Tag: sendong

6 dead so far as #Hagupit (#RubyPH) tears through #Philippines’ central islands

December 8, 2014 benign0 4 Comments

Thanks to “the largest peacetime evacuations the country has ever seen” mounted in preparation for the coming of Super Typhoon Hagupit (locally code-named “Ruby”), death at the appalling scale seen during last year’s devastation wrought by Super Typhoon Haiyan (locally code-named “Yolanda”) had been largely avoided so far. According recent forecasts, the next major populated…

Civics, Government

‘Disaster preparedness’ has become an oxymoron in the #Philippines

October 8, 2014December 21, 2021 benign0 14 Comments

It has been becoming increasingly apparent that “natural” disasters are now a routine occurrence all over the Philippines. The idea that Filipinos ought to be more “prepared” for such calamities — whilst something one would think ought to have been an obvious national priority — is only now resonating across the broader public. To the…

Civics, Development, Government, Politics, Society

Deja vu all over again as Typhoon Mario’s devastation of Metro Manila mirrors Ondoy’s in 2009

September 19, 2014 benign0 26 Comments

Today may as well have been a day in September 2009 when Typhoon Ondoy struck and devastated Manila. Back then I wrote about the Philippine government’s utter failure to step up and provide relief to hundreds of thousands of its victims (a failure to be repeated many more times since), and how Metro Manilans pretty…

Civics, Development, Environment, Government

The Philippine Government may as well collapse. Today.

July 24, 2014July 24, 2014 benign0 30 Comments

No official event, no party, and certainly not the very Office of the President itself is exempt from being used as a soapbox for Philippine President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III to go on a rampage against his personal enemies. His most recent tirade was chucked during an address to the public on the occasion…

Crime, Government, The South

Filipinos need to end their love affair with mediocrity and ‘pwede na yan’ mentality

July 9, 2014August 4, 2014 Ilda 118 Comments

My views are not very popular with Filipinos. I guess it’s partly my fault because I like posting topics that some might consider taboo and boring. But it’s not like I discuss religion or make fun of other people’s religious beliefs. Granted, I like talking about Philippine politics and society in general but I really…

Civics, Culture, Development, Economy, Featured, Government, Lifestyle, Media, Politics, Society

The Noy who cried wolf

November 27, 2013 FallenAngel 37 Comments

No doubt that many of you have heard of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”, one of Aesop’s fables. A shepherd boy repeatedly tricks villagers nearby into thinking that wolves are attacking his flock. When the wolves do come along, he cries for help once again, but the villagers do not believe him anymore. Thus, the…

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Environment, Government, Politics, Society

Bodies dumped in mass graves as PNoy expresses concern over ‘anxiety’ of families of missing Yolanda victims

November 26, 2013November 26, 2013 benign0 25 Comments

Reports of the death toll following the devastation left by super-typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) continue to pour in. The most recently-released official Philippine government estimate released two days ago put the number of deaths at more than 5,200. President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino III has since “conceded” that the death toll is at least double what…

Civics, Environment, Government, Media

Yolanda death toll estimate hits 5,200+ breaking previous record set by Uring in 1991

November 23, 2013October 30, 2022 benign0 19 Comments

The death toll following the disaster wrought by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) has according to a Wall Street Journal report gone up to more than 5,200 breaking the record set by Typhoon Uring (international code name Thelma) in 1991 which killed about 5,100 people a large proportion of which was in Ormoc which suffered flash floods…

Civics, Environment, Government