The Department of Agriculture (DA) has raised its estimate of agricultural damage from Typhoon Bising and the southwest monsoon (habagat) to ₱350,000, up from the initial ₱300,000, according to the agency’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center.
The updated figures as of Thursday reflect losses from rice farmers across 30 hectares in Calabarzon, with 34 metric tons of production losses. DA spokesperson Arnel De Mesa clarified the data only covers the province of Cavite, with further reports expected from other regions as ongoing field validations continue.
While the damage remains limited thus far, the DA cited the importance of continued monitoring and response coordination. Assistance measures deployed include seeds for rice, corn, and vegetables, as well as the disbursement of quick-response funds for recovery. Affected farmers may access up to ₱25,000 in zero-interest loans under the Survival and Recovery Loan Program, alongside insurance indemnification via the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation.
De Mesa noted the limited geographic spread of the storm’s impact and even the beneficial effects in some areas still preparing for planting. “Bising’s effect is not that widespread… In fact, it helped where flooding is needed for land preparation,” he said. He added that current rice losses are manageable and not expected to affect market prices.
