MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) has released at least P666.86 million to indemnify 86,066 insured farmers affected by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said yesterday.
Tiu Laurel cited the report of PCIC president JB Jovy Bernabe who said that the rapid assessment on insured farms affected by Kristine from Oct. 22 to 25 covered 10 regions in the country, with more than half coming from Central Luzon, the Bicol region and Mimaropa.
Bernabe said the insurance payments include P413.5 million for rice, P167.9 million for high-value crops and P27.7 million for fisheries.
“We have set aside an initial amount of P667 million for insurance payments to around 86,066 farmers,” Bernabe said.
The DA operations center said that the damage from Kristine has reached P5.75 billion, with 74 percent or P4.25 billion from rice, P847.48 million from high-value crops and P446.22 million from fisheries.
At the same time, Tiu Laurel asked the PCIC to expedite the processing of insurance claims and to provide all possible assistance to help farmers quickly recover from the disaster.
Tiu Laurel also instructed the PCIC to prepare for potential damage that might be inflicted on the agriculture sector by Super Typhoon Leon.
He added that although the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) projected that Leon would not make landfall in any part of the country, the super typhoon’s gale-force winds extended over 600 kilometers from its center, potentially generating storm surges of up to 12 meters high, which may cause significant damage to the farming and fishery sectors.
“The pace of recovery for agriculture after a disaster like this will be determined by how quickly the government can provide inputs and financial assistance to farmers and fisherfolk. That is why I have ordered all agencies of the Department of Agriculture, including attached corporations such as the NFA (National Food Authority) and PCIC, to conduct quick needs assessments so that help can be provided immediately,” Tiu Laurel said.
Luzon dams still releasing water
At least two Luzon dams continue to release water, as the reservoirs are set to reach normal high water levels, amid the rains brought by the Leon and Kristine, according to the Hydrometeorology Division of PAGASA.
As of 8 a.m. yesterday, one gate of Ambuklao Dam in Benguet remains open at 0.3 meters and releasing water at 60.97 cubic meters per second (cms) after it reached 751.47 or barely 0.64 meters below its normal high water level of 752 meters.
One gate of Binga Dam in Benguet is also releasing water at 53.79 cms, with an opening of 0.3 meters as it reached 574.23 meters or just 0.77 meters below its normal high water level of 575 meters.
Meanwhile, all the gates of Magat Dam in Isabela were already closed since Friday. The water level of the dam reached 184.48 meters or 8.52 meters below its normal high water level of 193 meters.
On the other hand, the water level of Angat Dam dropped by 0.10 meters after it reached 202.41 meters, or 7.59 meters below its normal high water level of 210 meters.
Ipo Dam in Bulacan reached 100.31 meters or 0.79 meters below its normal high water level of 101.1 meters.
La Mesa Dam in Quezon City reached 79.55 meters or 0.60 meters below its spilling level of 80.15 meters.
San Roque Dam in Pangasinan reached 277.96 meters, after it increased by 0.30 meters, compared to its previous level of 277.66 meters. It is 2.04 meters below its normal high water level of 280 meters.
Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija reached 208.93 meters, or 12.07 meters below its normal high water level of 221 meters.
Caliraya Dam in Laguna dropped by 0.17 meters after it reached 286.9 meters compared to its previous level of 287.07 meters.