The amount of damage to agriculture caused by the El Niño phenomenon has further inflated.

Department of Agriculture (DA) spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa on Thursday said that as of Tuesday, agricultural losses amounted to P5.9 billion, with P3.1 billion worth of rice crops lost and P1.76 billion worth of corn destroyed.

High-value crops worth P958 million were also lost.

The hardest-hit areas were reported to be the Mimaropa Region, which registered almost P1.71 billion in production losses.

Western Visayas losses amounted to P1.5 billion with the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) losing P768 million and Cagayan Valley, P562 million.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Thursday that assistance worth P541 million was given to 10 regions significantly affected by the drought.

These regions were Cagayan Valley, CAR, Mimaropa, Bicol, the whole Visayas region, Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

According to the NDRRMC, the extended aid included food packs, rice, fuel and hygiene kits.

Task Force El Niño recently revealed that 131 cities and municipalities have been placed under a state of calamity due to El Niño, which includes the provinces of Occidental Mindoro, Antique, Sultan Kudarat, Basilan, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte and South Cotabato.