Banaue, Ifugao – A 30-minute hailstorm struck at least five Ifugao towns on Wednesday raising fears of worm infestation among local farmers.
As large as marbles, the hailstones, said Vency Bulayungan of the government-run Philippine Information Agency, struck Wednesday afternoon in Lagawe, Asipulo, Hingyon, Tinoc and the capital town of Banaue. The 30-minute hailstorm, Bulayungan said, prompted farmers to fear of damages to agricultural crops including palay.
Ellena Calingayan, a Banaue farmer suspected the hailstorm might also cause another damage, which according to her is a different kind of worm which destroys palay have come out in the past whenever a hailstorm occurs.
A year ago, said Bulayungan, Ifugao farmers complained of worms infesting their palay after a hailstorm hit their farms.
Farmers had observed that the still unknown worm burrows in the soil in the morning and comes out in the evening to cut the palay into two. – Artemio Dumlao