Mindanao agri damage exceeds P500M due to LPA trough

MANILA, Philippines — The damage cost to agriculture due to the trough of a low-pressure area (LPA), which inundated several regions in Mindanao, climbed to P502,482,986 on Thursday.

According to a situational report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) issued at 8 a.m., 19,070 agricultural workers in Davao Region and Caraga lost a total of 3,722 metric tons (MT) of farm goods due to flooding and incessant rains brought by the LPA’s trough.

READ: DSWD: 1.6 million locals affected due to LPA trough in Mindanao

Farmers in the Davao Region bore the brunt of the damage, losing approximately 3,109 MT or P289,672,775 worth of their crops to the weather system.

Agricultural workers in Caraga, on the other hand, lost 612 MT or P212,810,210 of crops.

In the two regions, 17,967 hectares were damaged, meaning crops in those areas cannot recover, NDRRMC explained.

Additionally, damage to infrastructure in the two regions was estimated at P827,075,125, the agency’s report continued.

As of Thursday, the trough of the LPA has affected 1,521,478 persons or 455,265 families across Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, Caraga, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The NDRRMC said that 242 areas in Mindanao are still flooded as of posting time.

READ: DSWD distributes P181M in aid to Mindanao LPA victims

The agency is likewise still validating 22 reported deaths, 11 injuries, and two cases of missing persons due to the LPA’s trough.

The weather system first hit Mindanao in late January and dissipated on February 3, leaving significant damage in its wake, which continues to be felt by residents in the area.