Typhoons Nika and Ofel hit Philippines as storms strain economy and household incomes

Typhoon Nika, the 14th storm in the Philippines this year, has been followed closely by Typhoon Ofel, which made landfall in Cagayan on November 14. Ofel intensified into a super typhoon, prompting evacuations in affected areas. As Ofel weakened, another storm, Pepito, entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility and is expected to make landfall soon. The Philippines typically experiences around 20 typhoons annually, but recent storms have been stronger and more damaging. This year, typhoons have caused over 30 billion pesos in damage to agriculture and infrastructure. A study indicates that household incomes have dropped by an average of seven percent due to these storms, with some regions seeing declines of over 20 percent.