The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced on Wednesday that it has released some P200 million worth of assistance to farmers and fisherfolk in typhoon-hit Bicol region, notably Catanduanes, to help victims cope with the devastation.
This developed as police and military forces in areas affected and threatened by Typhoon Ulysses have been mobilized for disaster response as a big area of Luzon, including the Bicol region, still reeling from Typhoon Rolly, braced for torrential rains and powerful wind.
An initial report by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said seven road sections and two bridges in Regions 1 and 2 and in the Cordilleras have been affected by flooding, mudslide and landslides due to Ulysses, which has affected Northern and Southern Luzon and Metro Manila on Wednesday.
Farm aid
Bulk of the interventions, which include abaca farm rehabilitation, inbred and hybrid rice seed distribution, provision of fishing boats and engines, among others, went to the municipalities of Bato and Virac, Catanduanes, which took the brunt of Rolly’s fury, according to DA.
Abaca farmers received P121 million worth of farm rehabilitation interventions through the DA’s Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFida), the DA added.
Abaca is the prized crop of Catanduanes generating P150 million worth of monthly revenues for the province, according to Gov. Joseph Cua.
Based on the latest DA damage report as of November 10, Rolly affected 39,790 hectares of abaca farms resulting in a volume loss of 12,918 metric tons (MT) valued at P1.02 billion.
Due to the damage caused by Rolly to Catanduanes, the PhilFida is seeing 20-year low abaca output this year as the province accounts for 30 percent of the country’s annual production. (Related story here: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/11/03/rolly-hits-abaca-hard-20-year-decline-seen/)
The DA also provided farmers P23 million worth of hybrid and inbred rice seeds, corn seeds, vegetable seeds as well as urea fertilizer, 4 wheel tractor and other farm implements.
Fishermen in the province received P25 million worth of fishing interventions that include boats, engines, nets and other paraphernalia, marine plywood and other materials for boat repair.
They also received tilapia fingerlings, canned sardines and other forms of assistance from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
The DA said the National Food Authority (NFA) has provided 1,000 metric tons, or about 20,000 50-kilogram bags of rice to the province of Catanduanes while the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. has allocated P592.4 million worth of indemnification payments for 32,761 Bicol farmers.
The DA added that its Agricultural Credit and Policy Council (ACPC) has allotted P100 million worth of Survival and Recovery (SURE) loan program for Bicol that farmers could avail of P25,000 non-collateral, zero interest loan payable in 10 years.
The Office of the President, likewise, has extended P10 million worth of financial assistance to the province as well as hundreds of face masks, shields, boxes of medicines and dozens of bicycles and computer tables, according to the DA.
The initial estimate of the agri-fishery damage in Bicol due to Typhoon Rolly amounts to more P3 billion, DA Bicol Regional Director Rodel Tornilla said.
Work, school suspension
Upon the recommendation of the NDRRMC, Malacañang has also suspended work in schools and government offices as of 3 p.m. on Wednesday until Thursday in Regions 2, 3, 4A and 4B and in the Cordillera Administrative Region and Metro Manila, still due to the typhoon, which hit Luzon, just 10 days after Rolly battered Bicol region.
The NDRRMC issued sustained warnings on the effects of the typhoon as the provinces of Albay and Catanduanes are barely coping from the massive destruction brought by Rolly.
Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Gilbert Gapay has ordered all forces in areas affected by Ulysses to remain on high alert and be ready to provide assistance as needed, in coordination with local officials and the NDRRMC.
“Personnel and equipment of Southern Luzon Command, Northern Luzon Command, and JTF National Capital Region down to the battalion level are already pre-positioned in safe locations,” Gapay assured.
“Search and rescue units with mobility assets are also working round the clock to evacuate those that are still in low-lying areas,” he said.
The Navy’s Naval Forces Northern Luzon (NFNL) has also alerted all of units and Disaster Response and Rescue Teams (DRRTs) and ensured the availability of its assets and equipment for disaster operations.
“Essential equipment such as M35 and KM450 trucks, rubber boats with outboard motors, generators, cutting tools, and life-saving equipment were inventoried to guarantee a high level of response,” it said in a statement.
Newly installed Philippine National Police chief General Debold Sinas also put on alert PNP units, especially in the whole of Southern Luzon for typhoon-response operations.
Image credits: Nonie Reyes