Thousands of earthworms surfaced in Sitio Puli and Pandan in Barangay Orong, Kabankalan City, recently.
Videos of the surge of earthworms posted on social media caught the attention of netizens.
Ricky Muscosa, Kabankalan City Agriculturist, said on Friday, Nov. 8, that the habitat of the earthworms was disturbed when water from the river overflowed during Severe Tropical Storm Kristine.
The earthworms surfaced from beneath the soil and crawled to higher ground on the side of river to survive but have since returned to their original habitat.
They reside in alluvial soil near the river, a type of soil that is created when rivers deposit sediments, such as sand, silt, clay, and gravel on land, Muscusa said.
Residents in the area said the surfacing of the earthworms is not unusual, it happens almost every November when the water from the river rises, Muscosa said.*