"Kahit Saan, Dapa": Typhoon Karding Wipes Out a Nueva Ejica Farmer's Rice Fields

(SPOT.ph) As Super Typhoon Karding moves away from the Philippines and weather alert Signal No. 3 is lifted in several areas of Luzon, those living in communities heavily affected by intense rains now begin to take stock of what has been lost. Felix Pangibitan, a farmer from Laur, Nueva Ecija, took to social media to keep track of devastation the super typhoon brought upon his rice fields. "Typhoon Karding's fury," he labeled the post. His before-and-after videos have since made the rounds online. 

Making matters more upsetting is that prior to posting the losses he suffered due to Karding, Pangibitan posted a video with his rice fields still intact wherein he expresses his concern over what the next day might bring. "Sayang, ang ganda ng palay. Vinideo ko nalang kasi bukas di ko alam kung mananatili ba itong makatayo maghapon hanggang maggabi," he said in the post that he tagged with "feeling nervous."

Also read: #KardingPH: How to Help Typhoon Victims

Here's what's going on with rice harvests after Karding hit Nueva Ecija:

Pangibitan makes it clear with his updates online that farmers are one of the sectors most affected by calamities such as Typhoon Karding, in terms of livelihood. Agriculture, as our local industry stands, lacks resources to safeguard themselves and minimize their losses against such natural disasters.

"Eh, ganoon talaga... Kung ano nasa kalooban ng Diyos, yan yung mangyayari, diba?" the farmer dejectedly expressed prior to signing off on the earlier video. A distressing statement to hear, knowing that more preventative measures can be put into effect by lawmakers and decision-makers, measures that will ensure folks like Pangibitan need not leave it to divine intervention.

Also read: Sierra Madre Is Trending During Super Typhoon Karding, Here's Why

What Happens Now

At the forefront of the Philippines' agricultural scene, Nueva Ecija is the harvesting center for products such as rice, corn, and onions. With Super Typhoon Karding hitting the province right before the harvesting season of October through December, the agricultural industry faces a dilemma wherein it's too soon to harvest the crops that can still be saved and it'll be too late to plant new rice crops.

On September 25, hours prior to Karding making landfall in Luzon, former Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, who previously held a Cabinet position for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization and was the principal author of the 2019 Sagip Saka Act, stated in a Twitter thread that "swift interventions" are necessary in order to avoid a steep drop in rice supply and millions going hungry.

Meanwhile, an hour after posting the video of his desolated rice crops, Pangibitan shared a photo album of fields with the caption "Bawi na Lang next cropping." and the tag "Feeling hopeful."

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