TYPHOON Carina (international name: Gaemi) did not make landfall in the Philippines but intensified the southwest monsoon, drenching our country with rainfall that has, according to reports, surpassed that of Ondoy. Luzon, the National Capital Region and neighboring regions suffered the brunt and strength of the deluge. Scenes on TV and social media and the appeals of people to be rescued were reminiscent of Ondoy that rampaged through our nation 15 years ago.
Did we learn our lessons from Ondoy and the other powerful typhoons that followed, and are we doing enough to prepare? That is not for me to answer, and I leave it to you, dear reader, to ferret out the truth. To my mind though, there have been notable improvements. We have more specific warning signals from wind speed to rainfall, storm surge warnings and river water levels. Communication is much better, and response is more coordinated. People have also learned to be more compliant and are ready to follow the authorities' instructions. Supplies are pre-positioned, and there is a chain of command that is in charge. We are handling things better and are more proactive.
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