Farmers in Brgy. Appas, Tabuk City badly hit by Typhoon Nika, but thankful for zero casualties, injuries

Tabuk City, Kalinga - Barangay Appas in Tabuk City, Kalinga, whose main livelihood is farming, suffered huge agricultural losses following the recent onslaught of severe tropical storm "Nika".

The extent of the damage is still being assessed although farmers have mentioned of their acres of rice plants being levelled by the typhoon.

Kalinga was placed under signal no. 4 during the height of the typhoon on Monday, November 11. Various barangays in the province experienced landslides, flooding, and damage to infrastructures and agriculture.

Included in the list was Barangay Appas in Tabuk City, in which most of their agricultural crops were destroyed due to the strong winds.

The BLGU, through its Secretary Brenda Depalog, said most of those destroyed were rice farms. Despite the damages to its agricultural sector, the BLGU is still grateful that no one died or injured.

"We are thankful latta kasi awan met ketdi evacuees me, casualties, wenno na-injured. Dagidiay lang talaga mulmula, karo ti pagay (rice plants) ti farmers ditoy ket natumtumba," she relayed in an interview with Guru Press Cordillera.

To help its farmers recover from their losses, the barangay officials, headed by Captain Bernard Glenn Dao-as, are currently assessing the damages and coordinating with concerned agricultural agencies for possible assistance and rehabilitation efforts.

The concerned agencies and LGUs are now preparing relief assistance for the affected farmers.

Meanwhile, the latest report from DOST-PAG-ASA showed that typhoon Nika was out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Tuesday, November 12. However, another tropical storm, "Ofel", slightly intensifies as it moves northwestward over the Philippine Sea and may hit again Northern Luzon on Thursday noon to Friday noon, November 15.