THE Department of Agriculture (DA) reported on Saturday that agriculture damage from Severe Tropical Storm 'Paeng' has reached P3.16 billion.

The DA, in its 9 a.m. bulletin, said the total loss of production reached 197,811 metric tons covering 84,677 hectares of agricultural land. It affected 83,704 farmers and fisherfolk in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Central Mindanao, and Soccsksargen (South Cotobato, Cotobato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City) regions.

'Affected commodities include rice, corn, high-value crops, fisheries, livestock and poultry. Damage has also been incurred in agricultural infrastructures, machineries and equipment,' the Agriculture department added.

Rice production suffered the bulk of the damage, amounting to P1.95 billion, covering 76,747 hectares of palay (unmilled rice) farms.

Other agricultural products affected were high-value crops (P612.50 million), fisheries (P201.73 million), corn (P160.32 million), livestock and poultry (P40.04 million), cassava (P1.80 million), agricultural infrastructures (P190.68 million), and machineries and equipment (P1.79 million).

To mitigate the effect of the calamity, the department said that P1.74 billion worth of rice seeds, P11.57 million worth of corn seeds, P20.01 million worth of assorted vegetable seeds, as well as P176,000 worth of animal heads, drugs and biologics for livestock and poultry, will be distributed to affected farmers.

The DA added that affected parties can avail of P25,000 loan payable in three years at zero interest through the Survival and Recovery Loan Program of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council.

DSWD, Red Cross lend a helping hand

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it will disburse cash aid to people affected by Paeng in the simplest and most efficient manner while adhering to auditing protocols.

'What we want is to properly provide aid, whether it is food packs or cash assistance. I want it to be smooth and continuous, as well as easier for our fellow Filipinos,' DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo said in a statement on Saturday.

The DSWD said that calamity victims without a valid ID must submit a barangay (village) certification to claim financial aid.

The Social Welfare department said it is enforcing this single requirement in order to adhere to auditing regulations and guarantee that all public funds are accounted for.

The department issued the clarification after Mayor Dino Carlo Chua of Noveleta, Cavite complained that DSWD Field Office 4A had requested too many documents before providing financial aid to his constituents affected by Paeng.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has provided water tankers and psychosocial first aid to the victims of Paeng.

'The Red Cross has deployed water tankers so that they can bring clean water to our citizens who need this resource after a typhoon or an earthquake,' said Richard Gordon, PRC chairman and chief executive officer.

The PRC has provided 141,670 liters of clean water and hot meals in Laguna, Cotabato City, Maguindanao and Zamboanga City.

Red Cross also deployed its trained psychosocial personnel to conduct psychological first aid to affected residents of Bulacan, Cagayan, Camarines Sur, Cotabato City, Isabela, Kalinga, Laguna, Maguindanao, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Negros Occidental, Rizal, Romblon and Zamboanga City.