Storm Nonoy renamed Nona

MANILA, Philippines - To spare President Aquino from possible public ridicule, the state weather bureau changed the local name of Tropical Storm Melor, which entered the country yesterday, from Nonoy to Nona.

Rene Paciente, senior weather forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said Science Secretary Mario Montejo ordered the change of the name Nonoy, which sounds like Aquino’s nickname Noynoy.

The President, at a Christmas dinner with the Palace press corps, said, “Ewan ko naman yung (I don’t understand this) PAGASA. They know I have a phobia for typhoons that enter the country during the Christmas season,” referring to year-end typhoon Ruby in 2014, Yolanda in 2013, Pablo in 2012 and Sendong in 2011.

“I hope it doesn’t become a tradition that after the Malacañang Press Corps party a storm hits,” he said, 

“Secretary Montejo called up (PAGASA) administrator (Vicente) Malano early today to change the local name of Melor,” Paciente told The STAR in a phone interview.

“We also don’t want the people to associate the President with the storm, especially if this turns out to be damaging,” he said.

PAGASA is an attached agency of the Department of Science and Technology.

The name Nonoy is in the list of local tropical storm names of PAGASA. The weather bureau assigns a local name for cyclones that enter the Philippine area of responsibility.

The replacement of the local name, however, was done after the cyclone entered the Philippine area of responsibility at 4 a.m. yesterday.

Paciente said this was not the first time it changed the name of a cyclone.

During the term of President Arroyo, he said they were also asked to replace the name Gloria, the first name of the former leader, to Glenda.

“We change it if it involves VIPs like the presidents,” Paciente said.

In September last year, PAGASA  changed the local codename for an approaching tropical cyclone to Karding from Kanor.

PAGASA has decided to drop Kanor after getting negative feedback from the public.

“Mang Kanor” is believed to be the man in a sex video that went viral a few years ago.

Normally, only the names of deadly and destructive typhoons are stricken off the list.

Kanor replaced the name Katring, a destructive cyclone that hit the country in 2010.