Apart from COVID-19, Philippines suffered slew of disasters

MANILA, Philippines — Amid the COVID-19 pan­demic, the Philippines was not spared from a slew of natural calamities that affected over nine million people in 2020.

From the wrath of Taal Volcano in January to the on­slaught of Typhoon Ulysses that caused unprecedented flooding in the last quarter, this year saw many natural calamities wreaking havoc all over the country.

Data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction Man­agement Council (NDRRMC) showed that at least eight of the strongest natural disasters this year caused over P45.4 billion in damage.

Over 9.3 million individu­als or 2.3 million families were directly affected by these natural disasters – from vol­canic eruptions, earthquakes and the ever-present tropical cyclones.

For this year, there was the Taal Volcano phreatic eruption in January, Typhoon Ambo in May, the magnitude 6.6 earthquake in Masbate in August, as well as five tropical cyclones in the last quarter.

A total of 72 people died and 658 others were injured in the eight worst natural calami­ties to hit the country this year. NDRRMC data also showed that 82,189 houses were totally destroyed in these incidents, and some 445,577 others left partially damaged.

These natural calamities left P28 billion in infrastructure damage and another P19.2 billion in agricultural damage.

Typhoon Ulysses was the most devastating natural di­saster this year, causing over almost half of the reported damage reported this year totaling P20.1 billion. Ulysses saw many parts of Luzon, from as far south as Camarines Norte in Region V to provinces of Cagayan Valley as well as Metro Manila, submerged in unprecedented flooding.

It left 19 people dead and displaced about 4.9 million as it battered the country from Nov. 8 to 13.

Ulysses came as a surprise for many, as its predecessor, Super Typhoon Rolly, was deemed to be the strongest typhoon in the world for the year. Rolly, for its part, affected over two million people, left 25 persons dead and injured 399 others.

It also caused some P17.8 billion in infrastructure and agricultural damage.