I am in the Philippines currently and in Manila, Luzon, over the last 48hours typhoon Uwan has passed through Luzon. First the storms were forecast and television news carried regular updates. First it started with rain, it rained from around Midnight on Friday, and I was expecting Saturday to be wet, but I woke Saturday morning to a dry sunny morning in Manila. By late afternoon the rain started hitting hard so you hunkered down in your hotel room with snacks and spend the evening watching movies on TV.
Sunday was wet all day with strong rain throughout the day. I just stayed inside my room and watched tv. Throughout the evening alert messages were sent to the mobile phones advising of extreme rain, extreme tides, and extreme winds.
The messages were sent in Tagalog, but were easy to translate online.
Fortunately I was in Pasig area and staying in a hotel on the 10th floor, so I didn’t expect to be bothered by the water levels.
The night was windy, you heard the odd crashing thud, and what seemed a constant stream of emergency vehicles sirens.
On Monday morning I woke to blue skies and everything in Pasig was back to normal.
So is it safe to visit the Philippines during typhoon season. The simple answer is yes, If you are a tourist prepare to follow any alert instructions or evacuation orders. If you are in Manila be prepared to spend a couple of days in your hotel. If you are outside Manila in the provinces be prepared to follow any evacuation orders. Watch the news and be prepared to travel out of the area to Manila where the hotels are particularly safe. The hotel I was staying in was full on Saturday and Sunday with locals who live in coastal areas, who moved in advance of the typhoons arrival.
Do Not think you are indestructible and unless you are storm chaser, avoid putting yourself in danger.
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