POST-TISOY AID. The Department of Agriculture (DA) regional office in Bicol starts to distribute initial assistance to typhoon-affected farmers in the six provinces of the region. A rehabilitation plan is currently being prepared to be submitted to the DA central office for funding. (Photo courtesy of DA-Bicol)
LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Agriculture (DA) in Bicol has started distributing assistance to farmers affected by Typhoon "Tisoy" (Kammuri) in the six provinces of the region.
Emily Bordado, DA-Bicol spokesperson, in a phone interview on Thursday, said the onslaught of the typhoon last Dec. 3 brought extensive damage to the agriculture sector.
She said based on reports to their office, an initial estimated production losses of over PHP2.6 billion in rice, corn, high-value crops, organic agriculture, abaca, livestock, fisheries, coconut and infrastructures and facilities, was recorded.
"Immediately, DA-Bicol reactivated its quick action teams and mobilized its personnel to assess and validate the damage reports coming from the LGUs and came up with a list of intervention and assistance for each of the six provinces," Bordado said, noting that the aid is being coursed through the provincial governments of the six provinces.
The assistance amounting to a total of PHP43.1 million includes 4,630 bags certified and 2,000 hybrid palay seeds; 5,000 bags urea and complete fertilizers; 58,950 bags zinc sulfate; 3,174 packs plant growth enhancers; 1,700 bags Open Pollinated Variety white flint corn; 1,700 packs assorted vegetable seeds and veterinary drugs and biologics.
"Aside from the DA’s assistance, the provinces have started receiving palay seeds for the dry season cropping from the PhilRice under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Seed component. The budget for this was derived from the tariffs generated from the imported rice brought into our country with the implementation of the Rice Tarrification Law which removed the quantitative restriction on imported rice," Bordado said.
Albay province, she said, has an allocation of 29,528 bags of palay seeds; Camarines Sur, 91,412 bags; Sorsogon, 18,818 bags and Masbate, 11,384 bags.
She said "Tisoy" affected 14,255 rice farmers; 10,511 high-value crop farmers and 6,633 corn farmers in Bicol.
When the typhoon hit Bicol, there were about 76,963 hectares of standing palay crops at various stages in the region.
At present, 26,825 hectares of palay areas in the 6 provinces have been damaged. Of these, 16,235 hectares were totally damaged and 10,590 hectares were partially damaged. Total damages were valued at over PHP939.9million.
For corn, 8,110.84 hectares were damaged, valued at over PHP167.2 million.
For high-value crops which include vegetables and fruits, over 6,596 hectares were damaged worth PHP697 million.
For organic agriculture, an estimated production loss valued at PHP3.8 million was reported by the provinces of Albay, Catanduanes and Masbate.
For fisheries, an estimated production loss of over PHP334.9 million was reported in Albay and Sorsogon.
For coconut, an estimated production loss of PHP245.6 million was reported in Sorsogon and Masbate.
For livestock, a total of 6,246 heads of various animals valued at PHP49.8 million was reported damaged in the six provinces.
For abaca, PHP127.5 million worth of production loss was reported.
Meanwhile, damage to DA facilities and properties at the regional office and its outreach stations in the six provinces were estimated at almost PHP29 million.
Bordado said a rehabilitation plan is currently being prepared by their office to be submitted to the DA Central office for funding. (PNA)
