CORDILLERA region's agriculture sector were also not spared from the wrath of Typhoon Ompong, leaving P4.108 billion in damages.
The Department of Agriculture (DA)-Cordillera recorded 168,221 affected farmers in the provinces of Ifugao, Kalinga and Mt. Province damaging rice, corn, high value crops, livestock and poultry including infrastructure projects.
As of September 19, Ifugao incurred a total of P1.4 billion worth of damages, followed by Kalinga with P1.1 billion and Mt. Province with P768 million.
Ifugao's corn crops incurred the highest damage with P1.3 billion while P723 million and P647 million damages were recorded respectively for Kalinga and Mt. Province.
Apayao incurred a damage of P498 million with Benguet at P179 million while Abra registered P34 million.
The National Irrigation Administration reported irrigation facilities worth P215,000 were also damaged.
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources assessed P22 million worth of damages in the six provinces.
State of calamity has been declared in the province of Kalinga, Mt. Province, Apayao and municipalities of Mayoyao and Aguinaldo in Ifugao to fast track repair of the destroyed buildings, crops, houses, schools and infrastructures.
Before Typhoon Ompong hit the region, Benguet and Abra have already been declared under state of calamity brought by the continuous southwest moonsoon or Habagat.
In his visit to Benguet, DA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol with President Rodrigo Duterte said Ompong could be recorded as the second most destructive typhoon in recent memory for the country.
Piñol added Typhoon Yolanda's damage to agriculture was P35 billion while damage to agriculture by Typhoon Ompong is P14 billion in the country.
