Storm damage delays rice harvest in Panay

ILOILO CITY—The destruction wrought by Typhoon “Marce” on rice lands on Panay Island could delay harvest in three provinces where crop losses were pegged at P104 million, government agriculturists and disaster response officials said.

Heavy rain dumped by Marce on the island destroyed P69.74 million in Aklan province, P27.3 million in Iloilo province and P7.58 million in Capiz province, initial reports from these provinces’ Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices (PDRRMO) showed.

In Iloilo, the typhoon destroyed or damaged 7,332 hectares of rice lands, 310 ha of corn and 5,553 ha planted with other crops.

The flooding prompted the municipal governments of Zarraga and San Enrique to declare a state of calamity to enable the release of funds to assist typhoon victims.

Marce also destroyed or damaged roads and other government infrastructure in the province worth at least P33.9 million.

Some 15,028 families or 54,801 people were dislocated by the typhoon, which also destroyed 18 houses and damaged 319 others.

Strong winds and huge waves destroyed 73 fishing boats and damaged 97 others, according to a PDRRMO-Iloilo report.

In Capiz, agriculturists said seedlings and crops in the vegetative stage were destroyed by floods.

“Many farmers need to replant their crops because of the damage. There are still farms that are submerged,” provincial agriculturist Sylvia dela Cruz told the Inquirer.

She said 704.9 ha of rice lands were destroyed while 9,361.47 ha were damaged.

Dela Cruz said replanting in areas affected by typhoon could delay harvest, especially of palay. —NESTOR P. BURGOS JR.