• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Damage to crops and fisheries in Negro Occidental, due to inclement weather triggered by Tropical Storm Kristine, has increased to P5.5 million, according to reports from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist and Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
The report also said that 96 houses in the province were destroyed, while 2,898 others were partially damaged.
In her Oct. 15 report to Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacon. Provincial Agriculturist officer-in-charge Teena Pineda said that rice crops sustained damages of P3,221,433.90, while fisheries incurred damages of P2, 281,730.
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council reported earlier that damage to livestock has reached P131,564.26.
Initial damage to infrastructure was reported at P150,000 in Don Salvador Benedicto, where a school building was partially damaged.
Of the destroyed and partially damaged houses, .Silay City logged the highest number of affected houses with 18 destroyed, while 873 others were partially damaged, according to the Oct. 28 report of the PDRRMC.
About 23,600 families, composed of 90,837 individuals in 176 barangays of 19 local government units, were also affected by flooding, big waves and strong winds, due to the storm. | GB
