Aurora farmers face P5.9M losses after Ramil

BALER, Aurora — Tropical Storm Ramil (Fengshen) spared lives but crushed livelihoods in this province, destroying P5.9 million worth of crops, livestock, and fisheries, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) reported.

San Luis farmers absorbed the hardest blow with P4.7 million in high-value crop losses — nearly 80 percent of total agricultural damage. Baler followed (P1.27 million: rice/high-value crops), Dingalan (P621,370: rice, crops, fisheries), and Dinalungan (P51,625: livestock).

While major roads are now passable, critical routes like Baler-Casiguran Road and Maddela-Dinadiawan Road remain partially blocked by landslides. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) missed its 21 October deadline to clear debris, stranding farmers in remote villages like Barangay Dianed (Dipaculao) and Ditawini (Dinalungan) with perishable crops.

No casualties were reported province-wide, with power fully restored and local governments downgrading to White Alert Status — signaling stabilized conditions. However, Governor Isidro Galvan warned of a looming double crisis: “We’re racing to deliver aid as another storm, Salome, approaches. Farmers cannot afford delays.”

The PDRRMO and DPWH District Engineering Office continue clearing debris in landslide-prone areas, while damage assessments — critical for unlocking national disaster funds — are underway. Governor Galvan has ordered municipal councils to prioritize aid to the hardest-hit towns, stressing that recovery efforts now clash with Salome’s forecasted landfall.

“Inter-agency collaboration is non-negotiable,” Galvan said, noting that the DPWH’s progress hinges on avoiding further rain disruptions.