Typhoon “Quinta” has wrought extensive damage to crops, fisheries, and agricultural infrastructure, with another strong storm, to be called “Rolly,” expected to hit the country’s landmass before the weekend, officials said Wednesday.
Oriental Mindoro Gov. Humerlito Dolor estimated that Quinta did P2 billion of agricultural damage in his province.
In an interview on ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo, Dolor said most of the damage was due to high-value crops, while rice crops suffered less.
The province has since declared a state of calamity that would allow it to tap emergency funds to address Quinta’s damage.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture said Quinta dealt P705.87 million worth of damage to crops, fisheries and infrastructure.
In its latest update, the DA said some 33,545 metric tons of crops were lost to the typhoon, affecting 25,483 farmers and fishermen.
The typhoon also damaged about 19,971 hectares of agricultural areas in Ilocos region, CALABARZON, the Bicol region, Western Visayas and the Zamboanga Peninsula.
Affected commodities include rice, corn, high-value crops, fisheries, livestock, irrigation, and agricultural facilities.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said damage to agriculture and infrastructure caused by Quinta has — so far — amounted to P429.73 million.
The NDRRMC also confirmed that nine people were killed, while six others were injured and two others were missing in Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, and Central Visayas.
A total of 93 road sections and 20 bridges in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Eastern Visayas, and CAR were affected by flooding, landslides, road slip, and soil erosion due to the typhoon.
In an update on Wednesday noon, NDRRMC executive director Ricardo Jalad said the typhoon’s damage to agriculture and infrastructure was placed at P401.73 million and P28 million, respectively in Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol, and Western Visayas.
This developed as the weather disturbance approaching the Philippine area of responsibility is forecast to strengthen into a tropical storm by Thursday, the state weather bureau said.
The tropical depression last estimated 1,960 kilometers east of Central Luzon is expected to enter PAR between Thursday morning and afternoon if it continues to move west northwest “slowly,” the weather bureau said.
The storm was packing maximum winds of 55 km per hour near the center, and gusts of up to 70 kph, it said.
“It will continue to intensify while moving over the Philippine Sea and may reach typhoon category prior to landfall,” the weather bureau added.
Field reports on rice and corn crop were collated from the provinces of Batangas, Laguna, Rizal, Quezon, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo and Zamboanga City.
The DA said initial assistance through the Quick Response Fund (QRF) amounting to P795 million would go to the rehabilitation of affected areas.
The Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan Program of Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) will also provide support while indemnification funds from Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) will be on standby for delivery to affected farmers.
A total of 30,280 bags of rice seeds, 8,071 bags of corn seeds, and 1,792 kgs of assorted vegetables from Regions I, IV-A, V, VI and IX;l will be distributed to farmers for replanting.
Meanwhile, 49,557 families were affected by Quinta, which is equivalent to 209,457 persons residing in 787 barangays in Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, and Eastern Visayas.
Of this number, 12,223 families or 48,417 persons were in 704 evacuation centers while 2,357 families or around 7,965 individuals were being helped outside evacuation hubs.
The NDRRMC also reported that a total of 6,109 families or 24,682 persons were pre-emptively evacuated in Mimaropa, Bicol, and the National Capital Region.
The new storm comes just days after Quinta battered Luzon and parts of Visayas.
The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) on Wednesday urged the DA and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to urgently release cash aid to farming families severely affected by successive typhoons.
“The government must consider the immediate granting of P10,000 cash aid to typhoon-affected farmers. This amount is just a portion of their losses due to the recent typhoons,” the KMP said.
On top of the effects of the pandemic and several months of lockdown, farmers have to endure the calamitous effects of typhoons all-year-round, the group said.