‘Labuyo’ crop losses in two regions: P.3 B

Tropical storm "Labuyo" left at least P275 million in agricultural losses in the Cordilleras and Cagayan Valley, excluding about P500,000 in infrastructure damage, and at least seven dead in the two regions and Ilocos Norte, reports said.

As of yesterday, crop damage in Isabela and Cagayan, both in Cagayan Valley, was placed at more than P140 million, although the figure is expected to rise as damage assessment reports are received from Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and Batanes.

Cagayan suffered the biggest agricultural losses, the regional disaster coordinating council said.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) initially pegged the agricultural losses in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) at P133 million, apart from P500,000 in infrastructure damage.

The hardest-hit CAR province was Ifugao (P83 million), followed by Mountain Province (P43 million), Benguet (P8.8 million), Kalinga (P6.1 million) and Apayao (P927,472), the OCD said. Abra has still not sent in its damage report.

As of yesterday, disaster officials said "Labuyo" left four fatalities in Cagayan Valley, two others in the Cordilleras and another one in Ilocos Norte. Three persons were still reported missing.

The body of Reynante Bangui, 21, who was swept away by rampaging floodwaters at the height of "Labuyo," was recovered in Gonzaga, Cagayan, bringing the region’s death toll to four.

Two others were still missing in Gattaran, Cagayan and Santiago City, Isabela, and a third one in Quirino, Ilocos Sur.

Portions of Laoag City and 15 towns in Ilocos Norte remain flooded. So are a number of villages in the Ilocos Sur towns of Cabugao, Quirino and San Vicente.

Meanwhile, in Camarines Sur, Mayor Jaime Gonzales of Bato town said they are declaring a state of calamity in 20 flood-stricken barangays. Some 90 families from these villages are temporarily housed in nine evacuation centers.

Villages in the towns of Baao, Bula and Nabua in the province’s fourth district are also flooded. — Artemio Dumlao, Charlie Lagasca, Jun Elias, Teddy Molina and Celso Amo