MONITORING. La Union Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office personnel monitor the track of the typhoon in this undated photo. La Union incurred over PHP1.8 million in damage to agriculture and livestock due to the effects of the enhanced southwest monsoon. (Photo courtesy of La Union 911)
MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – La Union province has recorded over PHP1.8 million in damage to agriculture and livestock due to effects of the enhanced southwest monsoon or “habagat” as of Sept. 12, according to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).
In a report issued on Wednesday, PDRRM officer Aureliano Rulloda III said the estimated total cost of damage to agriculture was PHP1.4 million and PHP471,600 in livestock and poultry.
The damage to agriculture was mainly on rice crops covering 42.97 hectares of land in San Juan, Sudipen, Naguilian and Sto. Tomas towns.
The destroyed rice crops were in their reproductive, vegetative and maturity stages.
Rulloda said the substantial damage to rice crops was in Sudipen town at 30 hectares, while the losses amounted to PHP855,000.
He said Bangar town recorded damage to livestock and poultry, which got drowned, carried away by flood or suffered from hypothermia.
Meanwhile, Rulloda said 27 houses were damaged.
“Of which, 21 were partially damaged, and six were totally damaged houses,” he said.
Rulloda said 110 families or 411 individuals in 15 barangay in the towns of Naguilian, Caba and City of San Fernando were affected due to the weather disturbance.
“There were also reported landslides and soil erosion due to continuous rain in the towns of Aringay and Naguilian, but these were already cleared,” he added.
The provincial government and the local government units have provided relief assistance to the affected families.
The enhanced habagat was due to the three weather disturbances, namely typhoons Goring, Hanna and tropical depression Ineng, which hit the country from Aug. 24 to Sept. 6, causing heavy rains. (PNA)
