I do not know why or what’s with the name, or is she searching for something or someone there, but it seems the typhoons named “Kristine” are fond of the Northern Luzon area. Be it the year 2024 or 2020, the northern part of Luzon has been its track like a girl who lost her heart there, which reminded me of the Katy Perry song, “Thinking of You.”
Setting aside the typhoon coincidence, we pray for the souls of over 150 people and 21 still missing according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), with more than eight million families affected. “Kristine,” “Leon,” “Marce,” “Ofel,” “Nika,” “Pepito” may seem like the innocent names of children but they did leave a mark in the lives of many.
Going back to the history of “Kristine,” before it was reincarnated this year, its international name was Haishen back in 2020 when it brought monsoon rains and flooding to Northern Luzon. You might ask, why is there a repeat of the names of super typhoons? Or will the names of the strongest typhoons like “Yolanda” and Ondoy be used again? The answer is... yes and no…. well, you better read on.
Yes, the naming of typhoons is set by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). They must be Filipino names that are easy to pronounce, short and simple, and reflective of Filipino culture. Each set of names is used every four years, so “Kristine,” “Leon,” “Marce,” “Ofel,” “Nika” and “Pepito” will come again in 2028, unless a name is retired. Why is that?
Well, if the typhoon caused major damage to lives and livelihoods, with a significant number of deaths, and made a historical impact, like “Yolanda” in 2013, then the name will not be used ever again.
With an average of 20 typhoons per year, enduring them is part of every Filipino’s life but instead of just getting used to them, the national and local governments should be reminded of the urgency to address the underlying problems they bring.
Well, if the typhoon caused major damage to lives and livelihoods, with a significant number of deaths, and made a historical impact, like ‘Yolanda’ in 2013, then the name will not be used ever again.
Despite Filipino values and the Bayanihan spirit alive and evident during recovery efforts, we should stop romanticizing the resilience of the Filipino people. Doing so diminishes the severity of the storms’ impact, distracts from accountability, and normalizes suffering when it could have been avoided in the first place.
The “heroism” of the rescuers and the “never say die” Filipino spirit should not always be the focus but the accountability of the leaders and the systemic issues that are usually overshadowed during disasters, leaving Filipinos vulnerable again when the next storm comes.
Early warning systems, urban planning, climate change awareness, proper waste disposal, and the construction of evacuation centers can be looked into. Infrastructure preparedness should be prioritized, as well as disaster preparedness, and physical and psychological recovery efforts. Romanticizing struggle only delays the interventions that could have been made.
With the six recent consecutive typhoons, the number of passengers at ports showed a significant decline compared to previous years. This is because the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) had urged the transfer of stranded port passengers to the local government units due to the danger of storm surges.
PPA general manager Jay Santiago directed Port Management Offices (PMO) to coordinate with local government units to promptly relocate stranded passengers to safer and more spacious evacuation centers. According to the latest PPA report, around 1,600 passengers were stranded at the ports of Bicol, Eastern Leyte, and Samar during typhoon “Pepito.”
Filipinos will always thrive no matter the weather. Every storm is an opportunity to strengthen communities and somewhat of a reason to find something positive in a not-so-positive situation. In the end, effective policies and the urgent need for acknowledging the systemic problems can be a win-win solution for all — rain or shine and even during storms.
Filipinos are romantic enough, let’s not include romanticizing calamities, after all we are all in the same “rescue” boat.