Unpredictable danger: Villagers assessing the damage to their house in Tuao in the aftermath of the Super Typhoon Fung-wong. — AFP
BARELY had Typhoon “Tino” finished wreaking havoc in the country when Supertyphoon “Uwan” loomed large. There is no point in comparing the damage caused by the two, as their scope spanned multiple regions, targeting the most geographically vulnerable ones. This came after the devastation already wrought by earthquakes. We suffered too many unnecessary deaths, with millions more displaced.
In disaster research, we often preface our papers by stating that the Philippines faces roughly 20 typhoons a year. Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, we are no strangers to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Filipinos are of hardy stock forged by these elements, to the point that our needs get minimised due to our so-called “resilience.”
