Officials of the United Nations (UN) and its affiliated agencies commended the Philippines’ disaster response following the onslaught of six typhoons within five weeks.

Severe tropical storm “Kristine” made landfall in Isabela on 24 October while the most recent super typhoon, “Pepito,” struck Aurora on 17 November.

From the five storms, the Philippines reported a total of 178 fatalities, with 163 attributed to “Kristine” and to typhoon “Leon,” as confirmed in the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council database.

Despite the loss of lives, United Nations Philippines Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Gustavo Gonzales commended the country’s disaster response to the recent typhoons, calling it “remarkable.”

“This remarkable coordination is because we have learned from our experience. We have seen the improvement since “Yolanda,” especially on the government side and the United Nations side,” Gonzales said.

“We also commend the Philippine government for their readiness, which was very evident if you look at the low number of casualties,” he added.

Despite the preparations, however, the trail of destruction left by the strong typhoons remained.

Victims of climate injustice

Data from the Emission Index revealed that in 2021, the Philippines ranked as the world’s 33rd largest producer of greenhouse gases. The top three emitters were China, the United States and India.

However, despite only placing 33rd, the Philippines is one of the countries that experience the full brunt of climate change.

“They call it climate injustice. So we are not contributing to climate change, but all of its effects are being felt,” Gonzales said.

The UN official noted that this was an opportunity for the Philippine government to invite environmental experts, emphasizing that climate change is not about “big conferences and lengthy reports,” but is something happening right before our eyes.

But is it the end of the road for the Filipinos whenever there’s a strong typhoon?

Euan McDougall, head of Programs for the International Organization for Migration Philippines, said that building typhoon-resilient houses in island provinces could help mitigate the damaging effects of storms.

“That’s why we need to partner with the national government,” McDougall said as he explained that the typhoon-resilient houses are not yet budget-friendly and, thus, would need financial support from the government.

Pagasa said that at least one or two typhoons may affect the country this month, as it is still under La Niña-like conditions until the first quarter of 2025.