CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, (PNA) — Coordinated efforts among governmet institutions have fast track the clearing of road networks rendered impassable by fallen trees, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) reported on Sunday.
Senior Supt. Crizaldo Nieves, Nueva Ecija police director, said policemen joined the military, local government employees and engineering personnel to speed up the clearing operations in various road networks in the province.
But the disaster destroyed billions of pesos worth of crops and properties, according to PDRRMC.
The PDRRMC reported that typhoon “Santi” which struck this agricultural province wity heavy winds Friday night, damaged at least 160,532.22 hectares or 20% of Nueva Ecija’s rice production this season for an estimated yield loss of about P2,729,047,740.
On cash crops, the typhoon, according to the same assessment report, some 300 hectares of corn amounting to P10,500,00 and 7,000 hectares of high value crops or vegetables, amounting to P157,500,000 were damaged.
Abraham Pascua, provincial director of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Nueva Ecija and co-chair of the PDRRMC, said the evaluation was a result of coordination among chiefs of various national and local government offices who personally managed response and assessment efforts.
There was no report available yet on livestock though.
At least P265-million worth of infrastructure was also damaged, Pascua said.
“Electric posts were severely damaged in different cities and municipalities which may render most if not the whole province without electricity for several days,” according to the PDRRMC.
Besides the four people earlier reported killed, at least 1,231 people from 325 families, mostly from this city, were affected by the disaster, it added.