Nearly a month after typhoon Odette hit the country, assessment for damage and losses in Siquijor province continue, prompting the Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) to recommend for a provincewide declaration of state of calamity following the towns of San Juan and Maria’s declaration.

Houses affected and initial aid 

During an emergency meeting, the PDRRMC, in its partial report, said as of Jan. 11, Siquijor has 4,229 partially damaged houses and 186 totally damaged houses or a total of 4,415 houses damaged due to typhoon Odette.

Siquijor town has 1,116 partially and 53 totally damaged houses, San Juan (1,011 and 29), Lazi (796 and 56), Maria (529 and 24), Enrique Villanueva (149 and 3), and Larena (628 and 21). 

The good news is that assistance from both government and private organizations started pouring in, somehow easing the burden of the victims. Initially, the National Housing Authority (NHA) Region 7 – Negros Oriental/Siquijor District Office (NOSDO) turned over P5M from its Special Emergency Housing Assistance Program (Special EHAP) to the Province of Siquijor to help the 1,000 families affected by Typhoon Odette.

According to a NHA Facebook post, the ceremonial turnover was held at the NHA Negros Oriental/Siquijor District Office in Dumaguete City, but the amount was already downloaded to the Province of Siquijor’s Trust Fund Account on Dec. 29, 2021 which was received by the Provincial Treasurer on the same day.

The turnover was made based on the NHA Memorandum Circular issued on Dec. 23, 2021, implementing the Special EHAP and to immediately allocate and release cash assistance to identified beneficiary-families through their respective local and provincial government units (LGUs). This was in response to Presidential Directive No. 2021-074, directing the NHA to provide necessary assistance to families whose houses were damaged and/or destroyed by Typhoon Odette.

This is apart from the various food assistance and relief packs distributed to the affected families from the various private and government organizations, the Provincial Government of Siquijor, and the LGUs. 

Agri and infrastructure losses 

Typhoon Odette's damage to agriculture is placed at a total value of P65,258,146.21 from 12,118 affected farmers or groups in agricultural infrastructure, livestock and poultry, fisheries, corn, rice, banana, mango and vegetables commodities, according to the progress report from the Office of the Provincial Agriculture (OPA) and DA-PATCO as of Jan. 12.

Partial damage to agricultural infrastructure reached an estimated cost of P620,000, mostly on polyethylene UV plastics in various greenhouses and B-net covering in OPA nursery.

For the livestock industry, the typhoon has affected a total of 159 backyard farmers with a total estimated production loss of P617,500  to either breeder or fattener chicken and swine, as well as adult cattle, carabao, goat, turkey and rabbit, according to report from the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) during the PDRRMC emergency meeting on Jan. 11.

Total value of losses for fisheries is placed at P2,438,689.18 from at least 56 fisherfolks or groups.This includes partial or total damage to aquaculture from the strong waves due to typhoon, affecting five seaweed cultures, one seaweed nursery, and four fishpens, all in Siquijor town, totaling to P293,689.18 in losses; and damage to farm machineries/equipment such as motorized and non-motorized boats, fish pots, gill nets and fish corals reaching a total value of P2.145 million.

Losses to corn commodity have reached a total value of P578,304.90 or P100,100 based on cost of inputs and P478,204.90 based on farmgate price. These come from the 88 affected farmers with the corn farms mostly under reproductive stage.

For rice production, total losses for both vegetative and newly-planted rice is pegged at a total value of P843,534.63 based on cost production affecting some 125 farmers from provincewide. Cause of damage is lodging due to floods caused by typhoon Odette, according to the OPA report. 

The agriculture office also reported an estimated total of P54,198,846 damage to banana commodity - mostly fruit-bearing - from 11,518 affected farmers in the six municipalities. Of the 239,049 trees affected, 59,763 were totally damaged and 179,286 were partially damaged.

Losses to at least 435 totally damaged fruit-bearing mango trees from 309 affected farmers reached a total value of P4.350 million based on farmgate price, according to the same report. 

Vegetable production also got its share of losses with a total value of P1,611,271.50 from 78 affected farmers with vegetable farm under productive stage.

Power restoration updates

As of Jan. 12, the Province of Siquijor Electric Cooperative (PROSIELCO), Inc. placed the cost of damage to electricity at P4 million, affecting the 134 barangays and the 30,901 households with active connections.     

In its restoration update, estimated restored connections is now raised to 27,662 households or 95.88% with 3,239 remaining. Larena town has 202 more households for reconnection from its 4,689 households, Siquijor (1,025/8,966), San Juan (356/4,883), Maria (607/4,224), Lazi (967/6,149), and Enrique Villanueva (82/1990).

PROSIELCO said that electricity has been restored in 133 of the 134 barangays but none of them is fully energized. The target date for full restoration has been set on Jan. 31 this year. 

However, PROSIELCO Officer in Charge General Manager Glenn Galvan earlier said that based on the assessment of the Operations Division, it may take one to two months. But she assured consumers that the electric cooperative is doing its best to bring electricity back to the households. The linemen are working double time, even risking their lives to fasttrack the restoration efforts and serve Siquijodnons, she said.

Vice Gov. Mei Ling Quezon Brown said that Siquijodnons should be thankful that despite considerable damage wrought by Typhoon Odette to houses, agriculture, infrastructure, power and water supply, Siquijor province is fortunate to have no casualties nor anyone badly injured.

She said the Provincial Government led by Gov. Zaldy Villa with the PDRRMO and  rescue volunteers were on the ground for assessment, rescue, and relief operations since the storm has subsided.

She called on the public to be vigilant and look out for potential hazards and report to authorities anything that may cause harm to residents and/or areas that need clearing operations. She also advised locals to coordinate with their MDRRMOs and  Municipal Social Welfare Office if they need  assistance.

Likewise, each Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (LDRRMC) of the six muicipalities, along with some LGU officials, LGU employees, and emergency response team responded to immediate calls for evacuation, rescue dispatch requests from citizens in different barangays, and assessed the extent of the damage.

Rapid Health Assessment have also been conducted on six LGUs and reported no casualties, minimal to large damage on houses especially made of light materials, and minor injuries among residents in some LGUs. Vaccines in Rural Health Units were secured using their generator set, the Integrated Provincial Health Office reported. (RAC/PIA7 Siquijor)