Super typhoon Odette – also referred to as Typhoon Rai internationally – has caused death and destruction in the Philippines. The typhoon is listed as falling into category 5, which means that it has caused severe damage to crops, livestock, the fisheries industry and rice.
At last tally, this natural disaster has cost the country’s agricultural sector P2.2 billion.
Calabarzon, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao and Caraga regions account for 62,215 metric tons and 51,182 hectares of agricultural land.
On Tuesday, president of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte announced that six regions are in a state of calamity. These include Mimaropa (Region 4-B), Western Visayas (Region 6), Central Visayas (Region 7), Eastern Visayas (Region 8), Northern Mindanao (Region 10) and Caraga (Region 13). He also signed a Proclamation No. 1267 after being advised to do so by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
The state of catastrophe will speed the government’s and private sector’s rescue, relief, and rehabilitation operations, including any international humanitarian aid, under Proclamation No. 1267.
“The declaration of a state of calamity will hasten the rescue and relief and rehabilitation efforts of the government and the private sector including kung saan galing tulong, be it outside or tayo-tayo lang. This will also be an effective mechanism to control the prices of goods and commodities in the areas,” Duterte said in his address to the nation.
The department of agriculture also announced that there is still currently a stable influx of food in regions such as Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Cargo and Northern Mindanao, but other areas such as Batangas, Palawan, Surigao del Sur, and ports in Soccsksargen have been struggling with the transportation of food.
Farmers and fishers are to receive assistance to the value of P1.75 billion, and of this, P1 million will come in the form of quick response funds. A further P500 million will come from the Survival and Recovery Assistance Programme, and implements such as P148 million in rice seeds will be provided to the rice industry.
