3 storms, habagat leave Luzon with P1.84B in agri damages

City of San Fernando, Pampanga – After three tropical storms and the Southwest Monsoon, the island of Luzon has incurred P1.84-billion worth of damages due to widespread flooding as of July 27, 2025.

According to the Department of Agriculture’s DRRM Operations Center, aside from the P1.84-billion worth of agricultural damages, 59,749 farmers and fisherfolk were affected, 55,181 hectares of farmland were damaged, and 43,689 metric tonnes of volume loss due to the inclement weather.

Of the P1.84-billion worth of agricultural damages, the biggest hit were rice farmlands in Luzon. The report stated that 52,210 hectares of rice fields were destroyed from flooding, with 35,371 metric tonnes of volume loss, incurring P990.34-million in value loss.

Corn production was also affected by the inclement weather, as 1,802 hectare of farmland were destroyed with 2,488 metric tonnes of volume loss, incurring P66.32-million in value loss.

It was followed by cassava production as 32 hectares of cassava farmland were destroyed, along with 235 metric tonnes of volume loss, incurring P3.49-million in value loss.

High value crops that includes lowland and upland vegetables, spices, legumes, watermelon, banana, pineapple, papaya and rootcrops incurred P224.13-million in value loss, as 1,137-hectares of farmland were destroyed, and 5,570 metric tonnes of volume loss was recorded.

For livestock and poultry that includes chicken, swine, cattle, carabao, goat, sheep, duck, horse, turkey, quail, and game fowl, Luzon incurred P12.66-million from the loss of 7,478 heads.

In the fisheries and aquatic resources, 2,399 fisherfolk were affected with P516.57-million of value loss. These fisheries and aquatic resources include tilapia, siganid, catfish, Malaga, prawn, mudcrab, seaweed, milkfish, fingerlings, motorized boats, wooden boats, cage, fyke net, oyster raft, and fishpond dike.

For the infrastructures, machineries and equipment in Luzon, damages include P21.72-million value loss in irrigation systems, P0.93-million value loss in farm infrastructures, and P98,000 value loss in machineries and equipment.

The Department of Agriculture assured that assistance is available to the victims of the inclement weather, citing that there is P653.01-million worth of agricultural and fishery inputs such as seeds, seedlings, pesticides, forage seeds, free-range chicken, and fingerlings from DA regional field offices.

The DA also stated that there are 43,940 bags issued rice stocks from the National Food Authority to local government units of Palawan, Polangui, Pangasinan, Ramon PSWDO Albay, and DSWD Region 3 for distribution.

The DA added that the Quick Response Fund (QRF) is available for the rehabilitation and recovery of affected areas, P400-milllion worth of Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan Program of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) with up to P25,000 loanable amount, payable in three years at zero interest.

P268-million is also available for indemnification of 45,980 insured affected farmers through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation.