THE Department of Agriculture (DA) 7 is urging quake-hit local government units in northern Cebu to input damage data into the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Information System (DRRMIS) for reimbursement and assistance after the magnitude 6.9 earthquake on Sept. 30, 2025.
DA 7 Assistant Chief for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Leo Pelletero, in a press briefing organized by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) 7 on Tuesday, Oct. 21, that the web-based system is required for reimbursement, as initial assessments by the agency’s Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) show P171 million in losses.
Of this, P169 million accounted for agricultural infrastructure losses from both government and private sectors; while P1.9 million was the amount pegged for livestock damages.
A joint validation involving the DA, affected LGUs, and other government agencies, including the Provincial Agriculture’s Office and other Capitol departments will be conducted from Wednesday, Oct. 22 to Friday, Oct. 24.
The DRRMIS is a web-based platform that standardizes and digitalizes the reporting process of damages and losses in the agriculture and fisheries sectors.
“In the exigency of service and to ensure smooth, systematized, and standardized reporting of damage and losses to the agriculture and fisheries sector, the reporting of damage and losses, and other DRRM-data will be done through DA Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Information System,” the DA said.
Pelletero said that the validated data will be inputted into the DRRMIS so that “the exact damage cost is reflected, without excess or shortage.”
Indemnification
He said damages recorded in the system will be the basis for indemnification or reimbursement to support repair and recovery efforts for affected farmers and fisherfolk. This will include actual damage to crops that have yet to be recorded by the DA to verify the reported figures amid continuing aftershocks.
“The crops still have no report,” Pelletero said. He assured that once data is properly entered, validated, and approved, reports can reach the DA Central Office in a matter of days through the digital platform.
The DA-DRRM has a P1-billion in quick response funds and national funds from the DA Central Office of P2 billion.
Pelletero said the DA 7 has sent an advance copy of the regional damage report to the central office to facilitate early funding allocation. He noted that validated reports, so far received by the DA 7, cover various structures, including slaughterhouses, water tanks, power houses, pig houses, broiler and layer houses, as well as other livestock and support facilities.
During the RDNA meeting held at the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) 7 in Lapu-Lapu City, other agencies also presented their initial assessments. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) 7 reported P321 million in aquaculture damage, P52 million in fish capture losses, and P20 million in post-harvest infrastructure damage — totaling P393.9 million, which will also undergo joint validation.
When asked about challenges faced by LGUs in encoding data into the DRRMIS, Pelletero said some Agriculture Extension Workers may need refresher training on the system.
“Maybe we also need to conduct refresher training for the Agriculture Extension Workers on the DRRMIS),” he said. / CDF