‘Quinta’ left P300M damages in agri crops

Typhoon ‘Quinta’ has left close to P300 million initial damages on agricultural crops, the Office of Civil Defense in Bicol said.

Claudio Yucot, OCD Bicol regional director and RDRRMC chairman, said “Quinta” destroyed 5, 588 hectares of rice farms and high value crops in two provinces alone amounting to P286.3 million.

Damages to agricultural crops in the Bicol region were: Camarines Sur -- 4,451 hectares of palay crops amounting to P 215.9 million; and 41.4 hectares planted with high value crops costing P7.4 million; Sorsogon -- some 391 hectares of palay and 625 hectares of high value crops. For fisheries, initial damages were pegged at P2 million.

In Albay province, Alfredo Mariscotes, Polangui municipal agriculture officer, said that some 180 hectares of palay farms were completely destroyed by “Quinta”.

Mariscotes said the typhoon left P50 million initial damages on rice land in Polangui town alone.

The 3rd district of Albay is the rice granary of the province wherein about 60 to 70 percent of palay crops are in the ripening stage when “Quinta” hammered the Bicol region, specifically Albay where the typhoon made landfall twice on Sunday evening.

Rep. Fernando Cabredo said that the typhoon is a total whammy for the farmers in the country specifically in Albay wherein majority of the palay crops were on flowering and ripening stage.

“We are saddened by this complex disaster because we have pandemic and series of weather disturbances badly affecting are farmers. The vast track of rice lands devastated by Typhoon “Quinta” is beyond recovery,” he said.

“Majority of our rice farmers are small time and are depending on their harvest to send their children to school, for their food sustainability and of the Philippines food requirements. They’re continuously toiling the land despite of lower palay prices just to feed our kababayans though farming rain or shine. Sadly, harsh weather disturbance destroyed their rice lands,” Cabredo said.

He said that the government though the various government agencies should help the farmers to bounce back from these double calamities.

“Quinta “ (international name Molave) brought heavy rains and winds of up to 100 kph to the Bicol region.

Typhoon “Quinta” made its first landfall in San Miguel Island, Tabaco City at 6:00 PM, while the second landfall was in the vicinity of Malinao, Albay at 6:50 PM on Sunday, Oct. 25.

In a related news, two missing fishermen from Gigmoto town were found dead and floating in the shore of Bato town in Catanduanes.

The two were Romeo Torillos, 44 of District 3 Barangay Penafrancia and Jomar Dela Concepcion of Barangay Biong, Gigmoto town based on the report of Bato police.

The OCD Bicol reported 13 fishermen missing. They defied a no-sail order of the government two days before the typhoon entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility.

Six of the 13 missing fishermen from Albay province were found and rescued in Virac, Catanduanes, while one remained missing after their boat capsized at the height of the typhoon.

Maj. Antonio Perez, Virac police chief, said Joshua Bora, 22; Christopher Bora, 25; Arnulfo Borral, 35 ;and Anthony Boral, 31, were the first four fishermen to reach the village of Talisyo around 10 PM on Sunday.

By 5:00 AM on Monday, Oct. 26, Elorde Bora, 21, and Julius Boque, 33, were found by villagers on the shores of Balite village, while their companion Joselito Ouapeuprecua, 50, remained missing.

The fishermen set sail on Oct. 21 few days before Typhoon Quinta enter the country or they were apparently unaware about the upcoming weather disturbance.

Perez said the fishermen’s boat was hammered by big waves, which caused it to capsized around 4:00 PM on Oct. 25.

He said that the fishermen held on to what remained of their boat until they reached the shores of the two Catanduanes villages.

Rough seas prevented the Philippine Coast Guard from conducting a search and rescue operation for the missing fisherman.

In Catuanduanes at least 12 fishermen were also reported missing.

Jerry Beo, Catanduanes provincial disaster risk reduction and management chief, said the missing fishermen were from the coastal villages of Bato, Panganiban and Gigmoto towns.

In Tiwi, Albay, a vessel run aground at Corangon Shoal destroying coral reefs in Lagunoy Gulf.

The local government of Tiwi has conducted a damage assessment to check the cost and possible fine against the owner of the sea vessel.

Typhoon “Quinta” affected close to one million Bicolanos, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said.

DSWD Bicol reported that some 608 barangays in Bicol with 213, 45 families or 843,508 persons were affected by the typhoon.