Damages of Typhoon Ketsana and Parma in Occidental Mindoro Philippines

Families and houses affected by the flood

Damage that was caused by the heavy flow and currents of river

and torrential rains

Houses affected by the flood and heavy rains

Streets that was flooded

Houses that was damaged by the flash flooding

Though we are very sad because of what happened in Metro Manila & Mountain Provinces due to typhoon Ondoy & Pepeng, we thank God that San Jose & Rizal are not that devastated. However, some barangay that are near Busuanga River like La curva (San Jose), San Agustin (boundary of Municipality of Rizal & Municipality of San Jose), and Sto. Nino (Rizal, where GVA farm is) are most affected and had been flooded up to 1 meter high. The only help that the municipality could give was to give relief goods to the affected areas which was done this past week. Relief operations can still be organized if GVA wishes to help this way. We can easily coodinate with the barangay officials of the affected areas.

No rescue operation was organized as, sad to say, the residences had been expecting this because they had been experiencing this problem every typhoon season (getting worse every season) due to massive deposits of silts on the river bed largely the result of denuded mountains of Rizal & San Jose. As Planning Officer, I had already researched, prepared and presented a proposal of a long term reforestation project (particularly where the said river comes from) to the Dept. of Environmental & Natural Resources and PLAN International (a Non-Government Institution) 2 years ago. As of now, PLAN is helping the indigenous people (Mangyan) in the mountain to have proper livelihood to stop their practice of slash and burn method of upland farming which destroys the forest. On the other hand, the local government Unit (LGU) was not that responsive as it allocates its funds on "projects with higher priority". All I could do, in consultation with the Municipal Agriculture office and with the help of my staff, is to prepare a nursery just in case a fund will be provided for the reforestation. But then, we couldn't say "no" to students and local people who asked for tree seedlings, thus we have to start propagating seedlings again. For the meantime, I am planning to prepare a project proposal of delineating the river course through quarrying (to deepen the river bed). I've heard from our helper (who resides in San Agustin & whose house was also flooded) that the barangay officials there are also planning the same thing so I might as well coordinate with them.

Yes, many rice fields in Rizal, including some of GVA Farm's neighbors, were submerged in water destroying the crop (GVA farm was not flooded because it is located in a higher ground). Projections have it that there will be a food shortage here come early 2010 and the government plans to import rice to address this problem. However, the resulting economic condition of the farmers who mostly depend on their crops for livelihood will only be addressed by giving them other sources of income. I haven't heard of livelihood projects for them by the local government.

- Ronald