Crop losses at Mimaropa surpass five million pesos: OCD
Damage to agriculture, especially rice, caused by the southwest monsoon enhanced by Tropical Storm Henry has reached to more than five million pesos at the Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) region, the regional Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said on Wednesday.
Based on its latest report, OCD said damage to crops was estimated at P 5,726,060.
Rice crops from 522,.30 hectares worth P 5,628,560.20 in Occidental Mindoro accounted for a big chunk of losses while damage to corn was placed at P 97,500 also in the same province.
Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol told the Daily Manila Shimbun in a text message "that number is negligible."
"The tropical depressions were more beneficial than destructive because the rains allowed upland areas second cropping," said Pinol.
The OCD said infrastructure losses were placed at P100,000 as a concrete bridge in Brgy. Cabacao, Abra De Ilog was partially damaged.
On its 8 am report, the National Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said it recorded 31.30 hectares of rice and corn crops were destroyed in Negros Occidental, but the report stressed that the cost of damage is being assessed.
The NDRRMC also recorded a total of 19,612 families or 71,310 persons affected by the weather disturbance in Central Luzon, NCR, Western Visayas, Calabarzon and Mimaropa.
The report shows that among the affected population, a total of 1,548 families or 5,420 persons were being served insidee 59 evacuation centers in these regions.
A total of 152 houses were also affected in the province of Bataan, Zambales and Negros Occidental, 144 of which were partially damaged while eight were totally destroyed.
Meanwhile Tropical Depression Inday has become a storm, according to the weather bureau Thursday.
As of 3pm, Inday was spotted at 1,025km east of Basco, Batanes with maximum winds of 75 kph, with gusts of to 90 kph. Inday was moving northeast at the speed of 25 kph, with central pressure of 992 hectopascals.
Because of the enhanced southwest monsoon, intermittent moderate to heavy monsoon rains are expected over Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Zambales and Bataan.
Scattered light to moderate with at times heavy rains are expected over Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon until Inday leaves the Philippine Area Responsibility by Saturday. Robina Asido/DMS
