MANILA, Philippines – The state weather bureau has removed the name Nona from its list of tropical cyclone names after Typhoon Nona left more than P6 billion worth of damage to agriculture and infrastructure last December.
“Nona will no longer be used by PAGASA and (we are) now looking for a replacement. Suggestions are now welcome,” the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) announced on its Facebook account.
Netizens immediately responded to the post, suggesting various names starting with letter N, including Noynoy, Nognog, Nancy, Naenae, Ningning, Narda and Nano.
PAGASA will use the new name in 2019.
PAGASA has four lists of cyclone names and these are rotated every four years, with the names of significant tropical cyclones retired if they have caused at least P1 billion in damage and/or 300 deaths.
The new names for the deleted cyclone names are recommended by the weather forecasting section and approved by management.
Nona replaced the name Nonoy as local name for Typhoon Melor, which hit the country in December.
PAGASA changed the local name to spare President Aquino from public ridicule as it sounds like his nickname Noynoy, PAGASA senior weather forecaster Rene Paciente earlier told The STAR.
Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) was the region worst hit by Nona, sustaining P2.28 billion in damage, data from the Office of Civil Defense Region IV-B showed.
The death toll from the typhoon has reached 42 while the number of injured persons reached 24.
PAGASA earlier decommissioned Lando after it left massive destruction in the country in October 2015. It was replaced by the name Liwayway.
PAGASA came up with local names of tropical cyclones following a “Name a Bagyo Contest” conducted by the agency in 1998.
Venus Valdemoro, officer-in-charge of PAGASA’s public information office, in a previous interview said thousands of names were submitted, including those suggested by overseas Filipino workers.
Of these suggestions, 140 cyclone names were listed. The first tropical cyclone of the year has a name beginning with the letter A.