Damage placed at P10B

DAMAGE from typhoon "Frank" has reached P10 billion, with more than half on agriculture, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said yesterday.

The P5.21 billion damage to agriculture products was mostly in Aklan and Iloilo, said Glen Rabonza, NDCC executive director.

Agriculture undersecretary Jesus Emmanuel Paras said the NDCC figure does not include the P1.68 billion worth of damage to fisheries. Including this, total damage to agriculture is P7.5 billion, he said.

Paras said more than 60 private commercial fishing boats in Panay Island were damaged.

The NDCC said damage to roads and bridges accounts for P2.3 billion, with most in Aklan, Iloilo, and Capiz; to school buildings, P455 million, mostly in Panay, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Metro Manila; and to other facilities, P2.3 billion, including hospitals in Aklan, Iloilo, Capiz and Leyte.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said the damage to agriculture affects only 0.47 percent of the targeted volume of rice production for this year.

"For corn, the impact is about 1 percent; for high value commercial crops, it’s about 6 percent; for livestock, 0.6 percent; fisheries, 2.42 percent. Basically, the impact on agricultural production and our growth target are at a minimum at puwede nating bawiin ito," he said.

He said the more immediate problem is the livelihood of those affected by the typhoon, which he said the social welfare department is addressing.

President Arroyo said the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and industries Inc. has pledged P8 million for rice and P2 million for school supplies and books.

Arroyo, who visited Iloilo and Sibuyan island, said relief goods have started to come in from all over the world.

She said aside from presidential helicopters which are being used in rescue operations, she has ordered the presidential yacht "BRP Ang Pangulo to be used "as a moving logistics hub."

Arroyo distributed relief goods in Kalibo, Aklan.

Rabonza said Fedex has already offered the use of its carriers for at least two delivery and distribution operations.

He said about 15 tons of relief goods would be delivered from Subic area to the affected areas by Saturday.

Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza said he has ordered the use of other commercial vessels in getting goods to their destinations.

Thailand is donating $100,000 cash assistance, according to Gen. Boonsrang Niumpradit, supreme commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces who paid a courtesy call yesterday on AFP chief Gen. Alexander Yano in Camp Aguinaldo.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said damage to school facilities, including at least 970 school buildings, has reached P500 million.

Western Visayas had 149 damaged schools, Eastern Visayas 377, and the NCR 21.

At least 139 schools are still being used as evacuation centers.

A 300-man contingent of rescue and emergency personnel of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority is in Kalibo to help in the rehabilitation of Panay island.

The contingent is composed of flood control and sidewalk clearing personnel who formed part of the government’s "Mercy Mission." It brought 27 trucks and heavy equipment such as payloaders, drainage-clearing vehicles, cranes, generators, water tankers, man-lifters, backhoes and chainsaws.

Another contingent, composed of 99 more personnel is set to leave Metro Manila shortly for Iloilo City.

Team leader and MMDA Flood Control chief Baltazar Melgar said repairs and clearing operations would take at least a week.

MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando also dispatched six truckloads of construction materials to San Fabian, Lingayen and Infanta towns in Pangasinan to help affected families whose houses were destroyed by Frank.

Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. urged Arroyo to release the July, August and September internal revenue allotments of the provinces hardest hit by the typhoon.

He noted complaints among local government officials and displaced residents in the affected provinces about the "undue delay in the delivery of relief goods, medical aid and other assistance from the national government."

The Local Government Code authorizes local government units to allocate 5 percent of their budget for calamity-related expenses. – Jocelyn Montemayor, Ashzel Hachero, Victor Reyes and Dennis Gadil