It was time we proved the Filipino people can be united against challenges.

There was one death and much damage to agriculture and property brought about by supertyphoon “Tisoy.”

We do not welcome the numbers, however small. But it is what it is, we cannot escape nature’s wrath.

The Philippines was isolated from the world for a whole day in the hours bridging Monday and Tuesday.

Our airports were closed. All for the whole stretch of 10 hours or more as authorities waited for the superstorm to pass.

Stranded passengers filled out seaports. There was no way authorities let boats and ships sail. Life was safer on the ground.

It was ironic that we were shut off from the world at a time when our regional brothers and sisters are competing the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

The SEA Games are also a victim of “Tisoy.”

It did not spare the athletes from its wrath.

Several events had been canceled or postponed. It would take the organizers their organizational savvy to squeeze in the affected sports back into the schedules.

These would be packed in the next few days for sure.

But there is a silver lining to all these.

One death could be too many, but that is the best we could muster at this point.

We do not have the full, official numbers yet. But reports from the various provinces and cities hit hard by the supertyphoon were encouraging.

The floods were a given. Toppled posts and trees and damaged houses could not be erased from any post-calamity reports. But these were a few of the sad news Daily Tribune got.

We hope to receive the same in the next few hours.

But government and the private sector deserve kudos for standing up to this challenge. We were prepared to meet the effects of the typhoon. Fast and efficiently, we did.

The NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council) was able to update the people through the help of the private telecommunication firms.

Television, radio and the new media were able to warn the people about the movement and strength of the typhoon.

Local government units were efficient in their information drive. Their responses were also commendable.

No evacuation center was not used. They were also equipped to give their recipients with almost all things they needed.

It could have been the first time our country was like this.

It could have been the first time our country was able to do this.

It was a ginormous typhoon, a weather website described it.

The tropics were quiet except for that one storm.

It was unfortunately in the middle of the country. It picked up steam like it was in a hurry to spread its wrath.

It was time we proved the Filipino people can be united against challenges.