ANOTHER tropical depression is expected to hit Visayas and Mindanao anew on New Year’s Day even as provinces in the said areas have yet to recover from at least P1.24 billion in damages from Tropical Storm “Urduja” and Typhoon “Vinta,” the state weather agency said.
Field reports submitted to the Agriculture Department showed an estimated drop in production of 28,737 metric tons, with affected commodities including rice, corn, high-value crops, cassava, livestock and poultry, and agricultural and fisheries infrastructure.
As the government took stock of its losses, disaster officials are preparing for a low pressure area in the east of Mindanao. Once it enters the Philippine area of responsibility, the tropical depression will be named “Wilma.”
The weather bureau said the tropical depression could make landfall in Surigao on Monday evening or Tuesday morning.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council said it was preparing for Wilma and making sure that its member-agencies are prepared to deliver help to areas that require it.
Field reports from the Urduja- and Vinta-affected provinces in Calabarzon, the Bicol region, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, the Zamboanga peninsula, the Davao region, Soccksargen and the Caraga region showed that rice crops suffered the biggest loss amounting to P609.3 mllion planted to 50,793 hectares.
An estimated volume of 6,048 MT of rice were lost, affecting the livelihood of 31,749 farmers.
High-value crops suffered production losses of P443.92 billion or about 18,322 MT of destroyed crops planted to 2,141 hectares.
A total of 5,915 farmhands lost most of the high-value crops they cultivated in the past months.
Production losses in corn amounted to P103.73 million or about 4,261 MT from 5,734 hectares. Some 1,895 farmers were affected.
Some P6.6 million in poultry and livestock were also lost to the two storms. The two weather disturbances also destroyed P5.4 million worth of cassava.
The storms also damaged P73.7 million in agricultural infrastructure and P157,000 in fisheries facilities.
Families affected by Urduja, meanwhile, will get P103.3 million worth of assistance, an NDRRMC official said.
NDRRMC spokesperson Mina Marasigan said the aid was extended to families through the Department of Social Welfare and Development and local government units in Mimaropa, Caraga, Regions V, VI, VII, VIII.
Marasigan said 14 areas in Mimaropa and Region VIII were placed under a state of calamity due to the effects of Urduja.
Areas under state of calamity are Baco, Oriental Mindoro; Ormoc, Leyte; Tacloban, Leyte; Borongan, Eastern Samar; Can-avid, Eastern Samar; Llorente, Eastern Samar; Sta. Fe, Leyte; Tanauan, Leyte; Barugo, Leyte; Zumarraga, Samar; Biliran, Biliran; Eastern Samar; Northern Samar and Samar. Urduja affected 425,996 families or 1,780,163 persons living in 2,471 barangays in the six regions.
Some 810 families or 3,473 persons are still still being aided inside and outside evacuation centers.
President Rodrigo Duterte visited Lanao del Norte on Wednesday to assess the damage of “Vinta” and assured local officials of assistance for the province’s immediate recovery.
“I’m sure we still have some money to spare and supplies to share with you,” Duterte told local government officials during the NDRRMC briefing held in Tubod, Lanao del Norte.
The Chief Executive also assured the local officials that he would convene a Cabinet meeting to determine what is needed for the province’s quick return to normalcy.
The concerns raised by Lanao del Norte mayors include severe damage to bridges, farm-to-market roads, irrigation system and government vehicles. With PNA
