Tornado destroys P2.5m worth of crops in North Cotabato

KIDAPAWAN CITY — A tornado swept through parts of Antipas, a town in North Cotabato, destroying some P2.5 million worth of banana and rubber tree plantations, including corn fields, at about 7:45 a.m., Saturday, police said. No one was reported hurt or killed, so far, according to Insp. Felix Fornan, chief of Antipas municipal police. Fornan said the strong tornado destroyed several acres of agricultural fields owned by at least 10 farmer in Barangays Canaan and Camutan. Among those affected by the tornado were the banana and rubber plantations owned by Barangay Canaan chairman Daniel Golosino, also chair of the Association of Barangay Chairmen (ABC) in Antipas town. Also hit were farms owned by Dante Ambol and Renante Sarbon, also of Barangay Canaan, reports from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (MDRRMC) indicated. Fornan said before the tornado struck, residents in the area experienced sudden strong winds followed by heavy rain. The strong winds were felt by residents even in the Poblacion area, which is at least 15 kilometers away from the affected villages. Fornan said villagers have been wondering why tornadoes have become more frequent in the town recently. The tornado last Saturday was the third this year, reports said. But Saturday's tornado, Fornan said, was the strongest and the most destructive. Antipas, being located at the heart of Arakan Valley, has an average rainfall of 72 mm throughout the year, data from the NDRRMC said.  — Malu Cadelina Manar /LBG, GMA News