My 100th column
on this site is more or less a reprint from Manila Bulletin in October 2009. I find the article very interesting and would like to share it with you here:
The Philippines has experienced some of the world's most fatal natural disasters, but it has also witnessed a population united, relentless, and selfless in extending help those in need.
August 31 - September 4, 1984: Typhoon Nitang - One of the deadliest typhoons in Philippine history, its heavy and rainfall and wind killed 1,492 people. Between 200,000 and 480,000 people were left homeless in the wake of the storm. In Surigao del Norte, at least 27 towns were completely destroyed by the typhoon, leaving at least 304 dead. Nearly 100,000 people were left homeless in Cebu. About 70 percent of Surigao City was destroyed. Immediately following Nitang, the Philippine government dispatched a C-130 aircraft carrying relief supplies to the affected areas. The large loss of life resulted in morgues running out of coffins, leading to bodies being as asoon as possible buried to prevent the spread of diseases.
July 16, 1990: Luzon Earthquake - The densely populated island of Luzon was struck by an earthquake with a 7.8 surface-wave-magnitude, resulting to a 125-kilometer-long ground rupture that stretched from Dingalan, Aurora to Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya. An estimated 1,621 people were killed in the earthquake; most of the fatalities were located in Central Luzon and the Cordillera region. Baguio City was hardest hit by this earthquake, causing the collapse of 28 buildings, including hotels, factories, government and university buildings, as well as many private homes and establishments.
November 10 - 14, 1990: Super Typhoon Ruping - The typhoon's heavy rainfall produced mudslides that, combined with the heavy wind, resulted in damages worth over 14 million US$.over 748 people were reported killed, making it the strongest and deadliest typhoon of the 1990 Pacific typhoon season. Ruping's damage to the infrastructure of the city and province of Cebu forced its local leaders to rethink governmental priorities. A conscious effort to rebuild after the damage was promoted, resulting into the boom of Cebu's economy, dubbed CEBOOM.
June 15, 1991: Mt. Pinatubo Eruption - Over 800 people were killed by the eruption, mostly by roofs collapsing under the weight of accumulated wet ash, a hazard that was greatly exacerbated by the simultaneous arrival of Typhoon Yunya. The evacuation in the days preceding the eruption certainly saved tens of thousands of lives, and has been hailed as a great success for volcanology and eruption prediction. In total, 364 communities and 2.1 million people were affected by the eruption, with livelihoods and houses being damaged or destroyed. More than 8,000 houses were completely destroyed, and a further 73,000 were damaged. The estimated cost of repairing the damage to infrastructure was 3.8 billion Pesos.
Tropical Storm Uring followed (November 2-7, 1991) as well as the Super Typhoon Rosing from October 30 - November 4, 1995. Later the Philippines experienced Typhoon Milenyo (September 27-October 1, 2006) and Typhoon Reming (November 26-December 1, 2006).
September 25-28, 2009 - Typhoon Ondoy - The resulting landslides and severe flooding left at least 246 people dead and 38 others missing. Public and private roads were clogged by vehicles stuck in floodwater. Thousands of motorists and more than 500 passengers were stranded at the North Luzon Expressway. Distress calls and e-mails from thousands in Metro Manila and their worried relatives flooded TV and radio stations overnight as most of the power, communication, and water lines were lost. On the Internet, citizens turned to various social networks like Twitter, facebook, and Multiply to share news updates and forward cries for help from people trapped in the floods. Google Maps was used to pinpoint locations of stranded people while various blogs and websites shared information on how to donate money and in-kind goods.
