Have you seen today’s headlines? The Philippines was devastated by two consecutive storms with their strong winds and downpour. And as of writing this piece, another super typhoon has just hit the country. As a Filipino, it’s the most heartbreaking thing to hear because the destruction that each of the past typhoons has caused is a result of decisions that some of us can’t even control.
When I was younger, I remember the Red Cross coming to our school and teaching us how to better prepare ourselves when disaster strikes. What struck me the most during that session was the mention of the Pacific Ring of Fire and the location of the Philippines. We are one of the countries that outline the specific natural ring where various volcanoes reside, and most of the earthquakes and tsunamis occur. The United Nations Development Program also acknowledges the vulnerability of the Philippines in their Fast Facts: Building Resilience to Climate Change and Disaster Risk, written in 2013, stating, “The Philippines is one of the most at-risk countries in the world for natural disasters. Comprising over 7000 islands, situated on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and in the Pacific typhoon belt, the country ranks second in the world in annual risk to people from earthquakes and cyclones.”
On average, the Philippines gets hit with 8 to 9 tropical cyclones yearly, so you know each typhoon coming is a situation we’ve adapted to. But this year, the winds and downpour felt nonstop—causing so much more damage than they used to. As a child, I used to long for rainy days because classes got suspended and I got to stay at home and listen to my grandparents’ favorite Ilocano radio show.
As a working adult, typhoons are much scarier to me now. Just this week, we have had constant brownouts, which have impeded work. It’s the most frustrating thing, and without being able to work, I get anxious and feel helpless with the raging storm going on around me. Supposedly, dealing with typhoons gets easier with access to information, but if anything, it causes more paranoia because of all the terrible news that spreads around.
Above all, my childish, selfish thoughts about storms have turned into empathetic worry. Worry because the world is vast, and actions always have consequences. It could just be me rambling on and being hypersensitive to such things, but these recent natural disasters feel heavier knowing that all this is intensified by climate change caused by things that could’ve been prevented. And the Philippines, oh my resilient 3rd world country, is not prepared against these instances. Our country experiences these typhoons time and time again, and we’re branded as resilient for going through such hardships, but this year is different. The rainfall of the recent Typhoon Tino has been compared to Typhoon Ondoy’s 24-hour rainfall, and caused extreme flooding in Cebu, Visayas.
The silver lining is the growing awareness of the Filipinos about the atrocities committed against us. Citizens are protesting against the flood control scandal and other issues that have left us vulnerable to disaster. Meanwhile, catastrophe has become something to profit on—a business that benefits no one except the powerful while the majority of the population is suffering. Our only hope is that there can be accountability and the money goes to actually helping our people.
Growing older, I’ve come to understand that I can only control my actions and choices. But others’ actions and choices will always affect me, so how do I deal with that? I struggle with thinking that the actions of so few and so powerful people have consequences for the average Filipino. I still don’t know how to reconcile this feeling.
But what I do know is that I have to do what I can. I can’t necessarily control climate change, but I can be prepared, I can control my actions, and I can encourage those around me to do the same. Despite the worry of typhoons getting stronger, doing what I can with what I have is all I can do. Right now, maybe that means putting my thoughts on this page, but when disaster strikes next, I know I’ll be doing my best to help my neighbors get through it. Because at the end of the day, even storms give way to calm skies—we just need to help each other out and lift each other up in the meantime.