Kristine damage to agriculture reaches P3.4 billion

MANILA, Philippines — The amount of damage to agriculture caused by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine has reached P3.4 billion, according to the Department of Agriculture.

The DA gave assurance that farmers displaced by the storm would receive financial assistance.

Kristine destroyed 76,785 hectares of farm lands, with over a third or 28,885 hectares having no chance to recover.

Up to 174,087 tons of agricultural crops were lost to the storm, affecting 79,904 farmers.

Rice production incurred the highest amount of damage with P3.1 billion or 164,510 tons in volume losses.

The DA said over 28,000 hectares of high-value crops were wasted. Most of these crops were in reproductive and maturity stages and not due yet for harvest.

Corn incurred P43.34 million in losses and high-value crops P161.44 million.

Damage to irrigation facilities reached P26 million, with P43.36 million for other farm structures such as diversion dams, rain shelters, greenhouses, animal houses and administrative buildings.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said the DA is still assessing the damage to farm lands, especially rice fields.

He said 70 percent of palay had been harvested before Kristine arrived and destroyed the farms.

Food packs

Up to 200,000 food packs have been transported by the Department of Social Welfare and Development to victims of Kristine in Albay and Camarines provinces, according to DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian.

As of Sunday morning, a total of 61,742 boxes of food packs had been delivered to Albay, 41,553 to Camarines Norte and 78,613 to Camarines Sur.

In Camarines Sur, 19,000 food packs were turned over to the provincial government, 15,000 to Naga and 3,446 to Iriga.

Among the municipalities that received food packs were Baao, Bato, Bula, Calabanga, Camaligan, Canaman, Caramoan, Del Gallego, Gainza, Garchitorena, Magarao, Milaor, Minalabac, Nabua, Pasacao, Pili, Presentacion, Sipocot, Tigaon and Tinambac.

Food packs delivered in Albay were distributed in the cities of Legazpi, Ligao and Tabaco as well as in the municipalities of Camalig, Daraga, Guinobatan, Jovellar, Libon, Malilipot, Manito, Oas, Pio Duran, Polangui, Rapu-Rapu, Santo Domingo and Tiwi.

In Camarines Norte, the municipalities that received the most number of food packs were Labo with 9,402 and Mercedes with 6,900.

Food packs were also distributed in the towns of Basud, Capalonga, Daet, San Lorenzo Ruiz, San Vicente, Talisay and Vinzons.

Meanwhile, the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) yesterday received 500 tons of rice donation from Taiwan.

MECO chairperson Cheloy Garafil said the donation, which arrived on Oct. 15, was part of the 2,000 tons of rice donation facilitated by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office last year. The next shipment is expected next month.

Garafil said a part of the donation would be given to typhoon victims in Luzon.

The donations were turned over to the DSWD for distribution to the most needy as well as victims of calamities in Mindanao.

Cash assistance

Cash assistance of up to P15 million has been allotted for Bicol residents whose homes were destroyed by the storm, according to the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development.

The DHSUD said its offices in Bicol are working with local government units hit hard by Kristine for the processing of the cash assistance for affected residents.

Funding for the assistance will be sourced from the DHSUD’s integrated disaster shelter assistance program.

Under the program, the DHSUD can provide financial assistance of up to P30,000 to families whose houses were destroyed in the calamity.

Evacuee dies

Meanwhile, a typhoon victim died in an evacuation center in Batangas on Monday.

The woman, a resident of Agoncillo town, died at around 5 a.m. in a school in Barangay Coral na Munti that was converted into an evacuation center.

Authorities said the woman had been suffering from an illness. — Sheila Crisostomo, Elizabeth Marcelo, Emmanuel Tupas