Agriculture bears brunt of Typhoon Mina’s wrath

Typhoon Mina (international name:  Nanmadol) swept the Northern Luzon and Cagayan Valley region late last week, unleashing floods, landslides, tornadoes, sea and land accidents; causing power and telecommunications cuts, and taking a toll on lives, property, agricultural crops, and infrastructure before heading out of country on Monday.

Damage is estimated to hit P1.108 billion as of yesterday, according to National Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Executive Director Benito T. Ramos.

In the Cagayan Valley alone, farm damage so far has been pegged at P1.061 billion in Cagayan, Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya provinces, according to Agriculture Assistant Secretary Salvador S. Salacup.

Of the affected area of palay which is 36,293 hectares, only 124 hectares were totally damaged, he added.

The volume of palay or unmilled rice loss was estimated at 40,415 metric tons worth P663 million.

The volume of damaged corn crops reached 37,365 MT valued at P397 million.

Corn area affected covers 47,080 hectares, all partially damaged.

On the other hand, losses to the fisheries sector amounted to P1.4 million.

Asked if the department will be revising its palay and corn production forecasts for the quarter in the aftermath of Mina, Mr. Salacup said it is early to tell as the department is still awaiting further field reports.

Palay production is expected to reach 3.209 million MT in the third quarter, while corn output is expected to reach 2.444 million MT in the period, according to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics’ (BAS) rice and corn situation outlook and report released this month.

Meahwhile, the death toll from Mina has reached 25, with most of the dead drowning, buried  by landslides or struck by lightning.

Some 55,000 individuals who had to flee at the height of the storm are expected to go back to their homes today.

Meanwhile, a vast rubbish dump in the North which collapsed killing several people will be relocated, authorities said yesterday.

The collapse of the Irisan open dump in Baguio City accounted for three deaths, one missing and one injured, said Olivia Luces, civil defense office regional head.

“The city government has decided to look for an alternative area for an appropriate dumping site,” Ms. Luces told AFP.

“The settlers below the collapsed retaining wall will be evacuated.”

Ms. Luces said the city of 253,000 people had been using the open dump, located on the side of a mountain, for decades and informal settlers later put up shanties below the wall that marked the lower edge of the dump.

Rescuers estimate some 1,500 tons of compacted rubbish slid down the mountainside after floodwaters eroded the base of the wall.

Ms. Luces said the immediate priority was to truck the dislodged rubbish to another town that will be willing to host a new dump.

An average of 20 storms and typhoons, many of them deadly, hit the Philippines annually.