CAGAYAN - The agricultural damage caused by Typhoon Lawin in Cagayan has reached at least P5 billion, Governor Manuel Mamba said Saturday.
Mamba said around 66,000 hectares of rice fields amounting to P5 billion, corn crops worth P498 million and 2,500 hectares of high value crops worth P66 million were damaged after Lawin smashed northern Luzon.
Damage to fisheries, particularly Tilapia, reached P143 million, he said.
On the other hand, infrastructure damage amounted to P433 million with around 9,000 houses totally destroyed and 34,000 partially destroyed, Mamba said.
Power lines are still down in the province as of posting time.
Most of the locals, however, have already returned to their homes except for some in Tuguegarao and Peñablanca who are still in evacuation centers, said Mamba.
Lawin, the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, killed at least eight people on October 20 as howling winds and torrential rains destroyed houses, forced thousands to evacuate and toppled power and communication lines.
Mamba said President Rodrigo Dutetre may visit Cagayan on Sunday or Monday.