The damage to marine products in marine products could reach P500 million even with the government rushing to consolidate the report for immediate government financial assistance to the 750 affected fishpond operators.
Charito Coma, senior aquaculturist of the regional office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Central Luzon, said a partial report said the damage wrought by the monsoon rain had reached P130 million as of Friday, but might reach P500 million as reports from the local government units continued to arrive.
“The P130 million initial report of damage from the field caused by continuing rain and high tide consists of milkfish, tilapia, shrimps, crabs and other aquatic animals for the local market and for export to Japan and US,” Coma said.
In other developments:
• The agriculture and fisheries sector had incurred P565.19 million in losses due to the onslaught of tropical storms “Henry” and “Inday” and intensified by the monsoon rain this month, the Agriculture Department said Monday.
• The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Central Office reported that, as of early Monday morning, 5,430 families or 23,383 people had taken shelter in 135 evacuation centers in the Ilocos, Cordillera, Central Luzon, the National Capital Region, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Bicol.
Additionally, 64,594 families or 257,958 individuals in the Ilocos, Central Luzon and the Western Visayas regions had taken shelter with friends and relatives.
All in all, 203,032 families or 914,338 people in the seven Luzon regions were affected by the continuing rain brought by the southwest monsoon.
Coma also said the damage wrought by the continuing rain would surely affect the prices of milkfish, tilapia, and shrimps in the public markets in the coming days. With PNA
As of Monday, a total 224 villages remained submerged in floodwaters, including 54 in Nueva Ecija, 89 in Pampanga, 48 in Bataan and 33 in Bulacan.
Bataan Gov. Albert Garcia declared the province as a calamity area due to the rising floodwaters in the 11 municipalities.
A total of 13 military trucks, two rubber boats from the Seventh Infantry Brigade of the military in Tarlac, Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga and Clark were dispatched to the province for rescue operations.
Coma said initial reports of damage came from the towns of Hagonoy, Malolos, Meycauayan, Bocaue, Calumpit and Marilao in Bulacan; Masantol, Macabebe, and Sasmuan in Pampanga; and Abucay, Pilar, and Balanga City in Bataan. With PNA