers.

Coscolluela said an initial P2-million in calamity funds will be used for the local government's rice assistance program for the farmers who are being affected by the dry spell.

"We want to be prepared so we can respond accordingly. Every week, every other day we try to update the damage. We are giving rice assistance to affected farmers," the mayor said.

He said the estimated damage of the El Niño on crops in their town has reached more than P1-million. He said the damaged crops include corn, palay and sugarcane.

Meanwhile, the provincial government of Negros Occidental said it was not yet ready to place the whole province under a state of calamity.

It said that local chief executives and town councils have been advised to carefully study situations in their localities before coming up with the same declarations.

The Department of Agriculture has identified Negros Occidental as among the 14 provinces in Luzon and Visayas affected by the dry spell.

The other areas were Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino in Northern Luzon, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija in Central Luzon; Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque and Romblon in Southern Tagalog; Masbate in Bicol; and Antique and Guimaras in Western Visayas. -- Report from ABS-CBN Negros