Insured farmers and fisherfolk—around 77,470—whose livelihoods have been smashed by Typhoons Quinta and Rolly will be compensated by the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), its president Jovy Bernabe reported to Agriculture Secretary William Dar.
Bernabe said the agency had initially estimated farm losses to reach around P1.01 billion.
This represents an estimated damage to standing rice, corn and high-value crops in more than 95,126 hectares and 1,997 small fisheries projects, including boats and fishing gears, in around 30 provinces, Bernabe said.
But the estimated damage is subject to validation by PCIC’s field personnel.
Among crops, HVC sustained the greatest damage at P668.97 million; with rice at P285.04 million; and corn, P6.15 million.
Poultry and livestock damage was estimated at P37.73 million while fisheries was at P15.37 million.
By size of farms affected, HVC tops the list, with around 66,261 hectares of damaged crops; rice with 28,495 hectares; and corn with 370 hectares.
Among the regions, Bicol Region suffered the most with cost of damage estimated at P637.53 million followed by MIMAROPA with P150.46 million, and CALABARZON, with P97.38 million.
Central Luzon and Cagayan Valley suffered P52.65 million and P75.25 million, respectively.
DA’s Dar has ordered the PCIC’s regional and head office staff to facilitate the conduct of insurance adjustment activities and settlement of claims.
Siony’s fury
Meanwhile, the local government of Batanes recorded some P4.9 million in damage to agriculture after tropical storm Siony lashed the province, Gov. Marilou Cayco said Saturday..
“The estimated damage we recorded in agriculture for Siony is at P4.9 million,” Cayco said.
But, the governor said, there was no damage recorded in houses, roads, and other infrastructure, which she attributed to the residents’ preparation for the storm.
The provincial government also distributed relief goods before the storm hit, Cayco added, citing difficulties in acquiring aid during the storm.
“When we distribute relief goods after the storm, there are a lot of obstacles such as fallen electricity posts and we could not distribute. We distributed our relief goods before the storm to all families. We gave out 10 kilograms of rice and 1 kilogram of pork,” she said.
DOH assistance
The Department of Health said Saturday the agency would provide assistance to health workers who were affected by Super Typhoon Rolly, which battered parts of the Bicol Region, where eight people died
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said they were currently consolidating the number of health workers and officials affected by the storm.
“Until now we are consolidating the affected DOH officers and local health care workers affected by the storm because of course when we give assistance to the communities, we include health care workers,” Vergeire said in a press briefing Saturday.
Eight health facilities in the Bicol region were recorded damaged by the super typhoon.
Around P20 million in financial assistance has already been provided to some of the affected health facilities and six provinces in the area.
Low pressure area
Parts of Albay and Eastern Samar have started preparing for the heavy and intense rains expected to be caused by the Low Pressure Area least of Guiuan, Samar.
Preemptive evacuation was enforced in Barangay Travesia and Barangay San Francisco in Guinobatan, Albay, according to a report on 24 Oras News Alert on Saturday.
Some 300 were damaged by lahar flows in Guinobatan on Sunday due to Super Typhoon Rolly (international name: Goni).
Meanwhile in Borongan, Eastern Samar, residents have started experiencing rains and winds on Saturday due to the LPA, according to a separate report on 24 Oras News Alert.
Power restored
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines on Saturday said it had restored power in Sorsogon and parts of Albay, while the Department of Energy was targeting to bring power supply back to a portion of typhoon-hit Catanduanes by the end of the month.
NGCP’s Daraga-Bacman 230kV was energized for islanding operations with the help of the Bac-Man Geothermal Power Plant at 7:55 a.m. Saturday, providing power supply to the provinces of Albay and Sorsogon, it said.
A report from the National Electrification Administration, meanwhile, valued at P290.3 million the damage to power infrastructures of 20 electric cooperatives in 236 municipalities and cities in 13 provinces.
On power generation, some 2,406 megawatts have been restored.
Power plants affected by Rolly have a total installed capacity of 2,813 MW.
Tiwi still down
The Tiwi Geothermal Power Plant (117 MW) and Bacman Geothermal Power Plant (140 MW) are still down.
Also, the restoration of the 150-MW Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corp. is ongoing and is expected to come online by November 15.
Other power plants that were restored are the Avion Power Plant, Pagbilao Coal-fired Power Plant, One Subic Power Generation, and Botocan Hydroelectric Power Plant.
Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi pledged to restore power in the Bicol region, which was heavily hit by “Rolly”, before Christmas.
“We understand that Christmas is fast approaching and we don’t like people to be suffering or in inconvenience because there is no electricity. We will not wait for Christmas. People need to have electricity,” Cusi said.
