Scenes following a landslide along Halsema Highway in Mountain Province after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit Langilang town in Abra on Wednesday, July 27, 2022.| (Mountain Province DRRM Office)
MANILA, Philippines — Damage to the agriculture sector in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) brought about by the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that rocked parts of norther Luzon was initially pegged at 3.8 million by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The DA on Thursday said farm-to-market roads, a diversion dam, and communal irrigation systems were among the damaged agriculture-related infrastructuresin the region.
It added that the DA-CAR has since checked the current supply of highland vegetables in private trading centers, including the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center and the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading post.
“Based on the report, we have an inventory of about 1,175 metric tons of vegetables of different kinds,” DA Undersecretary Kristine Evangelista said in a statement.
To ensure sufficient food supply for the earthquake-affected communities, the DA-CAR deployed two Kadiwa trucks — loaded with 3 metric tons of assorted vegetables, dried fish and other food items to the mujicipalities of San Quintin, Pidigan, Bangued, Tayum, Dolores, Lagangilang, and Bucay in Abra.
Its Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management team, citing the assessment of the Department of Public Works and Highways, also reported 14 road closures due to soil collapse, rock slides, and cracks.
The blocked-off roads, according to the DA, include:
- Abra: Kalinga, Ilocos Norte and Cervantes roads
- Benguet: Kennon, Baguio-Bua-Itogon, and Dangwa national road
- Ifugao: Banaue-Hungduan-Benguet boundary road
- Kalinga: Mt. Province-Calanan-Pinukpuk-Abut road, Kalinga-Abra, and Lubuanga-Batong Bahay-Abra road
- Mountain Province: Baguio-Bontoc, Mt. Province-Cagayan-Enrile, Mt. Province-Ilocos Sur (via Kayan), and Mt. Province- Ilocos Sur (via Tue Road) roads
The road closures, however, “pose no significant effect to the delivery and transport of agriculture and fishery products to the trading areas in Metro Manila as local government units and concerned agencies have immediately responded and conducted clearing operations.”
“Supply and prices of [agricultural] commodities remain stable,” the DA also noted.
A magnitude 7 earthquake on Wednesday morning hit northeast of Lagangilang, Abra, killing at least five individuals.
The following day, the earthquake-ravaged province of Abra declared a state of calamity.
