THE recent Typhoon “Karding” displaced some 238 Cordilleran families or 763 individuals from 25 Cordilleran barangays, while crops and infrastructure in the region also took hits.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Cordillera said as of Monday, Sept. 26, 43 families – 20 in Benguet and 23 in Mountain Province – or 99 individuals were still staying in evacuation centers.
Families were hit in the provinces of Abra, Benguet and Kalinga, which saw the brunt of displacements in the region.
Infrastructure in the region was also badly hit, with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reporting on Wednesday P19.6 million worth of damage dealt to the entirety of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
Crops in the region were also among those hit nationwide, where Department of Agriculture (DA) figures peg the total damage to the agricultural sector at P1.97 billion.
At least 1,489,091 hectares of farmlands with a combined volume of production of 114,446 metric tons were destroyed in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and Bicol Region.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development – Cordillera (DSWD-CAR) said that 59,745 family food packs amounting to P39.7 million worth of food items are ready for distribution, with another 26,538 non-food assistance items amounting to P44.2 million ready for distribution.
