Storm Agaton agri damage climbs to P1.4B; death toll at 175 

AGRICULTURAL damage due to tropical storm Agaton, with international name  Megi, has risen to P1.4 billion, the Department of Agriculture reported on Tuesday.   

Damage and losses have been reported in the regions of Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen and Caraga, affecting 23,188 farmers and fishers.   

Volume of production loss stood at 35,258 metric tons (MT) across 17,384 hectares of agricultural areas.  

“The increase in overall damage and losses is due to additional reports on fisheries in Western Visayas,” the department said in its April 19 bulletin.  

Affected commodities include rice, corn, high value crops, livestock, and fisheries.  

Available interventions include at least P662.5 million worth of financial assistance, including: P500 million worth of Quick Response Fund for the rehabilitation of affected areas, and P100 million under the Survival and Recovery (SURE) Assistance Program of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council for Western Visayas.  

The department is also providing P42.07 million worth of rice seeds, P16.76 million worth of corn seeds, and P3.61 million worth of assorted vegetables.  

The Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation will also allocate funding to indemnify affected farmers.  

CASUALTIES
Meanwhile, search and retrieval operations were continuing as of Tuesday, according to authorities, with 110 still classified as missing while the death toll has reached 175 based on the national disaster agency’s latest report.    

The Department of the Interior and Local Government said on Tuesday that 8,823 police officers and firefighters were deployed to assist in the evacuation, search, rescue, and retrieval operations as storm Agaton triggered flooding and landslides last week, mostly in central parts of the country.   

Military officers and local emergency teams have also been part of the response operations.   

Most of those who died were due to massive landslides in the province of Leyte in Eastern Visayas, with at least 110 in Baybay City and more than 50 in Abuyog town. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson and John Victor D. Ordoñez