A few days before the year ends, the country’s agriculture sector is facing another major setback after partial reports showed that Typhoon Nina caused damage worth P4 billion to the heavily battered industry.

This, just a few days after Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Emmanuel Piñol set a very high growth target of 3.5 percent to 5 percent this year.

Based on the report of DA Chief for Field Programs Operational Planning Division Christopher Morales, the initial value of production loss in the agriculture sector due to Typhoon Nina is now estimated at P4 billion.

A total of 65,247 hectares of agricultural areas with an estimated volume of production loss of 268,355 metric tons and a total of 66,963 farmers were affected per report of Regional Field Offices IV-A and V. Commodities affected were rice, corn, high value crops and fisheries.

Some DA facilities also incurred damages during the onslaught of Typhoon Nina.

“The drone team from the Field Programs Operational Planning Division, in coordination with the DA-RFO V (Regional Field Office), has already been deployed to cover sites that were greatly damaged by the typhoon. This is to picture the magnitude of damages using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones and validate the actual damages and losses,” Morales said.

Morales said the agency is having a hard time gathering data because most part of the Bicol region is still experiencing total blackout.

P83B DAMAGE TO INFRASTRUCTURE

Typhoon Nina also damaged P83,460,000 worth of infrastructure (roads and river control facilities) in Marinduque and Mindoro, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Tuesday.

Undersecretary Ricardo B. Jalad, NDRRMC Executive Director and concurrent administrator of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), said nine road sections and three bridges are also still not passable due to fallen trees, debris and flooding in Regions II, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, V and VIII.

He added that the agency’s initial assessment showed that the provinces of Catanduanes and Camarines Sur also sustained significant damages as it suffered the brunt of Typhoon Nina’s wrath.

The NDRRMC also reported that 132,908 families or 602,770 persons were affected by the severe weather conditions brought about by Typhoon “Nina” during its onslaught on Dec. 25 and 26, with one person being reported dead due to the weather disturbance.

These individuals are mostly residents of 785 barangays in CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, and Regions V and VIII, NDRRMC executive director Ricardo Jalad said.

He added that strong winds and rains brought by “Nina” has damaged a total of 30,897 houses, of which 21,225 are partially damaged and 9,672 totally, in Region V alone.

A total of 98,308 families were also pre-emptively evacuated or around 485,789 persons before the actual onslaught of the typhoon in CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, and Regions V and VIII.

ONE DEAD

The NDRRMC reports that it has confirmed the death of 43-year-old Gregorio Ruel, a resident of Sitio Catumbao, Barangay Sta. Rosa, Mulanay, Quezon 2 a.m. of Dec. 26.

He was killed after being hit by falling coconuts while evacuating his family to safer ground.

Jalad said that nine road sections and three bridges are still not passable due to debris and flooding in Region II, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Regions V and VIII.

DA SECRETARY’S ASSESSMENT

When asked of an update, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said in a text message that the “the damage is reportedly heavy.”

“I still have to get the figures on the extent of damage in the Bicol region. I’m in Catanduanes now and 85 percent of the 33,000 hectares of abaca farms was damaged. Coconut farms, rice farms did not suffer much. But I am worried about Camarines Sur,” he added.

Typhoon Nina exited Philippine Area of Responsibility on Tuesday.

Regions 4A, 4B, and 5 were the areas severely affected by the typhoon, while heavily affected areas are Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Batangas, and Quezon.

Earlier, Piñol said he is expecting the agriculture sector to grow by a seemingly unattainable 3.5 percent to 5 percent this year because based on what he saw, farmers across the country are poised to record abundant production despite the recent typhoons.

P49M DAMAGED IRRIGATION FACILITIES

Meanwhile, The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) said “Nina” damaged around P49 million in infrastructure in Regions IV and V, as of Dec. 27.

In a Facebook post, NIA administrator Peter Laviña said that the hardest hit infrastructure is in Region V, with damages of P30,280,544.

The most number of affected irrigation facilities in terms of affected hectarage of farms are from Region IV-A, which affected 2,215 hectares and 3,567 farmers.

The Region IV-A damage translates to P15,335,000 in crop damage and P16,950,000 in affected infrastructure.

Among the damaged irrigation facilities in Region IV B are the Magasawang Tubig and Pula-Bansud River Irrigation Systems in Oriental Mindoro.

Laviña added there were also reported damage in brush dams in Mongpong, Patrick, and Lumintao Rivers in Occidental Mindoro.

So far, no major damage has been reported in Laguna, likewise in Region I.

Laviña relayed the news of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol who said President Duterte has committed P500 million in rehabilitation funds for affected agriculture facilities.

RELIEF ASSISTANCE

Albay Rep. Joey Sarte-Salceda appealed for relief assistance to areas heavily devastated by the typhoon during the holidays.

Salceda said Polangui, his hometown, Oas and Libon that account for at least 72 percent of the Albay’s rice production, were among the badly damaged localities.

“I ardently seek your assistance for relief preferably commodities – rice, canned goods and other food items, water, clothing, household necessities like soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, housing materials or tarps, medicines,” said Salceda.

The former Albay governor noted that disaster control authorities have reported that “Nina was worse than Reming” as it packed 255 kph winds and poured heavy rainfall.

Relief assistance such as food, water, medicines and other basic needs may be sent to his office at the Batasan compound in Quezon City or directly to the relief operations center at Greenhouse, Polangui, Albay.

PRC APPEALS FOR DONATIONS

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is appealing for donations to support its recovery programs for families affected by typhoon “Nina.”

The PRC is accepting monetary donations and useful items such as sleeping mats, blankets, mosquito nets, hygiene kits, rice, canned goods and noodles to be given to affected families.

“The Red Cross needs all the help we can get to help the vulnerable families in the affected areas recover from the ordeal and devastation they experienced from Typhoon Nina. There are still more that needs to be done and we are just starting with our operations to provide assistance that the affected families need for them to fully recover and get back on their own feet,” PRC Chairman Richard Gordon said in a statement.

MANILA ARCHDIOCESE

The Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Office of the Archdiocese of Manila is appealing for donations for the survivors of typhoon ‘Nina.’

Fr. Rick Valencia, Caritas Manila Damayan Program priest in charge and minister of the DRRM and Ecology Ministry, called on the faithful to share whatever blessings they received last Christmas with the calamity survivors.

Valencia said the DRMM is closely coordinating through Radio Veritas with the different dioceses to help the typhoon victims.

“The repacked relief goods are not enough for the typhoon survivors because we also send help to others in need such as victims of fire and other disasters,” he said. Donations in kind like rice, canned goods, and other food items are accepted as well as cash, the priest said. (With reports from Francis Wakefield, Ben Rosario, Yas Ocampo, Jenny Manongdo and Christina I. Hermoso)

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by Madelaine B. Miraflor

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