Photo courtesy of PNA
Benguet was placed under a state of calamity after damage from prolonged rains and recent tropical cyclones initially reached Php 1.06 billion, provincial officials said Tuesday.
Five people died and three remained missing following the severe weather, while 211 houses were damaged, including 18 that were destroyed. Authorities also reported 40,121 affected individuals.
The provincial board approved the calamity declaration Monday upon the recommendation of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, which consolidated initial assessments from Benguet’s 13 municipalities and provincial offices.
Vice Gov. Mary Rose Fongwan-Kepes said the province had met the criteria for the declaration, allowing the local government to mobilize emergency resources for affected communities and industries.
Roads and bridges sustained the largest share of damage at Php 708.7 million, while losses involving livestock, poultry, fisheries and agricultural facilities were estimated at Php 318.6 million. Damage to public infrastructure reached Php 30 million and losses to private property stood at Php 11.2 million.
The disaster also affected 6,362 farmers in Benguet, a major agricultural province that provincial officials said supplies about 70 percent of the country’s temperate vegetable requirements.
The declaration will take effect once Gov. Melchor Diclas signs the provincial board resolution. It will allow the province to tap its quick response fund for relief, recovery and rehabilitation efforts.
Diclas warned that losses could increase as rains continue, with saturated mountain slopes posing a heightened landslide risk. He also urged farmers to coordinate with the provincial government and the Department of Agriculture to find markets for their produce and prevent unsold vegetables from going to waste.