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The AGRICULTURAL damages and losses caused by typhoon “Quinta” (international name: “Molave”) and super typhoon “Rolly” (“Goni”) reached P4.56 billion, showed data from the Department of Agriculture (DA) .
The Attorney General’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center said the typhoons had affected 77,958 farmers and 115,148 hectares of agricultural areas in Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas and Eastern Visayas.
The total volume of lost production was 262,539 metric tons (MT), which affected basic products such as rice, corn, high-value crops, fishing, livestock, irrigation and agro-facilities, he added.
For Quinta, the total amount of damages and losses in agro-fishing reached P2.56 billion, with 145,577 MT of volume loss, affecting 47,864 farmers and fishermen with 88,252 hectares of agricultural areas.
As for Typhoon Rolly, total damages and losses amounted to P2 billion, affecting 30,094 farmers and 26,896 hectares of agricultural areas. Production loss volume increased to 116,962 metric tons
To date, DA reported having distributed a total of 4,263 bags of rice issued by the National Food Authority (NFA) to affected peasant families in the provinces of Marinduque, Albay, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Sorsogon and Cavite. Likewise, the agency has delivered a total of 133,326 bags of rice seeds; 17,545 bags of corn seeds and 1,980 kilos of assorted vegetables from DA’s Regional Field Offices.
These provinces also suffered power outages, which the Energy Department said could be restored in mid-December.
Power restoration
In a virtual briefing, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said the agency was facing challenges in assessing the extent of damage to power facilities affected by the typhoons because these areas remain inaccessible at this time.
Therefore, Cusi told reporters that it was “very difficult” for the Energy department to provide a “definite timetable” for when the power supply will be fully restored.
However, the head of Energy assured that they are doing everything possible to restore electricity services in the provinces affected by the typhoon just before the Christmas season.
The Undersecretary of Energy, Redentor Delola, reported that only the Tiwi geothermal power plant and the Bacman geothermal power plant, which are some of the main energy sources in Bicol province, remain offline.
Undersecretary of Energy Felix William Fuentebella said the agency aims to energize the Bacman power plant by November 5, which, according to him, involves “island operations in certain parts of Albay and Sorsogon, but this it requires a lot of technical coordination. “
“But for November 10, we are targeting Naga to Daraga,” he added.
Data from the National Electrification Administration (NEA) showed 11 municipalities under
The First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative (Ficelco) still does not have power. These are the towns of Bagamanoc, Baras, Bato, Caramoran, Gigmoto, Pandan, Panganiban, San Andrés, San Miguel, Viga and Virac.
Cusi, citing estimates from the NEA, said the power cooperatives incurred P2.8 billion worth of damage to their electrical installations, but the amount excludes other facilities such as those operated by National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.
NEA Deputy Technical Services Administrator Artis Nikki Tortola, in the same briefing, said the agency has earmarked P100 million for a rapid response fund to help affected electric cooperatives.
With reports from JORDEENE B. LAGARE
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