BAGUIO CITY — Farmers and fisherfolk across the Cordillera Administrative Region are being urged to report weather-related agricultural losses as the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR) moves to validate damage and determine the assistance needed for recovery.
The call comes after tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay, together with enhanced southwest monsoon rains, caused an estimated ₱16.48 million in agricultural damage across the region, according to preliminary figures presented by DA-CAR officials and reported by the Philippine Information Agency on August 14.
The assessment has so far identified 1,092 affected farmers and fisherfolk, damage to about 318 hectares of production areas, and an estimated 433 metric tons of agricultural produce lost. Crops accounted for the overwhelming majority of the reported losses, valued at ₱15.63 million.
Livestock mortalities were valued at ₱694,450, while damaged farm structures accounted for ₱144,500 and farm machinery losses for ₱7,000, based on the preliminary assessment.
Abra bears the brunt
DA-CAR Regional Technical Director for Operations Danilo P. Daguio said nearly 70 percent of the reported losses were concentrated in Abra, particularly among rice and corn farms situated along riverbanks.
Continuous rainfall triggered flooding and soil erosion, damaging crops and reducing productive farm areas, officials said.
Despite the losses, DA-CAR said vegetable production was not heavily affected, and there were no sharp increases in regional supply and market prices at the time of the assessment.
Why farmers need to report damage quickly
DA-CAR is advising affected farmers to coordinate with their municipal agricultural technicians, who serve as the local channel for reporting and validating agricultural damage and for facilitating government assistance.
Officials specifically urged farmers to report losses before replanting or rehabilitation begins. Early reporting allows damage to be properly documented and validated before evidence of the losses disappears through farm cleanup, replanting or recovery work.
The push for faster and more accurate reporting is consistent with broader efforts by the Department of Agriculture to modernize disaster-related agricultural assessments. The DA’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Information System is designed to digitize the reporting of agricultural damages and losses, allowing validated information to move more efficiently from local governments to the agency.
Assistance is already being positioned
DA-CAR said it has prepared seed stocks for qualified farmers whose farms remain suitable for replanting.
The available stocks include 3,900 bags of hybrid rice seeds and 9,850 bags of certified inbred rice seeds stored in Kalinga and Apayao; 6,000 bags of corn seeds stored in Kalinga, Ifugao and Mountain Province; 1,688 units of lowland high-value crop seeds, including squash, pole sitao and okra; and 2,731 units of highland vegetable seeds, including broccoli, cabbage, carrot and lettuce.
The agency has also mobilized KADIWA trucks to keep agricultural products moving despite disruptions caused by the weather. At least five trucks have transported more than 11,000 kilograms of assorted vegetables from the Cordillera to markets in Quezon City and Pampanga.
This builds on DA-CAR’s wider KADIWA push this year. During the first half of 2026, 200 KADIWA on Wheels operations and KADIWA stores in Cordillera generated about ₱13.355 million in sales from 504,923 kilograms of agricultural products, benefiting 142 farmers’ cooperatives and associations.
Weather risks remain a major concern
The latest damage comes as the Cordillera agriculture sector is already preparing for another climate-related threat.
DA-CAR has been strengthening contingency measures for a possible El Niño, with 21 towns initially identified as having moderate to very high drought risk. The agency has also prepared seed reserves and other interventions for crops considered particularly vulnerable to dry conditions.
In July, DA-CAR reported that its first-quarter 2026 assessment had identified 11,613 hectares of affected corn areas, with corn accounting for the largest reported damage and losses, followed by rice. The agency subsequently proposed a rehabilitation and recovery program and said seed reserves were being pre-positioned in the provinces.
The broader Department of Agriculture has likewise emphasized rapid damage assessment following weather disasters. In September 2025, the DA directed regional offices to accelerate damage verification and loss assessments so assistance could reach affected farmers and fisherfolk more quickly.
The DA’s Quick Response Fund is intended to support post-disaster rehabilitation, including production inputs for crops, livestock, poultry and fisheries and repairs to agricultural facilities and equipment.
For insured farmers, another potential safety net is crop insurance through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation. The DA has also highlighted a parametric insurance system being developed to speed up payouts following extreme-weather events by using measurable conditions and georeferenced farm and weather data.
Farmers urged: Report first, rebuild next
For farmers whose crops, livestock, equipment or farm facilities were damaged by the recent weather disturbances, DA-CAR’s message is straightforward: report the loss before beginning major recovery or replanting work.
The preliminary ₱16.48-million damage figure is expected to change as additional reports from affected areas are received and validated.
For many Cordillera farmers, however, the importance of reporting goes beyond the current damage estimate. Accurate field reports help determine where assistance, seeds and recovery interventions are most urgently needed—and could make the difference between a farm simply surviving the next disaster and getting back into production.
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