By CESAR JOLITO III

Severe Tropical Storm “Opong” left more than P600,000 worth of agricultural damage in Negros Occidental’s Moises Padilla town, according to an initial assessment released by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).

The report, as of September 27, placed total agricultural losses at P633,651.23, mostly affecting rice and corn plantations across seven barangays.

A total of 28 farmers cultivating 20.73 hectares of farmland reported damages amounting to P606,651.23, while one farmer recorded P27,000 in losses to high-value crops.

PDRRMO head Irene Bel Ploteña clarified that the figures are preliminary, as the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist is set to submit additional reports on crop damages from other local government units by September 29.

The provincial government continues to monitor the extent of losses caused by “Opong” as more data from affected towns and cities are expected in the coming days./CJ, WDJ