The Department of Agriculture (DA) has estimated standing crops that may be affected by severe tropical storm “Karding” to total 1,469,037 hectares (ha) or 75.83 percent of the national standing rice crops, and 281,322 ha or 52.37 percent of the national standing corn crops.
The DA bulletin, issued at noon yesterday, combined data from all regions in Luzon.
Karding (Typhoon Noru) gained strength as it approached the country yesterday, forcing thousands of people from their homes in coastal communities on the main island of Luzon and the cancellation of dozens of flights.
On Sunday, authorities began evacuating thousands of people from coastal areas on Luzon.
Karding brought heavy to torrential rains over the National Capital Region and nearby provinces as it moves westward over rice-producing provinces.
Task Force on Energy Resiliency, composed of both public and private sector participants, has been activated to monitor the effects of severe tropical storm Karding to the power sector, according to the Department of Energy (DOE).
As of 2 p.m. yesterday, all power generation facilities in Luzon are operating under normal conditions even as their operators have all prepared for contingency measures, Mario Marasigan, DOE assistant secretary, said in a briefing.
Meanwhile, the National Electrification Administration said it is monitoring a total of 49 electric cooperatives in 31 provinces that are in the path of Karding.
National Power Corp. (NPC) also said 30 of its Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) power plants located in off-grid and missionary areas are expected to be affected by Karding.
NPC said 29 of the SPUG plants are operating, while the Osmenia diesel power plant in Burias Island was on shutdown due to a distribution line fault caused by inclement weather.
Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said it is on general alert and deployed around 360 crews armed with equipment that can immediately respond to clear debris.
“As a 24-hour service company, we are ready to respond to these types of emergency. Our crews are on standby to attend to any trouble that may affect our facilities in areas that might be hit by the typhoon… Meralco has consistently requested billboard owners and operators to temporarily roll their billboards up to prevent these structures from being toppled by the strong winds,” Joe Zaldarriaga, Meralco vice president and head of corporate communications, said in a statement.
Felix William Fuentebella, DOE undersecretary, said the downstream oil industry is also being strictly monitored from the depots up to fuel retail outlets to assure that petroleum fuel supply will not be disrupted.
Meanwhile, DA said that the government activated regional disaster risk reduction management operation centers; prepositioning seeds for rice and corn, drugs and biologics for livestock and poultry in safe storage facilities; coordinating with local government unit counterparts and other related offices; continuously disseminating advisory; and monitoring actual field situation.
The DA has urged farmers to harvest matured crops and utilize post-harvest facilities; secure seed reserves, planting materials and other farm inputs, as well as feed and water for livestock; relocate animals, farm machineries and equipment to higher ground; and clear drainage in irrigation and rice paddies from obstructions to prevent flooding.
Moreover, fisherfolk were advised to perform early harvest and mobilize post-harvest equipment and facilities; secure fishing vessels to higher ground; and dismiss sea travel as potentially rough conditions prevail over affected seaboards.
A farmer group said the government must consider automatic crop insurance coverage for farmers often stricken by typhoons and natural calamities.
Rafael Mariano, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) chairman, said farmers and fisherfolk who may be registered or not under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture or at the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. may be affected by Karding, criticizing the government’s “lacking sense of urgency.”
“The government is not doing enough to mitigate the risks and to prepare for the possible effects and aftermath of Karding. We see no sense of urgency from Malacanang, the agriculture and social welfare departments and other agencies in-charge,” Mariano said in a statement.
He added that KMP advised local chapters in Luzon to prepare for relief and recovery efforts for farmers in the path of Karding, with members activating Sagip Kanayunan, TulongAnakpawis and other local relief efforts.
Mariano also emphasized that such efforts are crucial as Typhoon Odette, the strongest typhoon that hit the country last year, resulted in P13.3 billion worth of damage to agriculture, with 462,766 ha of agricultural areas affected and 273,062 metric tons of total volume loss that affected 533,709 farmers and fishers.
