ALIAGA, Philippines — A destructive flood has left Filipino farmer Ferdinand Pascua facing financial ruin after heavy rainfall from Super Typhoon Pepito caused a nearby river to burst through an earthen dike, submerging his farm in Aliaga, Nueva Ecija, just days ago.

Although Pascua’s farm was not directly in the typhoon’s path, the swollen Talavera River, intensified by rainfall in the northern mountains of Luzon, flooded his land on Sunday. “We heard the water’s huge roar and the sound of collapsing earth,” Pascua, 38, recalled. “We were worried and in shock. I took my children to my parents’ home and returned to retrieve our stuff.”

Pascua’s land, which he has worked for over a decade, was left devastated by the breach, affecting around 200 hectares of farmland that the dike had once protected. As the floodwaters continue to rush through the area, officials warn that the flooding could persist for up to three days, further crippling the community.

While the typhoon passed, the damage continues to be felt across the region. Yolando Santos, the elected village chief of Santa Monica, said the problem stemmed not from the direct impact of Pepito, but from the rainfall in the neighboring province of Aurora, where the typhoon made landfall earlier. “The rain that fell in Aurora flowed down here,” Santos explained.

Pascua and other farmers now face uncertain futures as floodwaters have not only displaced their homes but have also destroyed their livelihoods, with no clear timeline for recovery.