Bananas, veggies, roads Badly hit in Mt Province; calamity funds awaited

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province – Damages to ntional roads in the province as a result of recent typhoons reached P65.1 million with 269 houses damaged in the towns of Tadian, Bauko, Natonin, Paracelis, Barlig, and Sabangan, Sadanga, and Bontoc.

This as 11 houses in barangays Guinaang and Dalican in Bontoc were totally damaged even as P8.2 million worth of banana plants and fruits were destroyed in the province,

Damaged banana trees were found in Sagada, Tadian, Barlig, and the capital town of Bontoc.

Destroyed bananas were part of an estimated P28.8 million worth of crops grown in 1,192 hectares affecting 6,131 farmers in Mountain Province .

A total of P29.5 million of agricultural produce including livestock were hit by the two recent disasters.

On crop loss, the typhoons ravaged P16 million loss to the vegetable industry.

Vegetables in fourth class Mountain Province mostly grown in veggie-producing Bauko municipality lost P10.9 million worth including wombok, cabbage, and tomatoes.

Bauko was followed by Paracelis at P6.9 million loss of crops and Bontoc of P2.3 million damage.

Equally, vegetable producing Sagada lost 890 thousand peso worth of damaged crops and nearby Sabangan of P1.4 million worth of vegetables.

There was not much vegetables sold after the typhoons.

This food basket of the north which supplies enough vegetables for its populace sells excess cash- crop vegetables to La Trinidad, Baguio, Isabela and Manila.

Bontoc meantime lost nearly 400 thousand peso worth of palay followed by 130 thousand peso damage worth of palay in Tadian inflicting loss to rice supply for the immediate towns’ constituents.

Rice sup-ply among rice growers in Mountain Province is not enough for the total years’ food supply. Studies note that rice growing households begin buying commercial rice at least 4 to 6 months after rice harvest in July with them buying rice usually by December.

Rice most especially don’t grow well where irrigation facilities are not functioning effectively. P152 million worth of damaged infrastructure includes P30.3 million of agri-structures including irrigation systems.

Also, worst hit infrastructure are provincial road networks worth P99 million. The last two typhoons practically closed major road networks including those in Barlig and Natonin road barring entry to the capital town of Bontoc.

While that is so, calamity funds await to be released by the current national administration having announced P4 billion for calamity support.

Provincial Information Officer Angel Baybay said in last year’s calamity fund support, the Department of Agriculture gave seeds.

At least P64 million worth of relief assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Local Government Units, Department of Health and Non-Government Organizations, was released to the various affected regions, according to the NDRRMC.