MANILA — Tropical Depression Urduja has caused damages and losses amounting to PHP701.6 million, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
“Urduja” affected a total of 36,896 hectares of land in the Bicol region, and the provinces of Leyte, Samar, Cebu, and Agusan del Sur, with the volume of production losses estimated at 17,334 metric tons, the department said in an updated report as of December 20.
The DA noted that rice and high-value crops were heavily damaged, with losses valued at PHP408.3 million and PHP280 million, respectively.
The damage covers 33,294 hectares for rice, and 1,475 hectares for high-value crops, which included pole sitao, squash, okra, upland kangkong, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, string beans, eggplant, pechay, mango, bananas, and sweet potatoes.
Corn and cassava, meanwhile, incurred losses of PHP9.85 million. Livestock likewise sustained losses of PHP3.3 million after 2,489 animals were affected.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Eastern Visayas, on the other hand, reported PHP157,000 worth of damages in fishery facilities. (Juzel Danganan/PNA)
