By CESAR JOLITO III
Torrential rains brought about by the southwest monsoon or habagat enhanced by Severe Tropical Storm “Crising” have left the agriculture and aquaculture sectors in Negros Occidental grappling with losses amounting to over P2.7 million, data from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) showed.
About 9.85 hectares of high-value crops (HVC) were wiped out across several municipalities, resulting in an estimated P1,194,640 in losses, PDRRMO data reported.
At least 14.68 hectares of rice fields have been destroyed, impacting 19 farmers and causing P138,117.41 in damages.
Sipalay City suffered the most damage to agriculture, amounting to P1,332,757.41, covering 34.53 hectares owned by 37 farmers.
The aquaculture sector also suffered losses from the inclement weather valued at P20,000, particularly in Sipalay’s Barangay Cartagena.
At least 314 livestock have been severely affected, accounting for P361,303.95 in losses in the towns of Binalbagan, Isabela and Ilog, as well as Kabankalan City.
The Provincial Veterinary Office has begun coordinating with local government units (LGUs) to assess the full extent of the agricultural devastation and provide emergency assistance to affected farmers and fisherfolk.
The provincial government is also exploring rehabilitation measures, including possible distribution of seedlings and livestock restocking programs to support recovery efforts.
31,445 residents affected
Massive flooding due to monsoon rains has affected 31,445 residents, or 8,023 families, from 39 barangays across 18 municipalities in Negros Occidental, PDRRMO data showed.
The heavy rains since July 16 have triggered widespread flooding, leaving 11,792 individuals (2,622 families) displaced.
Of that number, 5,570 residents are staying inside evacuation centers, while 6,222 individuals are temporarily staying with relatives or in makeshift shelters.
Binalbagan town recorded the highest number of affected families at 777, followed by Sipalay with 550 families, Kabankalan with 491, Isabela town with 437, Cauayan town with 95, as well as Hinoba-an and Ilog towns with 10 families each.
At least 29 houses have been destroyed, while 242 houses in Hinoba-an, La Castellana, Bago City, Isabela, and Sipalay were partially damaged based on initial reports.
Intense monsoon rains in the past five days caused rivers to swell and hillsides to erode, resulting in severe floods and landslides across multiple towns.
In Hinoba-an and Isabela, floodwaters rose between two and four feet, forcing residents to evacuate over the weekend.
Bago City experienced landslides, rockslides and riverside floods, with water levels reaching up to five meters in some areas.
La Castellana reported river overflows and landslides that blocked several key roads, while Sipalay was hit by flash floods and landslides in Barangays Maquoy, Maricalum and Cabadiangan.
Other localities — Binalbagan, Moises Padilla, Hinigaran, Ilog, Candoni, and Kabankalan — also reported significant flooding, with depths reaching 6.5 meters in the worst-affected barangays.
LGUs quickly mobilized their respective disaster risk reduction and management teams, along with Bureau of Fire Protection personnel and police forces to rescue stranded residents and assist evacuees./CJ, WDJ