Agri damage due to Mayon ash fall reaches P190-M

An image of Mayon spewing ash and pyroclastic materials is reflected on a farm in the village of Busay in Daraga town, Albay province. The country’s most active volcano continued to show signs of unrest and residents around danger zones had been told to flee. Authorities had raised Alert Level 4 in areas around the volcano, prohibiting entry into a 7-8 kilometer danger zone. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

Ash fall caused by the continuous eruption of the Mayon volcano has already affected almost P190 million worth of agriculture.

As of 8:00 a.m. of Sunday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council recorded that about P181,382,970 worth of rice, P7,573,696 corn crops and P478,000 worth of abaca were damaged due to the lava fountain episodes of Mayon, Radyo Inquirer 990 AM reported.

The Mayon volcano already had three lava fountaining episodes since Sunday morning, the Philippine Institute of Seismology and Volcanology recorded.

READ: Phivolcs counts 3 lava fountaining on Mayon on Sunday

Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol said that about 70 percent of rice fields around Mayon were affected by the eruptions.

According to the report, Piñol is set to go Albay to monitor the damage caused by the eruptions and recommend possible solutions to President Rodrigo Duterte.

The P1 billion quick reaction fund from the agricultural department to assist the affected farmers is now also prepared, the report said. /je

RELATED VIDEO