DUMAGUETE CITY, May 9 -- The Negros Oriental provincial government is set to procure thousands of rice bags worth PHP20 million for distribution to farmers and fisherfolk who have been affected by the El Nino-induced drought.

Adrian Sedillo, the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer (LDRRMO) of Negros Oriental, told the Philippine News Agency on Wednesday that the money is available and will be taken from the province's Quick Response Fund (QRF).

The QRF is a 30 percent portion of the province's Calamity Fund that can now be used following the declaration placing the province under the state of calamity, he said.

"The latest report submitted by the Department of Agriculture showed that roughly 14,000 farmers have been ba...