Agri damage in Cebu reaches P44.87M

DAMAGE to crops, livestock and aquaculture due to El Niño in the province of Cebu has already reached P44.868 million as of April 12, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said.

In its El Niño Situation Report #2, Friday, the PDRRMO said 30 local government units (LGUs) in the province have submitted their damage reports on the effects of the dry spell in their respective areas.

In a related development, the Cebu City Government placed the entire city under a state of calamity also on the same day,

City Councilor Dave Tumulak said the declaration should have been made earlier but they only got the list of the areas affected by the limited water supply last April 10.

“The declaration is a bit late but it’s better that we already declared it because we are expecting that there are barangays still that will be affected by the El Niño,” he said.

The City can use at least P27.5 million in its calamity fund to extend assistance to those who are affected by the El Niño phenomenon after the City Council, in a special session, approved the resolution of Tumulak placing the city under a state of calamity.

Will still increase

The PDRRMO report covered the period March 18 to April 12.

The cost of damage is expected to increase as other LGUs still have to submit their reports on the extent of damage to crops, livestock, and livelihood to farmers and fisherfolks within their respective areas.

The 30 LGUs are Asturias, Alcantara, Argao, Alegria, Aloguinsan, Boljoon, Badian, Balamban, Bantayan, Carcar City, Compostela, Cordova, Consolacion, Dumanjug, Daanbantayan, Danao City, Dalaguete, Ginatilan, Liloan, Mandaue City, Medellin, Moalboal, Pilar, San Fernando, San Remigio, Santander, Sta. Fe, Talisay City, Tuburan, and Tudela.

According to Baby Manuel, engineer III of the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO), the town of Bantayan incurred the biggest damage amounting to P24 million with the massive destruction on its 300-hectare seaweed farm due to ice-ice disease.

This was followed with Compostela with damage amounting to P13.04 million covering 112.1 hectares in seven barangays where corn, coconut, banana, vegetables and other crops were planted.

The town of Asturias registered P28,000 in damage with the death of four pigs caused by pneumonia; P138,000 damage to pigs in Consolacion due to heat stroke and P60,000 worth of damage due to death of three pigs caused by heat stroke, P164,590 in damage to livestock and poultry and P767,090 in high-value crops in Pilar.

Here are the estimates for other towns: In Balamban, P200,000 worth of damage was estimated for the more than two hectares of ricefield; P2.2 million worth of damage to milkfish, tilapia and seaweeds and P22,500 for a ricefield, all in Carcar; P80,000 damage to a bangus farm in Mandaue City; and P4 million worth of damage to a 50-hectare seaweed farm in Sta. Fe.

According to Queenielen Pasaje, PAO agricultural technologist, the other LGUs that submitted their report detailed the damage to their crops, livestock and aquaculture but failed to provide the cost of damage.

But the PAO said they will still validate the amount reported by the LGUs.

Roldan Saragena, PAO chief, said they still could not ascertain if damage to agriculture and fishery sectors caused by the extreme weather condition affected the food supply and prices in the market.

Nine LGUs in the province have already placed their areas under a state of calamity. These were Talisay, Toledo, Carcar, Ginatilan, Minglanilla, Samboan, Tudela, Sogod and Dumanjug.

Meanwhile, the City Council also asked the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office to submit a written report on the breakdown of the disaster fund that will be spent in relation to the dry spell.

The City Agriculture Department has recorded around P27 million in damage in agriculture.

During the deliberation, Tumulak said assistance will be given to the residents both in the upland and lowland areas. (from SCG of SuperBalita Cebu/RVC)