AMONG the usual weather disturbances to hit the Philippines is typhoon, averaging 20 in a year.
Recently, in just a span of less than a month, from Oct. 23 to Nov. 13, 2020, the country was visited by at least five typhoons, two of which included super typhoon “Rolly” and typhoon “Ulysses,” undoubtedly left many parts of the Philippines devastated.
Among the regions that were mostly devastated are Region-5 and Region-2.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), damage brought by super typhoon “Rolly” was placed at about P12.87 billion in infrastructure, where P12.23 billion was attributed to the Bicol Region.
In agriculture production, the estimated damage was P5 billion, affecting some 65,897 hectares of agricultural land.
There were more than half a million families affected and casualties were reported to be 25 dead, 399 injured and six missing.
On the other hand, damage caused by typhoon “Ulysses” to infrastructure was recorded to be P12.94 billion, P5 billion of which happened in Region 2.
Damage to agriculture was estimated at P7.32 billion. There were 213 flooding incidents recorded and even after the typhoon, some towns remained submerged. The number of families affected has reached 1.2 million and casualties included 101 dead, 85 injured and 10 missing.
In response, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) is funding six S&T based rehabilitation projects for eight provinces, in partnership with five state universities.
The total budget amounted to P30 million or P5 million each for Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Albay, Isabela and Cagayan provinces, and P5 million combined for Sorsogon, Camarines Norte and Masbate.
The projects intend to abate the impacts of the said weather disturbances in the AANR sector through S&T-based interventions for rehabilitation.
Each project will conduct: AANR damage assessment through of survey of actual damage in the target communities and to determine the assistance needed; procurement and distribution of S&T products and other immediate needs (food packs and hygiene kits) to affected families since nutrition and health are the major concerns during calamities; assessment of potential future community-based S&T interventions; capacity building in terms of identified AANR-related technical trainings and stress debriefing to address physical and psychological effects of trauma due to the disaster; provision of agricultural inputs such as vegetable seeds and other planting materials, and other production inputs; and distribution of technology guides and other IEC materials.
These projects are under the SAFE Ligtas of the Science and Technology Action Frontline for Emergencies and Hazards (SAFE) Program that addresses post-disaster recovery activities such as rehabilitation of areas affected by natural disasters.
SAFE is PCAARRD’s technology transfer modality that addresses social, economic, and environmental impacts of climate change by enhancing resiliency and adaptive capacities of social and natural ecosystems through use of technologies to promote environmental conservation and rehabilitation.
This is PCAARRD’s direct contribution to disaster risk reduction and management as well as post disaster community rehabilitation and reinforcement in the country./PN
