Typhoon Nina may have wiped out crops in Albay—LGU exec

Crops in Albay may have been wiped out by the onslaught of Typhoon Nina, the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) on Monday said.

"Sa agriculture, sasabihin ko 100 percent. Kasi kahit nasa flowering o development stage ka, mahuhulog talaga yun. Mas maganda magtanim ka na lang ng bago," APSEMO executive director Cedric Daep said in a radio dzBB interview.

Daep: 100% ng pananim ang naapektuhan dahil sa bagyong #NinaPH. https://t.co/z3DZeChnPa

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) December 26, 2016

Daep added 12 municipalities remain flooded in Albay, which is under state of calamity since Sunday.

No casualties have been reported in the province, but Daep said APSEMO is veryfing reports of people who died because of the flooding.

"Wala pa pero may vine-verify kami na because of flooding. Kasi yung damages nagko-collect lang kami ng data... baka by tomorrow may maganda na kaming report," he said.

Daep said more than 6,000 individuals are still displaced at evacuation centers, with the provincial government prioritizing those whose homes are greatly damaged.

"Yung mga walang bahay, sila ang priority namin at advise namin ay stay muna sila sa evacuation centers," Daep said.

Daep said Albay remained accessible to all types of vehicles despite the slow subsidence of flood waters.

He added the supply of relief goods by the province was still enough for all affected residents.

Daep said the province would only call for assistance if officials found a need.

"Once nagawa namin yung rehab plan, we will do the needs assessment kasama na ang NGOs at national government. Kung ano yung gap, yun ang ipapapasok namin," Daep said.

"Ayaw naman namin huming ng humingi ng hindi naman namin kailangan," he added. —Joseph Tristan Roxas/NB, GMA News