Around 300 hectares crops were damaged in Negros Island as Kanlaon Volcano continues to unleash volcanic materials that also forced more than 45,000 persons from 32 barangays of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental to flee their homes.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said the latest data it received revealed that the damage to agriculture in the two provinces is now around P33.5 million, and that 830 farmers and fishermen were rendered jobless as a result of the eruptions since Dec. 9 when Kanlaon was placed under Alert Level 3.
The OCD said 34.54 hectares of crops have been reported as totally damaged while 263.51 hectares are partially damaged but have a chance of recovery.
In a statement, the OCD said the Department of Agriculture has started advising farmers and local government units to implement preparedness measures, including monitoring and dissemination of advisories. T
“They are also assessing damage and losses in the agriculture sector while coordinating with local agencies for effective response strategies,” OCD said.
The agency said the volcanic eruptions have created significant displacement and challenges for residents, adding that the affected populations span multiple barangays in the regions, necessitating immediate and ongoing support.
As of Thursday, Dec. 26, a total of 11,883 families, comprising 45,526 individuals, have been affected across 32 barangays in Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental.
Among those affected, 4,454 families, or 14,186 persons, are currently residing in 32 evacuation centers (ECs), while 2,185 families, totaling 6,953 individuals, are staying outside these centers.
The OCD, however, said that the 9,571 families that require assistance were already attended to with the downloading of around P123,691,278.86 in assistance packages.
On the part of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), it has prepositioned several funds to support relief efforts, including P31.96 million in Quick Response Funds (QRF) at the DSWD Central Office, P 5 million available at DSWD Field Offices P 40.88 million available in other areas.
The DSWD has also prepositioned essential supplies, with a total of 261,018 Family Food Packs (FFPs) available in Disaster Response Centers.
This includes 107,548 FFPs at the National Resource Operations Center (NROC) in Pasay City and 153,470 FFPs at the Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) in Mandaue City.
Additionally, there are 190,706 FFPs available at DSWD FOs VI and VII, and 1,056,003 FFPs in other DSWD FOs that can support the relief needs of families affected by the Kanlaon Volcano eruption.
The DSWD also ensured that P 873.13 million worth of other food and non-food items (FNIs) are available.