Dan Rafael Labrador

12 – STEM St. Joseph of Cupertino

The Philippines’ location near the intersection of the Pacific and European tectonic plates
makes it particularly vulnerable to natural disasters, especially typhoons, in the “Pacific Ring of
Fire,” an area of active volcanoes. Numerous people are displaced by disasters caused by
humans, such as armed conflict and aggression, in addition to the natural catastrophes that
annually have a disproportionately large human impact. Climate change’s intensifying effect also
makes already burned citizens worse by increasing global economic volatility.

As a Category 2 – equivalent typhoon, Ulysses made its initial landfall in the Philippines on
November 11 at midnight in the Quezon Province. In Central Luzon and the neighboring
provinces, including Metro Manila, the national capital, the typhoon brought torrential rains.
Typhoon – related flooding in Marikina was caused by the typhoon’s heavy rains that
overflowed rivers. Dams from all over Luzon approached their breaking points as the storm
moved across the nation, forcing the dams to release a significant amount of water into their
impoundments. All seven of the Magat Dam’s gates were opened as it got close to breaking,
preventing the Cagayan River from overflowing and widespread flooding in Cagayan and
Isabela. Ulysses strengthened significantly after crossing into the South China Sea, reaching its
brief peak as a typhoon with a Category 4 – equivalent typhoon. On November 15, Ulysses, a
Category 1 – equivalent typhoon, made landfall in Vietnam before quickly dissipating. Rescue
efforts in the Cagayan Valley were still continuing strong days after the storm had left the
Philippines because of the unexpected depth of the floods. The entirety of Luzon’s landmass was
declared in a state of calamity as a result of the typhoon’s effects. According to the Nat’l Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Council of the Philippines, as of December 2, the typhoon had
claimed 111 lives (with 101 confirmed fatalities and an additional 10 missing), while Ulysses
had inflicted losses of 20.2 billion.

Ordinary people cannot be expected to constantly be ready for environmental changes. To

investigate these events, inform society about them, and plan society’s response, we need
organizations and professionals. There are currently no thorough, in – depth studies available on
how climate change will affect the Philippines specifically. The last we need is to have dolomite
sand worth P389 million dumped in Manila Bay. To avoid having to rely on one another every
time a disaster strikes, we need specialized systems that will safeguard our population from the
threat of typhoons, restore the environment, and give priority to budgetary allocations that
directly benefit our population.