"Nagtanim kami agad kasi para may makuha na pang allowance ng bata at pang-kain, ser. Kung walang matanim, walang pang kabuhayan."

It's back to square one for farmers in Barangay Baculud in Ilagan, Isabela after floods brought by Typhoon Ulysses destroyed their crops.

Domingo Bagunu and his neighbors plowed the ground that was not covered in mud and planted okra, pechay, and squash seeds, hoping to reap the harvest by December. This will at least make them survive until the year ends.

They were about to harvest eggplants when flood inundated the area near the Ilagan River, adjacent to the Cagayan River. The harvest would have survived if the waters didn't linger for three days, they said.

As floodwaters subsided, they immediately removed the destroyed crops and started planting again. They were even thankful that their ground was not covered in mud, otherwise the land would be unusable until the start of 2021.

This adds another setback to the farmers this year. The COVID-19 lockdown in the province made it difficult for them to tend to their respective farmlands, making harvest impossible with the ruined crops.

Despite PAGASA’s forecast of 4 more tropical cyclones possibly entering the country before the year ends, the farmers still left it to chance to plant again as they have families to support.

"Hindi mo alam kung babagyo ulit. Sapalaran lang sir, sapalaran lang sa pagtatanim. Kung mag bagyo naman or kung maswerte, bahala na ang Diyos. Hindi natin hawak ang panahon."