Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 2) — Damage and losses from the impact of El Niño ballooned by nearly ₱1 billion from ₱4.35 billion in just two days as reports come in from the field, the Agriculture department said Tuesday.
According to the Agriculture department’s disaster risk reduction management operations center, El Niño has resulted in ₱5.05 billion in damage to 276,568 metric tons of corn and rice.
The Agriculture department, however, said that the spike in data is based on consolidated reports from various regions from Friday until Monday.
The Cordillera, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao, SOCSKSARGEN and Bangsamoro regions are affected by El Niño, it added.
Cagayan Valley has suffered the most, with officials recording ₱702.04 million in damage to rice and ₱701.88 million to corn.
Officials said 164,672 farmers in 177,743 hectares of agricultural areas are affected by the extended dry spell.
They added that a total of ₱97.875 million has been given to 3,835 farmers as financial assistance, while the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation has paid ₱43.083 million in insurance to 3,534 farmers in the Ilocos, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Western Visayas and Northern Mindanao regions.
