KIDAPAWAN CITY - Thousands of farmers from North Cotabato barricaded the national highway in Kidapawan City on Wednesday to protest the provincial government's failure to help them amid the disastrous effects of El Niño.

About 3,000 farmers converged in Kidapawan City to call out the provincial government's inaction to distribute drought relief to villagers affected by the dry spell after the provincial board placed the entire province under a state of calamity in January.

According to the farmers, the drought has ravaged their lands, destroyed their crops, and made them go hungry.

Some of the protesters threatened to proceed to the National Food Authority (NFA) warehouse in the city if they were not given rice by the provincial government.

Police were deployed in the area near the NFA warehouse to secure it against the protesters.

The barricade caused a massive traffic jam in the city, forcing authorities to open alternative routes in the area. However, the protesters refused to leave the rally site.

The dry spell has caused more than P1 billion in damage in North Cotabato alone. At least 27 areas have been placed under a state of calamity in Region 12.

According to data from the Department of Agriculture (DA), more than 250,000 hectares of agricultural lands have been adversely affected by El Niño, resulting in losses of more P5 billion worth of agricultural produce. - report from Lore Mae Andong, ABS-CBN News