Agriculture damage due to Enteng rises to P659 million

MANILA, Philippines — The damage of Tropical Storm Enteng to the agriculture sector in five regions has risen to P659.01 million, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Based on the latest report of the DA’s Operations Center as of 8 a.m. yesterday, Enteng has affected 22,309 hectares of agricultural land in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol Region, Western and Eastern Visayas.

The DA said the volume of production losses was pegged at 28,788 metric tons (MT) covering rice, corn, high-value crops, cassava and livestock affecting at least 27,598 farmers.

According to the DA, 95 percent or P624.06 million of the damage came from rice covering 20,096 hectares of palay plantations and a production loss of 26,736 MT.

Meanwhile, the damage to corn plantations reached P22.75 million covering 2,065 hectares and production losses of 1,430 MT.

The damage to high-value crops increased to P10.41 million covering 132 hectares and volume losses of 533 MT.

On the other hand, damage to cassava reached P1.77 million affecting 16 hectares and losses of 89 MT.

The DA is currently carrying out assistance and interventions for the affected farmers and fisherfolk through its regional field offices and local government units.

Some P202.86 million worth of assistance was given by DA regional field offices.

The DA added that affected farmers can avail themselves of the P25,000 loan under the Survival and Recovery Loan Program from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council.

Available funds from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. are also ready to indemnify insured affected farmers, it added.

16 dead, 17 missing

Meanwhile, Enteng’s death toll rose to 16 yesterday as thousands of displaced families remain in temporary shelters across Luzon and the Visayas.

Latest reports from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) show that eight of the casualties are from the Calabarzon region, three from the Bicol region and two each from Western, Central and Eastern Visayas region.

The agency added the number of persons reported missing has also ballooned to 17.

The NDRRMC said a total of 538,602 families or 2,061,726 persons were affected by Enteng’s heavy rains, flooding and landslides in various provinces.

Of the number, some 9,089 families or 36,330 persons are still in at least 424 evacuation centers where their basic needs are being provided for.

In a separate report, at least 23,197 families or 65,599 persons were affected by flooding in Pampanga, according to their Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office.

PSWDO authorities said most of the affected families are from the City of San Fernando and the towns of Candaba, Macabebe and Masantol.

The flooding has left some 62 barangays in the province submerged, according to reports from various city and municipal disaster risk reduction and management offices.

A total of 83 barangays in eight towns and two cities of Bulacan are still inundated with floodwaters caused by Enteng and the high tide from Manila Bay.

Records as of 11 a.m. yesterday released by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Council of Bulacan showed that Calumpit town has 19 villages inundated with floodwater; Paombong and the City of Meycauayan have 14 barangays; City of Malolos 12; Hagonoy eight; Bocaue seven; Balagtas five; Bulakan two and one each for Marilao and Pandi.

These villages are flooded under a half foot to six feet of water, with the deepest monitored in Brgy. Santa Lucia in Calumpit town.

A total of 49 active evacuation centers in the towns of Calumpit, Hagonoy, Plaridel, San Ildefonso, San Rafael, Obando, Balagtas, Bocaue and in the cities of Baliwag, Malolos and Meycauayan still house 1,160 families or 4,252 individuals.

So far, the NDRRMC said the government has provided over P37.3 million worth of food and non-food assistance to at least 58,007 affected families in various affected provinces.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) meantime reported that FBCA ZShan, a fishing boat carrying 15 crew and their captain, is still missing after three days of searching off Quezon province.

The PCG, military and local authorities are currently conducting search and rescue operations for the missing crew along the shores of the province.

The PCG is also currently verifying reports that the missing boat was seen off Palanan, Isabela on Thursday.

The coast guard has also rescued three fishermen from Bolinao, Pangasinan at the height of Enteng’s onslaught at the Ilocos region yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Department of Public Works and Highways reported yesterday that the effects of Enteng have left an estimated P139.56 million worth of damage to infrastructure in five affected regions of Luzon and the Visayas.

Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the partial cost of damage to infrastructure is broken down into P84.39 million for damage to roads, P12.420 million for bridges and P42.75 million for flood control structures.

By region, Bonoan said the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) reported P49.43 million of damage to infrastructure; Region 2 with P9.85 million; Region 5 with P34.85 million; Region 6 with P25.78 million and Region 8 with P23.65 million. — Michael Punongbayan, Jose Rodel Clapano, Ed Amoroso, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Jun Elias