Aid package readied for typhoon victims

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet , Philippines  – A package of assistance is being readied for the havoc tropical storm Ondoy and Pepeng’s caused to crops in Luzon’s seven regions. Reaching a total of P18.4 billion as pegged by the agriculture department, DA is firming up the chart for recovery in these calamity affected areas.

The implementing strategies are being polished such that rice farms with no chance of recovery will be rehabilitated with the DA providing seeds and other inputs, as soon as the farmers are ready to replant their damaged farms.

Ondoy destroyed a total of P6.8 billion while Pepeng almost doubling it at P 11.7 billion.

According to the Department of Agriculture’s Central Action Center as quoted by DA-CAR spokesman Robert Domoguen, the two typhoons destroyed some 121,949 hectares of crop lands causing the loss of 925,523 metric tons of rice, corn, and high value crops; as well as fishery products, livestock, and poultry, and P2.7 billion worth of farm infrastructures.

Rice areas were the most affected with 109,188 hectares that have no chance of recovery, followed by 9,961 hectares corn and 2,800 hectares high value cash crop (HVCC) farms.

Damaged farmlands lost some 839,241 metric tons of palay; 45,768 MT of corn, and 40,514 MT of HVCC.

In the Cordillera, the agriculture department pegged the still partial agricultural crop damage from the six provinces to reach a total loss of P1,153,188,693.28. Not included in the report are damages incurred by the fisheries sector, postharvest facilities and irrigation networks.           – Artemio Dumlao