German firm donates P6M for storm victims: 'Juan,' flood losses, infra damage in Isabela hit P7 B

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – The onslaught of super typhoon “Juan” and recent floods have left at least P7 billion in crop losses and infrastructure damage in Isabela.

The province, according to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, incurred more than P3.5 billion in crop losses and infrastructure damage from the floods alone.

The super typhoon, the worst to hit Cagayan Valley in recent years, left Isabela, the country’s leading corn- and rice-producing province, with nearly P4 billion in losses in agricultural crops and infrastructure facilities.

“The succeeding floods ultimately finished off whatever standing crops survived from the typhoon,” said Isabela Gov. Faustino Dy III.

The recent calamities came as Isabela was still recovering from almost eight months of drought due to the El Niño phenomenon, which ruined more than P6 billion worth of crops.

“It’s very difficult to get back on our feet but I know we can recover after some time, as we were able to do in the past,” Dy said.

In its final flood damage report, the PDRRMC said Isabela’s rice, corn and vegetable crops as well as fishery products suffered the brunt of the floods, which inundated more than 70 percent of farmlands, leaving P2.6 billion in losses.

This, as one of the biggest welfare institution in Germany, Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe, donated 100,066 Euro (P6 million) to Citizens' Disaster Response Center for the families affected by Typhoon Juan (Megi) in Northern and Central Luzon.

The strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year left more than 400,000 families and damaged crops and infrastructures worth billions of pesos.
Some 30 people were also reported killed and 42 injured.

The CDRC and its regional centers are currently delivering emergency packs to the hardest-hit areas in Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, Tarlac, Apayao, Kalinga, Mt. Province, Abra, Benguet and Ifugao.

These provinces suffered heavily from floods, landslides, destroyed houses and crop loss.

A total of 4,820 families will benefit from the relief packs, which contain 10 kilos of rice, and a kil0o each of monggo beans, dried fish, sugar, six cans sardines, 500 ml cooking oil, a bar of laundry soap, water container and bottled water.

“Northern and Central Luzon barely recovered from typhoons Ondoy (Ketsana) and Pepeng (Parma) last year, and here came another super typhoon,” said Carlos Padolina, CDRC deputy executive director.

CDRC is a non-government organization that pioneered and continues to promote community-based disaster management in the Philippines.

CDRC operates nationwide through a network of regional centers affiliated with the Citizens’ Disaster Response Network and through people’s organizations. – With a report from Charlie Lagasca