CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – Hundreds of millions of pesos worth of agricultural crops, structures, and properties were damaged in at least five towns in Lanao del Norte when Tropical Depression Falcon swept through Northern Mindanao on July 16, reports from the Office of Civil Defense-10 (OCD-10) and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (PDRRMO) reported Wednesday, July 31.
The flood affected 41 villages in the municipalities of Kapatagan, Sapad, Lala, Salvador, and Sultan Naga Dimaporo destroying houses, roads, water systems, electrical posts, and bridges, the OCD-10 said.
As of Wednesday, the initial estimated worth of damage to infrastructure in Lanao del Norte has reached P277.852 million, said Mabel Galvez, OCD-10 information officer.
According to the Lanao PDRRMO, there were 5,532 families or 13,674 individuals who were affected by the flooding brought by Falcon.
At least 14 persons were reported injured, while there was no casualty.
About P59.038 million worth of fishery products, including milkfish, tilapia, prawns, and crabs in 185.31 hectares of aquaculture farms were lost due to the flood in Kapatagan and Sultan Naga Dimaporo.
Falcon also damaged about 198.9 hectares of corn field and 759.85 hectares of rice paddies in Kapatagan, Sapad and Sultan Naga Dimaporo.
In Lala, the damage has so far reached P101.5 million destroying 6,288 hectares of assorted vegetative crops, added the PDRRMO.
Galvez said the damage assessment was just initial as the provincial government of Lanao del Norte is still in the process of validating reports from the affected municipalities.
Roy Secuya, PDRRMO operations officer, said they have reminded residents living in high-risk zones, especially in low-lying areas and riversides, to heed the warning from the local government authorities whenever a weather disturbance occurs for their own safety.
“That’s one of our mitigating measures, to remind our constituents to always be mindful of the warning from our office and local governments,” Secuya said. (davaotoday.com)
