BACOLOD City — Three typhoons that hit the Philippines last week caused significant damage to rice farms and fisheries in Negros Occidental, excluding Bacolod City, totaling P2,530,481.63.
The figure comes from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist’s (OPA) initial damage report submitted by Provincial Agriculturist Dina Genzola to Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson on Monday, September 29.
Genzola said the report covers the impact of typhoons “Mirasol,” “Nando,” and “Opong,” enhanced by the southwest monsoon, as of 8 a.m. on Monday.
Damage to crops alone was estimated at P2,415,481.63 across 18 barangays in four local government units (LGUs). These include Barangay Quezon in San Carlos City; barangays Bago, Bagong Silang, Bunga, Igmayaan, Kumaliskis, Pandanon, and Pinowayan in Don Salvador Benedicto; barangays Riverside, Cancab, and Lima-Lima in Isabela; and barangays Quintin Remo, Odiong, Montilla, Magallon Cadre 4, 6, and Guinpana-an in Moises Padilla.
Fisheries sustained P115,000 in damages, with fishing boats in barangays Bantayon and Lo-ok in Calatrava being the most affected.
Among the three storms, “Opong” had the greatest impact, displacing several residents on September 26 when parts of Negros Occidental were placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1, including Bacolod City, and Signal No. 2 in the northern portion of the province.
In Bacolod City, the City Agriculture Office (CAO) has yet to release its damage assessment. However, hundreds of residents were evacuated from barangays Cabug, Taculing, Pahanocoy, Banago, and 10 due to flooding. The provincial and city governments provided food assistance to affected families, who have since returned home after floodwaters receded./PN
