The damage to the agriculture sector left by Tropical Cyclone Crising has climbed to more than P96 million, even as the energy sector started power restoration efforts in areas hardest-hit by rains and floods, government agencies said.
The cost of damage to the agriculture sector due to the combined effects of Crising and the southwest monsoon has so far reached P96.90 million, according to latest data from the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center.
The amount increased by 83.7 percent from Sunday’s P52.74 million.
The total cost of damage affected 4,665 farmers in 6,037 hectares and involved the loss of 2,236 metric tons (MT) of agricultural produce, the DA-attached agency said in an advisory as of 9 am on Monday, July 21.
A total of 2,178 MT of palay worth P94.16 million in 5,997 hectares, and 36 MT of high value crops worth P1.73 million in seven hectares, were lost, the DA said.
Corn losses so far reached 22MT worth P690,140, in 33 hectares, while the livestock sector lost 72 heads of chicken, swine, cattle, carabaos, goat and ducks worth P320,750, the DA said.
The DA said the latest data on damage and losses came from the regions of Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa and Western Visayas, and were expected to rise further as field assessment and validation continued.
The DA said it expected the transport and delivery of agricultural commodities to be hampered, based on the report of the Department of Public Works and Highways that some national road sections in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Negros Island Region, Central Luzon and Mimaropa have either been closed or have limited access due to the destruction left by Crising.
The DA said it has started providing agricultural inputs such as rice, corn and vegetable seeds to affected farmers, and has been drawing from the Quick Response Fund for the rehabilitation and recovery of affected areas. The agency said it has been using P133.09 million worth of rice, corn and vegetable seeds to help affected farmers rehabilitate their damaged farms and fields.
The DA added that up to P25,000 in loanable amounts from the Survival and Recovery Loan Program of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council, payable in three years at zero interest, will be provided to affected farmers, on top of the indemnification granted by the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. to insured growers and producers.
Power restoration
The Department of Energy (DOE) has assured the public that the power and fuel supply and distribution across the country have largely normalized, with the exception of some areas in the Cordillera Administrative Region, where restoration efforts continued as of Monday.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and actively assisting our local distribution utilities. We urge all concerned entities to continue proactive clearing operations, including the removal of debris and vegetation that may obstruct power lines, to accelerate restoration in affected areas,” Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said.
The DOE also advised the public, especially those in flood-prone areas, to exercise extreme caution amid continued rainfall.
The government urged residents to avoid downed power lines, report energy-related hazards immediately, and cooperate with local authorities to ensure safety.
The DOE strongly encouraged the public to immediately report to their respective distribution utilities, flooding in areas or households that may affect power lines or circuit breakers.
The National Electrification Administration (NEA) said that as of 11 am, on Monday, three electric cooperatives have reported infrastructure damage at P1,149,894.47.
The NEA said it received reports of infrastructure damage to the power distribution networks of the Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco), Mountain Province Electric Cooperative (Mopreco) and Zambales II Electric Cooperative.
The agency added that as of Monday, Beneco, Mopreco and the Abra Electric Cooperative were still experiencing power distribution issues amid continued efforts to bring back electricity supply to 5,487 households in their respective franchise areas.
“The main causes of power interruption have been … environmental hazards such as landslides, floods and fallen trees due to strong winds brought by the storm, which struck EC power lines in the Cordillera Administrative Region,” the NEA explained in its Monday report.
As of 12 noon, Monday, 11,000 customers of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) or less than 1 percent of its total clientele, still experienced service interruptions, mostly in Cavite, Bulacan, and Rizal, Meralco said.
Some of the affected customers were in Metro Manila, and the provinces of Laguna, Batangas and Quezon, Meralco said.
“Our crews are continuously working to restore power service to affected areas as soon as possible. We are closely monitoring the situation and urging our customers to continue observing electrical safety practices,” Joe Zaldarriaga, Meralco vice president and head of corporate communications, said.
On the other hand, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said that as of 10 am, Monday, they had not received any report of transmission line damage due to the passage of Crising.
“All NGCP transmission facilities are currently under normal conditions. We remain ready to activate the 24/7operations of our overall command center should any threat to transmission operations arise due to the monsoon rains and other weather disturbances,” the company said.
