November 1, 2020
On the very first day of the month, the strongest typhoon this year made its landfall. It wreaked great havoc in every town and province on its way. The local government tried its best to minimize damage and casualties, but it was still a tragedy. The death count is not as big as the Typhoon Yolanda, but the story behind their death was heartbreaking. Some were prepared for the floods and the strong wind but weren't expecting the landslides. I read an anecdote by a survivor saying they expected the storm surge, but this was the first time that they had a landslide in their town. Had they known, they would have immediately gone to the evacuation center.
During the destruction, the national government officials had the most sickening response. The audacity of these officials, most especially the spokesperson of the president, to make excuses for their lack of preparedness is appalling. I won't go into detail about that as it is all over the internet, and thinking about it makes me nauseous.
It doesn't help that the loyal supporters of the president and his allies keep on defending their incompetencies. These supporters compared the response of former President Benigno Aquino III (Typhoon Yolanda) to the present administration.
Well, this is what I said,
"I see posts comparing the death toll of Yolanda vs Rolly. They said that the national government handled it better that is why there are lesser casualties.
The local government and the local chapters of different organizations should be the ones taking credit.
There are lesser casualties because the local government LEARNED from the devastation of Yolanda.
The local government was PROACTIVE. They tried their best to evacuate everyone even before the initial landfall.
The national government was REACTIVE. This was clear in the response of the presidential spokesperson when asked why the briefing regarding the typhoon was late."
The local government has learned from previous storm incidents, planning and preparation were good. Unfortunately, there were still unexpected circumstances like landslides and problems in evacuation centers due to this pandemic.
Kudos to the local government. National government, make your move, our countrymen deserve better.
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As of writing, there is a typhoon (Ulysses) ravaging the same areas Typhoon Rolly hit. This is disaster over a disaster. :(
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