NorMin LPA leaves seven dead

The Department of Agriculture-10 will provide P5,000 in financial assistance to rice farmers in February, to be sourced from the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Regional Risk Reduction and Management Council in Region 10 revealed on Sunday that the twoweek rains caused by a low pressure area in Northern Mindanao affected 59,000 individuals, left seven dead and damaged more than P22 million worth of properties.

The RDRRMC-10 said that there were at least 15,812 families who experienced flooding and in evacuation centers throughout the region, only 4,432 individuals or 1,227 families have remained as of Sunday out of the 31,353 individuals or 8,621 families who sought shelter within the two-week period.

The seven dead were from the provinces of Lanao del Norte with four; Misamis Oriental with two and Misamis Occidental with one as the RDRRMC-10 also recorded five injured and two missing persons.

Initial estimate of damaged houses reached P2.1 million, damage to infrastructures P20.8 million and damage to agriculture P63.7 million.

The Department of Agriculture-10 will provide P5,000 in financial assistance to rice farmers in February, to be sourced from the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund.

“We will also be distributing the fertilizer discount vouchers for the whole region, which total around P192 million. And for the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance, we have P96 million to be disbursed and the funds are already deposited with the Development Bank of the Philippines account,” said DA-10 executive director Carlene Collado said.

Heavily affected Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental experienced a repeat of nature’s wrath that submerged parts of the provinces on Christmas Eve last year.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM AN Augustinian friar prays in front of the image of Señor Santo Niño at the Basilica del Santo Niño in Cebu City as part of the Feast of the Santo Niño on Sunday.