BALER, Aurora, Philippines – Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo has this piece of unsolicited advice to officials of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration and the media: Don’t portray the province of Aurora as a typhoon or calamity-prone area.
Angara-Castillo told newsmen that Pagasa has made the province a reference point of incoming typhoons, leaving the impression that it is disaster-prone. She said the image of Aurora as a typhoon belt in the mold of Batanes is only a perception detached from reality. “It’s only a misconception and it’s quite disappointing because it turns off prospective investors,” she said.
She said she has been telling members of the media that if only they would check past records, Aurora is not often hit by typhoons except in 2004.
“If you will examine past records, we are only made a reference point. Weather forecasters would say a typhoon is this or that kilometers away from Aurora. But if you examine closely, the typhoon does not actually occur in Aurora,” she said.
“What sticks to the mind of the people is that Aurora is prone to calamities which is wrong,” she said.
Angara-Castillo said that the provincial government is seriously considering to make official representations with Pag-asa to refrain from making the province a reference point of typhoons since it is not as calamity-prone as it is pictured to be.