Benguet, Mountain Province vegetable farms hit by frost

LA TRINIDAD, BENGUET – Damage caused by frost on vegetable farms in northern Benguet, tagged as the country's 'vegetable salad bowl,' and nearby towns in the Mountain Province has reached the P8-million mark, a Department of Agriculture official said here Friday. The actual figure, DA assistant regional director Gerry Baliang said, was P8,152,037. He added that the figure was based on the affected 614.08 metric tons of mostly potato tuber plants grown in Tublay, Atok and Buguias towns in Benguet and Bauko town in Mountain Province. Despite the damage estimate, DA-Cordillera’s Agri-business and Marketing Assistance Division chief Patricio Annanayo remained confident that damage could be contained as per advise by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or Pagasa. Pagasa-Baguio weather specialist Salvador Olinares said that they do not think mercury levels will drop further in Baguio and the rest of the highlands. “Tumaas na temperature natin (to a minimum of 14-15 degree Celsius)," he said. The weather forecaster compared it to the December 1 reading of 10.4 degrees Celsius, the lowest so far since the chill was felt in Baguio and Benguet. Friday’s temperature was recorded by Pagasa at 14.8 degrees Celsius. Chillier January The Pagasa specialist believes that the chill will be felt again in January as the Northeast Monsoon (locally known as Amihan) is expected to peak because of the cold winds from mainland China and Siberia. The government weatherman also said that the moderate La Niña (wet season) is expected to weather patterns and temperatures in the coming months and extend the cold weather further beyond January. On January this year, a 9 degrees Celcius drop was experienced in Baguio while northern Benguet had experienced temperatures pegged at 5 degrees Celsius. On January 18, 1963, Baguio experienced a biting low of 6.3 degrees Celcius.- GMANews,TV