Baguio city: The Department of Agriculture (DA) - Cordillera and the Department of Education (DepEd) - Benguet have reported an initial PHP15 million in damage to crops and schools as persistent rains continue to impact the region.

According to Philippines News Agency, the DA-CAR has documented damages amounting to PHP6.78 million in high-value crops, PHP644,450 in livestock, PHP3.753 million in rice, and PHP5.15 million in corn, affecting a total of 1,092 farmers and fisherfolk. The DA has urged farmers to report any damage to village extension workers, who will assist in reporting to the municipal and provincial agriculture offices, culminating in a consolidated submission for planning interventions.

In a separate assessment, DepEd-Benguet reported infrastructure damage worth PHP3,408,000 across 87 schools in 14 district offices within the Benguet Schools Division. Major damage was recorded in six classrooms, while 160 others sustained minor damage. The Buguias schools division office reported damage in 13 schools, La Trinidad in 13 schools, Mankayan in 11 schools, Tublay and Kapangan in nine schools each, and Tuba and Sablan in one school each. Damage included roofing and ceiling leaks, water intrusion, flooding, and erosion, with 39 eroded slopes and five damaged slopes.

Benguet Schools Division Superintendent Carmel Meris indicated in a report that recommendations include emergency repair and safety measures along with slope and erosion mitigation. Currently, Puguis Elementary School in La Trinidad is housing 10 families, including 42 individuals, six of whom are learners, as an evacuation center. Dorencio Elementary School in Tublay is accommodating an additional five families, comprising 14 people, 11 of whom are learners.

Further recommendations involve the ongoing implementation of learning continuity strategies, learner protection, data reconciliation, and the creation of a provincial dashboard to track costs, evaluate learner impact, monitor delivery modes, evacuation center usage, and repair status. "We continue to receive reports because we are still experiencing rains and the soil is drenched, increasing the susceptibility of landslides and erosion," Meris noted.