• GILBERT P. BAYORAN / RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR.
The combined effects of southwest monsoon (habagat) and three successive storms that affected Negros Island Region led to the destruction of P97,265,558.58 worth of agricultural crops and P88,713,000 in damage to school facilities in Negros Oriental, according to reports of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
In a report of RDRRMC dated July 29, the combined value of the damage to agricultural crops and classrooms, the latter as reported by the Department of Education, is pegged at P186,338,558.
Based on records, 3,586.3 hectares of crop area were directly damaged by strong winds and torrential rains while production losses stretched to 2,887.67 metric tons.
The flooding in 208 barangays of 14 local government units in Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, which left three people dead, although it was initially reported by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council at six. It affected 49,292 families, composed of 188,498 individuals.
Donato Sermeno III, Office of Civil Defense regional director for Negros Island Region, clarified that the electrocution incident where two persons died in Hinobaan, and death of a missing fisherman in Sagay City, who was found drowned, were not related to the effects of the recent weather disturbances.
RDRMMC records indicated three separate cases of drowning, with 2 recorded in Binalbagan and the other in Himamaylan.
The RDRMMC reported that 53 houses were destroyed, while 454 others were partially damaged.
It also reported P32,873,169.36 in assistance extended to the flood victims.
Following the state of calamity declaration in Negros Occidental, the Department of Trade and Industry reported that prices of basic necessities in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, were automatically frozen at the prevailing prices prior to the occurrence of the calamity.
Sermeno disclosed on Tuesday that while there are still internally displaced persons (IDPs) at the evacuation centers in La Castellana, Negros Occidental, and Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, they are no longer staying in classrooms.
But they are still temporarily staying in school grounds, Sermeno said.
They are only allowed to utilize classrooms during heavy rains, he added.
In his State Of the Nation Address on July 28, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that schools should no longer be used as evacuation centers.
Marcos instead said “we will increase the number of modern evacuation centers that we have already built.”*
