30,000 families still in evacuation centers

Tropical Storm Agaton

MANILA, Philippines — More than a week after Tropical Depression Agaton dumped heavy rain that caused massive flooding and landslides in Eastern Visayas and parts of Luzon and Mindanao, nearly 30,000 families remain in evacuation centers.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 109,721 people have yet to return to their homes.

Around 80,000 other people are staying outside temporary shelters provided by the government.

As of yesterday, the NDRRMC said the death toll was at 178, with 111 persons still missing.

Rescuers stopped search, rescue and retrieval operations in some landslide-prone areas to ensure the safety of rescuers.

The NDRRMC said the Incident Management Team cited cracks in the soil, which can trigger more landslides if the diggings continue.

Agriculture damage hits P2.3 billion

Damage to the agriculture sector due to Agaton rose to P2.3 billion, the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center reported yesterday.

The DA said 25,632 hectares of agricultural land were affected, with production loss at 70,064 metric tons. Up to 54,013 farmers and fishermen were affected.

The rice sector accounted for the bulk of the damage with P947.3 million in losses followed by fisheries, P778.6 million; high-value crops, P242 million; livestock and poultry, P38 million, and corn, P53.2 million.

Irrigation and agriculture facilities worth P203 million were also damaged.

The DA said at least P715 million worth of assistance is immediately available for affected farmers and fisherfolk. – Louise Maureen Simeon