Damage to the agriculture sector of Tropical Depression Agaton has reached P725.2 million, according to latest data from the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center.
The DA attached agency said as of 3 a.m. yesterday, April 18, Agaton’s total cost of damage is equivalent to 41,580 metric tons of goods tended by 19,424 farmers and fishers in 17,925 hectares of affected areas.
The current monitoring captured data from Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen and Caraga, with additional damage and losses still expected to be recorded, the DA added.
Bulk of Agaton’s recorded damage is from rice at P672.2 million, followed by high value crops at P24.7 million, corn at P21.1 million as well as livestock and poultry at P7.2 million.
Meanwhile, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said it completed restoration of power lines affected by Agaton in Bohol after energizing the Ormoc-Maasin 138 kilovolt (kV) line 2 on Sunday and the Maasin-Ubay 138kV line linking Leyte to Bohol, yesterday.
NGCP said emergency restoration systems (ERS) were installed to bypass towers of the Ormoc-Maasin lines 1 and 2, which were affected by a landslide triggered by the passage of Agaton.
More than 100 linemen and support personnel were deployed and worked through the Holy Week to manually transport the ERS to the restoration area and conduct clearing activities necessary for the installation of the ERS.
The company is currently working towards the restoration of the Ormoc-Maasin 138kV line 1 to further strengthen the reliability of transmission services in the area, as well as planning the permanent restoration of the affected towers.
NGCP also assured it continues to monitor weather disturbances and is ready to activate its overall command center should there be any threat to its transmission facilities. – Jed Macapagal