‘Luis’ damage to agri, infra in Central Luzon reaches P218.59M

Satellite image courtesy of DOST-PAGASA

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Some P218.59 million worth of crops and infrastructure in Central Luzon were damaged due to the onslaught of typhoon “Luis”.

Data from the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) as of 5 p.m. on Tuesday, showed that the damage in terms of agricultural production in the region by typhoon Luis was estimated at P217.94 million while on infrastructure, it was initially placed at P650,000.

With the continuous light to heavy rains due to the southwest monsoon enhanced by typhoon Luis, the crops in the region suffered the biggest losses, reaching some P198.91 million while high value crops were at P19.03 million.

Nueva Ecija was hardest hit with P152.19 million worth of agricultural damages, followed by Bulacan with P43.64 million and Zambales with P10.45 million.

The occasional strong rains and winds likewise caused damages to agriculture in Pampanga and Tarlac at P5.3 million and P4.6 million, respectively.

In Aurora, total damages to agricultural crops was initially reported at P1.73 million.

The strong rains brought by the typhoon also caused damage to infrastructures in the region.

Initial report showed that damage to roads and bridges in Nueva Ecija was placed at around P650,000.

Meanwhile, a total of 11,767 families or 56,841 persons in 120 barangays of the seven provinces in the region were affected by typhoon Luis.

A total of 38 houses were partially damaged and three were totally damaged in the towns of Palauig, Iba and Masinloc in Zambales.

The RDRRMC report also showed that eight villages in the flood-prone Candaba town in Pampanga are still submerged in floodwater up to six feet deep.

Likewise, a total of seven road sections in the region were impassable – two in Nueva Ecija, two in Tarlac and three in Pampanga.