ABOUT P104 million in livestock, crops and fishery products were destroyed in Negros Occidental during the onslaught of Typhoon Paeng over the weekend affecting thousands of livestock raisers and farmers.
The biggest loss was at the livestock industry where the total farm animals lost and damage to facilities in the towns of Cauayan, Hioba-an, Murcia Pontevedra, Pulupandan, San Enrique and Valladolid as well as in the cities of Bago, Himamaylan and La Carlota reached P1,012,180, a report from the provincial veterinary office showed.
As to farm animal fatalities, PVO recorded 864 valued at P982,180 and facilities damaged were worth P30,000.
Rice and high value crops destroyed were valued at P103,123, 017 representing 4,939 hectares in the towns of Calatrava, Cauaya, Hinoba-an, Moises Padilla, Pontevedra, San Enrique and Valladolid, the provincial agriculture’s office reported.
It added that crops were also destroyed in the cities of Bago, Cadiz, Escalante, Himamaylan, La Carlota, Sipalay, Sagay, San Carlos and Talisay
The total number of farmers affected is at 4,799 from 138 barangays.
While the province and the whole country is yet to recover from the devastation of Typhoon Paeng, Tropical Storm Queenie with international name Banyan had entered the Philippine Area of responsibility at about 3 p.m. yesterday.
With this, the Provincial Disaster Management Program Division (PDMPD) urged the public to monitor the latest weather bulletin, be alert of isolated rain showers and thunderstorms and transfer to safer places if they live by the river banks or shores.
“Do not try to cross strong current in overflows, rivers and creeks; be alert, especially in flood prone and landslide prone areas and listen and obey the advisory on preparedness to avoid unnecessary death because of our complacency and recklessness,” PDMD in its advisory said.
As to local risk reduction management councils, they are reminded to monitor and ensure waterways are clear of obstruction
and debris; review their contingency plans and report untoward incident or evacuation to the Provincial Command Center,
They are also tasked to mitigate possible risk in their Area of Responsibility and conduct pre-emptive or mandatory evacuation, if necessary.