MANILA, Philippines —  Severe Tropical Storm Kristine will hurt the country’s total palay production as the Department of Agriculture (DA) awaits reports on damage to the sector, Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said yesterday.

“Unfortunately, the effects of La Niña, particularly Kristine, will hurt our production as we are already at harvest period this wet season. It is sad news that areas ready for harvest have been reportedly flooded,” Tiu Laurel said.

“For now, we have to wait for the actual report to ascertain the damage and the interventions that we need to do to help our farmers and fisherfolk recover quickly from this calamity,” he added.

The DA has reported that the initial damage of Kristine to the agriculture sector has reached P9.75 million and it is expected to swell amid the impact of the cyclone in the Bicol region.

The damage and losses in Region 5 were reported in rice and corn covering 209 hectares of agricultural lands, with a volume of production of 598 metric tons (MT) affecting at least 234 farmers.

The DA added that the bulk of the damage was reported in rice production, totaling P9.6 million covering 203 hectares and with production loss of 203 MT.

The damage to corn was initially reported at P167,0000 covering six hectares and with production loss of 7.5 MT.

The Masagana Rice Industry Development Program has forecast a loss of 358,000 MT in the projected palay harvest of 19.41 million metric tons this year, down from the total last year due to the dry spell caused by El Niño and increased rainfall because of La Niña.

15,000 rescued

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) recovered three bodies and rescued 15,000 people affected by the onslaught of Kristine.

“We were able to recover three bodies on Oct. 23. They were trapped inside their homes. The cadavers have already been properly turned over to their respective local governments,” PCG spokesperson Commodore Algier Ricafrente said over Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.

“Based on our latest data, the number of individuals rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard reached more than 15,000, and this was done in collaboration with the local government units,” he added.

Many of those rescued were from Bicol and Batangas.

As of noon yesterday, the PCG monitored 6,843 passengers, truck drivers and cargo helpers stranded in seven Coast Guard districts.

Also stranded were 2,145 rolling cargoes, 107 vessels and 39 motorized boats. While 293 vessels and 291 motorized boats took shelter as a precaution against the inclement weather.

Ricafrente said that vessels might gradually be allowed to resume their travel hopefully today.

No work, no pay

Workers who will choose not to report for work during work suspension due to weather disturbances are not getting any pay, according to the Department of Labor and Employment.

But DOLE said employees should not be entitled to regular pay unless provided under a collecting bargaining agreement or when employees are allowed to use accrued leave credits. Those who would report for work during calamities are entitled to regular pay for services rendered not less than six hours.

“If less than six hours of work, the employee shall only be entitled to the proportionate amount of the regular pay, without prejudice to existing company policy or practice more beneficial to employees,” DOLE noted.

Work in all courts in Luzon, including the Supreme Court (SC), Court of Appeals in Manila, Sandiganbayan and Court of Tax Appeals, was suspended yesterday due to the onslaught of Kristine.

Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo authorized the suspension of work in SC via a memorandum issued by Deputy Clerk of Court and Chief Administrative Officer Maria Carina Matammu Cunanan.

The work suspension was in line with suspension of work in government offices and classes in both public and private schools in Luzon, as announced by Malacañang.

PRC humanitarian caravan

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) will be sending a full-fledged humanitarian caravan to Camarines Sur and Albay, the provinces hardest hit by Kristine.

According to the PRC, relief trucks are being prepared to carry food and non-food items such as jerry cans, hygiene kits, sleeping kits and kitchen sets for the thousands of families in evacuation centers.

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) will be providing cash assistance for typhoon victims whose houses were damaged.

Under the Integrated Disaster Shelter Assistance Program, the DHSUD provides P30,000 cash assistance for those with totally damaged houses due to calamities and P10,000 for those partially damaged.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) yesterday announced innovations in the way the agency distributes relief goods for victims of disasters – through the new water filtration kits and ready-to-eat (RTE) food packs.

The water filtration kit, composed of a huge pail with a hose and accompanied by a filter system, costs more than P2,000 each and can accommodate up to a maximum of 1,200 liters of clean, potable water.

Another noteworthy innovation is the creation of ready-to-eat food packs. According to DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao, a box of RTE costs between P600 to P700, which includes biscuits, arroz caldo, champorado and canned goods as well.

The DSWD is already bracing for the low-pressure area spotted east of Mindanao, which the weather bureau said is likely to become a tropical depression. – Mayen Jaymalin, Evelyn Macairan, Delon Porcalla, Elizabeth Marcelo, Rhodina Villanueva7kplay, Daphne Galvez

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