The Philippines has lived these weeks in an incessant state of preparation, damage assessment and relief operations due to the unusual onslaught of six consecutive tropical storms in less than a month that have left at least 164 dead, the last of them super typhoon Man- yi, whose effects continue to be felt this Monday in the archipelago.
Although the Philippines experiences around twenty cyclones a year, experts highlight the persistent frequency of these latest storms, which have occurred relatively out of season and have affected some 10 million people.
“I don’t remember, and I’ve been here for a long time, having seen so many (cyclones) of this intensity,” Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently stated, before stating that the climate crisis multiplies the uncertainty and frequency of disasters.
“It’s the new reality we face,” he said.
This is “the first time since records began in 1951 that so many storms coexist in the Pacific basin in November,” NASA said this week, citing the Japan Meteorological Agency.
At least one dead after the passage of Man-yi
Marcos stated this Monday that Man-yi or Pepito, as the storm is known locally, left at least one death and a trail of significant material damage in the country after making landfall in the north twice over the weekend.
The death took place in the province of Camarines Norte, a region near the island of Catanduanes where the super typhoon made landfall for the first time on Saturday night.
In Catanduanes, Man-yi hit the coast with sustained winds of up to 195 kilometers per hour and left a trail of destroyed houses, uprooted trees, also causing power outages, according to several municipal disaster management offices reported on social media.
Trami: the deadliest storm
Tropical Storm Trami, known locally as Kristine, hit the Philippines at the end of last October and is the deadliest of the series of six cyclones that have affected the islands in less than a month.
Torrential rains unleashed a series of avalanches in several parts of the northern island of Luzon, the largest in the archipelago, which completely buried houses, leaving almost 140 dead and seven million affected.
Just a few days later, on November 2, Super Typhoon Kong-rey again affected the north of the islands on its way to Taiwan.
The authorities of the Asian country indicate in their latest report that the combined effects of both storms left at least 162 dead, 137 injured and 22 missing.
After the storms, and with the Philippine Meteorological Agency (PAGASA) warning of the advance of a new cyclone, politicians and the media denounced failures in the warning and evacuation mechanisms.
Hundreds of thousands of evacuees and millions of people affected
Typhoon Yinxing left one dead and one injured as it passed through the northern Philippines on November 7, according to the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
Following criticism over the management of previous storms, authorities began to more forcefully order the forced evacuation of those at risk of flooding.
Toraji, which made landfall in the northern province of Aurora on December 11, and Usagi, on November 14, left 11 people injured between them. Before the arrival of Man-yi, authorities evacuated a total of more than 650,000 people in several provinces, including Quezon City, the largest in the Metro Manila metropolitan area.
In total, the number of people affected by the series of cyclones amounts to more than ten million people, according to figures from the NDRRMC.
“As soon as communities try to recover from the blow, the next tropical storm is already hitting them again. In this context, the response capacity is exhausted and budgets are exhausted,” stated the United Nations representative in the Philippines, Gustavo González, in a statement issued last week.
More than $300 million in damages
The six consecutive cyclones have left losses in the country worth 308 million dollars (about 292 million euros), according to figures from the NDRRMC, with Trami and Kong-rey as the most devastating.
A significant part of the damage is concentrated in the vital agricultural sector, with 119 million dollars in losses, affecting tens of thousands of farmers, which will force the Philippines to import some 4.5 million tons of rice to supply demand. .
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Community cooperation and helping one another, has been strongly evident. Local governments have also mobilized volunteers to assist in relief efforts, and many residents have taken it upon themselves to help restore their communities by cleaning up debris and rebuilding damaged homes. Stories of shared resources, solidarity, and mutual aid have highlighted the strength of local bonds during these trying times.
Guest 1: Can you tell us more about the unprecedented number of tropical storms that have hit the Philippines in the past month? What have been the primary causes for these storms, and how have they impacted the country’s infrastructure and population?
Guest 2: Absolutely. The Philippines has experienced an unusually high number of tropical storms this year, with six consecutive storms hitting the country in the past month alone. The combined effect of these storms has been devastating, affecting over ten million people and causing significant damage to infrastructure. Many experts believe that climate change is contributing to this increased frequency and intensity of tropical storms. The storms have caused widespread power outages, flooding, landslides, and even loss of life. The agricultural sector has been particularly hard hit, with significant losses in crops and livestock.
Guest 1: What measures has the Philippine government taken to mitigate the impact of these storms on its citizens? What can be done to improve disaster response and preparedness in the region?
Guest 2: The Philippine government has taken several steps to address the impact of these storms. There has been an increased focus on evacuation efforts, with over 650,0000 people being relocated to safer areas. However, there have been criticisms regarding the effectiveness of these evacuation efforts, and there is a need for more robust early warning systems in place. Additionally, the government has allocated funds for disaster response and relief efforts. However, the sheer frequency of these storms has stretched resources and capacity, highlighting the need for improved preparedness and long-term planning. One potential solution could be increased investment in climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies to reduce the frequency and intensity of these extreme weather events.
Guest 1: How have local communities responded to these disasters? Have there been any examples of resilience or cooperation during this difficult time?
Guest 2: Despite the challenges they face, there have been instances of remarkable resilience and cooperation among local communities. Neighbors have come together to support each other during the evacuations, and community organizations have worked to provide relief and support to those affected. The spirit of bayanihan, which refers to a culture of
