ILOILO – The agriculture sector in Western Visayas has taken a severe beating from tropical depression “Agaton” with losses climbing to P142,813,262.06 – a big blow to efforts to restart the local economy reeling from two years of restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The region’s death toll from the storm also rose to 11, according to the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC).
But these figures culled over the weekend could balloon further, said Cindy Ferrer, spokesperson of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in the region.
Not all local government units (LGUs) have submitted their reports yet. They are still reeling from flooding and landslides.
From what the RDRRMC has so far gathered, 4,503 hectares of agricultural lands in the provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, Antique, and Guimaras got flooded
“The damage to agriculture has now reached to P142.8 million based on data from the Department of Agriculture (DA). Capiz and Iloilo, particularly northern Iloilo, have the biggest damage. They were heavily flooded when ‘Agaton’ struck our region,” Ferrer told Panay News.
“Agaton” pounded the region with heavy rains from April 10 to 12, affecting 1,228 barangays and displacing 339,304 families or 1,279,904 individuals in Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental.
Here’s the breakdown of the damage to agriculture:
* Iloilo – 1,185 hectares (P53,519,743.2)
* Capiz – 3,093 hectares (P81,843,975)
* Antique – 224.85 hectares (P7,275,438)
* Guimaras – 0.35 hectares (P183,105)
“We are expecting the data to get bigger as we receive more reports from our LGUs,” said Ferrer.
As for the death toll, the RDRRMC has so far counted 11 – five from Iloilo and six from Capiz.
“Our deaths were caused by flooding. They were swept away by the strong current of floodwaters, and most of them unfortunately drowned,” said Ferrer.
The RDRRMC, however, expects more reports on casualties. Five persons remain unaccounted in Capiz.
Property damage (houses) has also risen. The council has counted 10,018 damaged houses (615 totally and 9,403 partially).
The totally damaged were from Aklan (two), Antique (three), Capiz (51), Iloilo (555), and Negros Occidental (four).
The partially damaged, on the other hand, were 74 in Aklan, 180 in Antique, 98 in Capiz, 9,049 in Iloilo, and two in Negros Occidental.
As of April 16, seven LGUs have declared a state of calamity so they could use their calamity funds. These were Sara, Lemery, Passi City, Batad, Concepcion, Ajuy and San Enrique all in northern Iloilo province.
But of these LGUs, only three have so far formally submitted resolutions to the RDRRMC declaring a state of calamity – Sara, Lemery and Passi City.
In Capiz, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council recommended a province-wide state of calamity.
For its part, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it had so far released P30,503,987 worth of assistance to the displaced that included family food packs, bottled water, hygiene kits, kitchen kits, sleeping kits, and modular tents./PN
