Damage to agriculture in Central Luzon hits P1.1B

By: Philippine News Agency
August 11, 2012 9:01 PM

No, this is not a giant sting ray, though it looks like that from the air. Extend of flooding is dramatically illustrated in this photo taken from a Philippine Air Force plane over Lubao, Pampanga, at the height of last week's floods from the southwest monsoon. The DA estimated initial farm damage at P1.1 billion in the Central Luzon plains, a critical food-producing region. PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY PHOTO

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CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga - The southwest monsoon that wrought havoc in the last three days damaged some P1.095 billion worth of crops, livestock and fishery products in Central Luzon.

Based on the initial assessment report of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD), the amount covered damage to rice, corn, high- value crops, livestock and fisheries in the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga and Zambales.

OCD regional director Josefina Timoteo said that the figures were only partial as the other provinces have yet to submit their reports.

The fisheries sector reported the biggest loss of P691.63 million due to damaged fishponds and fish cages. Pampanga was hard hit with P601.067 million, followed by Bulacan with P72.67 million and Zambales with P17.89 million.

The crops in the three provinces were also affected by massive flooding with an estimated P371.75-million loss.

The initial damage in the rice sector was pegged at P371.27 million, with Pampanga suffering most at P233.98 million; Bulacan at P121.54 million and Zambales at P15.75 million.

The estimated damage in the corn sector in Pampanga alone was valued at P76.74 million.

Damage to high-value crops such as vegetables in the three provinces totaled P22.27 million with Pampanga at P11.97 million, Bulacan at P7.89 million and Zambales at P2.41 million.

The total damage in the livestock sector was pegged at P10.25 million, with an estimated loss in Zambales at P7.57 million, followed by Bulacan at P2.45 million and Pampanga at P288,500.

Agriculture officials expect these numbers to rise as reports would come this week.

Andrew Villacorta, regional director of the Department of Agriculture, said they were still awaiting updated reports from various provinces and towns in the region.

Villacorta said the reports will be validated and would include a master list of all affected farmers in the region needing assistance.

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