- CHERYL G. CRUZ
The largest ship of the Philippine Coast Guard, BRP Melchora Aquino, docked at the Iloilo Port Nov. 5 to deliver relief supplies from the Department of Social Welfare and Development for residents affected by Typhoon Paeng.PCG delivers typhoon aid to WVThe largest ship of the Philippine Coast Guard, BRP Melchora Aquino, docked at the Iloilo Port Nov. 5 to deliver relief supplies from the Department of Social Welfare and Development for residents affected by Typhoon Paeng.
The PCG Task Force Kalinga, headed by CG Rear Admiral Juan Manuel Ramos Jr., turned over more than 10,000 family food packs, hundreds of bottled water, and 20,000 pieces of slotted cartons containing food and nonfood assistance.
Recorded losses in the agriculture and fishery sector in Western Visayas due to “Paeng” stood at over P773 million in total, as reported during the Full Council emergency meeting of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council 6 on Nov. 3, the Philippine Information Agency 6 said.
Losses in agriculture reached P394,243,432.97 with 94.14 percent of damage in rice crops and the rest on other commodities, such as high value crops, sugarcane, livestock and poultry, and corn.
The losses also included other agricultural facilities, machineries, and equipment affected, as reported by the Department of Agriculture in Western Visayas.
Damage to the fishery sector totaled P379,405,798.38, affecting some 6,294 fisherfolk in the region, the report said.
The Department of Public Works and Highways 6 also estimated that over P1.7 billion will be needed to restore damaged infrastructure throughout Western Visayas.
It said that the Antique District Engineering Office accounted for the largest estimated cost of restoration amounting to P497 million, followed by the Iloilo 1st DEO and the Negros Occidental 2nd DEO at P215 million and P205 million, respectively.
On Nov. 2, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued Proclamation No. 84 placing Western Visayas and three other regions in the country under the state of calamity for six months, to hasten and intensify the rescue, recovery, relief and rehabilitation efforts of the government and private sectors, the PIA said./CGC
