Drought forces farmer to end life in Maguindanao, 2 minors die of dry-spell related disease

SOUTH UPI, Maguindanao (Feb. 6) – Drought has taken its toll
on Indigenous Peoples’ farmers in Maguindanao.
Worst, it has taken its toll on humans in a remote village who, out of
frustrations for farm losses, literally ended their lives.

Jimmy Sambiar, 36, an IP corn farmer, was so depressed that
his two cropping season both failed.

An-An Sambiar, Jimmy’s wife, recalled that his corn crops
were devastated by rat attacks in previous planting season last year. His depression started then, she said.

Hoping to recover, Jimmy tried the second time around. But the drought set in, destroying his corn
crops already in its vegetative stage.

Fighting his depression for previous planting season, Jimmy
was hoping to, at least harvest, and regain losses in previous crops. He failed as his one hectare corn field has
turned into brown due to extreme heat and lack of rain.

An-An said Jimmy kept on telling himself how could he feed
his family of five with two failed cropping season. He was so frustrated, he would not accept
reasoning, he became indifferent,” An-An said in Filipino.

Jimmy decided to end his life by hanging, using a rope of his
youngest child’s hammock. The couple had three minor children.

Life is at its worst,” she added. There were times we have
nothing to eat, we work on our neighbor’s farm to get food in return but they
too have nothing like us.”

I leave it all to God, He has reasons why we have to suffer
this fate,” An-An said, adding she, as both father and mother to her children,
has no option but to work hard for their future.

Government health officials said they will provide psychosocial
debriefing on An-An so she could cope with losing a breadwinner.

Remy Sioson, South Upi vice mayor, said it was the worst
season for corn farmers in the village of Kiga inhabited mostly by Teduday
farmers.

Sioson said 95 percent of South Upi’s population are into
corn farming because it is situated upland.
We have no irrigation, so we rely on rains,” he said.

If farming fails, about 95 percent of the population suffer
as it is happening now due to drought,” Sioson said.

On Friday, the Maguindanao provincial government sent a
relief team to Barangay Kiga. Dusty, dry
surroundings, brown farm fields greeted provincial relief workers as they
climbed up the village.

More than 700 corn farmers and upland rice peasants waited
from morning to afternoon to receive relief assistance from the provincial
relief team that reached the village of Kiga late Friday afternoon.

Relieved, the farmers walked home smiling with both hands
full of food items from the provincial government. Others loaded the relief
goods to the lone mode of cargo and transportation in Barangay Kiga – a horse.

One horse carries food stuffs from two or three families.

Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Toto Mangudadatu said cloud seeding
operation will soon take place in Maguindanao, especially in upland
communities.

While rain inducing operations are yet to start, Mangudadatu
said the provincial government has started relief distribution and medical
outreach program to severely affected farmers.

Mangudadatu said two children have died in South Upi due to
preventable disease. He said the children did not reach village’ health station
due to distance and extreme heat.

Aside from rice and sardines, Mangudadatu’s relief team also distributed
fresh tilapia and bangus from his family owned fish pond as part of his
personal contribution to drought-affected farmers in South Upi. (Ferdinandh
Cabrera)