Damage to PH agri, fisheries from Egay top P4.4B – DA

LULL. Fisherfolk are always among the most affected during tropical cyclones. This group gathered at the Manila Bay in the Parañaque River area on Sunday (July 23, 2023) is thankful Severe Tropical Storm Egay spared the National Capital Region. (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)

MANILA – The damage and losses in the country’s agricultural and fisheries sector caused by Typhoon Egay have reached nearly PHP5 billion, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported on Thursday.

Based on the bulletin issued by the DA’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Section, the amount of damage to the sector is now at PHP4.47 billion, affecting 170,510 farmers and fisherfolk with total volume of production loss at 152,041 metric tons and 195,539 hectares of agricultural areas.

The figures were based on the assessment of DA Regional Field Offices in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen and Caraga.

The DA said available for distribution to affected farmers and fisherfolk are rice seeds and fertilizers worth PHP65.3 million; corn seeds and pesticides worth PHP94.7 million; assorted vegetable seeds worth PHP39.6 million and tilapia, carp and catfish fingerlings from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources worth PHP62,000.

Also available are PHP5.9 million worth of fuel assistance for fisherfolk, specifically those in CAR, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon; PHP 1.9 million worth of repair and maintenance for damaged motorized boats; PHP200 million worth of Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan Program from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council with a loanable amount of up to PHP25,000, payable in three years at zero interest; and PHP500 million worth of Quick Response Fund for the rehabilitation of affected areas.

The DA is also coordinating with other national government agencies, local government agencies and other disaster response officers to assess the effects of the recent typhoon and determine available resources to assist the affected population.