The Department of Agriculture (DA) has estimated that a total of 234,145 hectares of rice and corn in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon will be possibly affected by the onslaught of Typhoon Betty.

In its bulletin issued at 1 pm on Sunday, DA said 159,116 hectares of rice and 75,029 hectares of corn are at risk.

With this forecast, the agriculture department said it has already activated its regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Operational Centers and ordered the prepositioning of seeds, fertilizer, drugs, and biologics in safe storage facilities.

It said that it is continuously rolling out localized advisories to local farmers, and fisherfolks, as well as to its DA-Agricultural Program Coordinating Office (APCOs) and the local government units (LGUs).

The DA also assured that the following items are prepositioned for distribution to areas that will be affected by Typhoon Betty and the enhanced Southwest Monsoon.

• 681,205 rice seeds bags, 21,192 corn seeds bags, and 20,454 kilograms of assorted vegetable seeds

• Drugs and biologics for livestock and poultry

• Fingerlings and assistance to affected fisherfolk from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)

• Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan Program worth ₱25,000 with zero interest and payable within three years

• Quick Response Fund (QRF) for the rehabilitation of affected areas

As of 4 AM on Monday, Typhoon Betty was located 525 km East of Aparri, Cagayan, and is moving Northwestward at 20 km/h. It has maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers per hour near the center, gustiness of up to 190 km/h, and central pressure of 950 hPa.

Batanes, the Eastern portion of Babuyan Islands, and the Northeastern portion of mainland Cagayan were placed under Signal No. 2.

Based on the state weather bureau's forecast, Typhoon Betty will leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Friday evening or Saturday morning.