El Niño Costs P78 Million Damage in Cebu Province

A report from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMO) showed the damages on crops, fishery and livelihood caused by the weak El Niño affecting 38 Local Government Units (LGUs) that costs P78,092,327.76.

This information was confirmed by Rhee Telen Jr. of the PDRRMO.

Affected LGUs are cities of Bogo, Carcar, Danao, Mandaue, Naga, Talisay and Toledo and municipalities of Alcantara, Alegria, Aloguinsan, Argao, Asturias, Badian, Balamban, Bantayan, Boljoon, Carmen, Compostela, Consolacion, Daanbantayan, Dalaguete, Dumanjug, Ginatilan, Malabuyoc, Medellin, Moalboal, Pilar, Pinamungajan, Ronda, San Fernando, San Remigio, Santa Fe, Santander, Sibonga, Sogod, Tabuelan, Tuburan and Tudela.

The Municipality of Bantayan has the most damage with P24 million worth of damages followed by Compostela (P14.3 million), Tabuelan (P8.8 million), Daanbantayan (P6.3 million) and Sta. Fe (P4 million).

Based on the validated report, Bantayan declared damage on a 300 hectare seaweed farm caused by the “ice-ice disease”.

Ice-ice disease is condition of seaweed. Ice-ice is caused when changes in salinity, ocean temperature and light intensity cause stress to seaweeds, making them produce a “moist organic substance” that attracts bacteria in the water and induces the characteristic “whitening” and hardening of the seaweed’s tissues.

The Municipality of Compostela declared that 558 farmers are affected in 7 barangays.

In Tabuelan, there are 815 farmers affected while damages on crops reached P2.6 million.

The Municipality of Daanbantayan also reported P2.1millon worth of damage on the 112.5 hectare cornfield, P1.12 million on vegetable stocks, P2.9 million on banana stocks, P1.15 million on mango tress and P21,500 on the 22 hectare coconut field.

More or less 5,000 farmers and 924 fishermen in 38 LGUs are affected by the weak El Niño .

Telen explained that they already started rounding up everything to aide the affected LGUs.

Meanwhile some private companies also pledged to donate water supply. (MLC)