While this disrupts transportation, schools, and businesses, farmers often face the most immediate and long-lasting consequences because their livelihoods depend directly on weather conditions.
The Philippines experiences an average of around 20 tropical cyclones each year, many of which occur during the wet season, according to PAGASA.
During the 2025 Typhoons Crising, Dante, and Emong—the triple-typhoon event, billions of pesos worth of crops and farm resources were lost, highlighting the devastating impact of extreme weather on agricultural communities.
Unlike schools, offices, and commercial establishments that can resume operations once weather conditions improve, agricultural losses are usually irreversible. For example, a rice field flooded for days cannot simply be restarted overnight.
The impact becomes even more severe when multiple weather disturbances occur in succession, and this is primarily evident during the Habagat, or the southwest monsoon, season.
Back in 2025, the combined effects of Typhoons Crising, Dante, and Emong, along with the intensified southwest monsoon, caused an estimated ₱3.53 billion in agricultural losses.
More than that, over 109,000 farmers and fisherfolk were affected, over 102,000 hectares of farmland were damaged, and around 85,000 metric tons of agricultural produce were lost after the triple-typhoon hit the country.
Rice suffered the heaviest blow, accounting for ₱1.81 billion in damages, while high-value crops such as vegetables and fruits lost ₱756.61 million and fisheries sustained ₱755.99 million in losses.
Despite years of recurring agricultural losses, many farms remain highly vulnerable to flooding and extreme weather.
“We might as well die of hunger. How can we (farmers) sustain society if this is our situation every year?” said Julie Balangue, regional spokesperson of the Solidarity of Peasants Against Exploitation in a statement.
For farmers, a single typhoon can wipe out months of work and income in just a few hours. The resulting loss in food production can contribute to shortages, higher prices, and increased pressure on food security nationwide.
Beyond damaged crops and lost income lies a bigger challenge, ensuring food security amid increasingly unpredictable weather. But what the Filipinos cannot deny is that, what happens on farms during storms affects every Filipino's table.
