October 2009 in review

Friday, 08 January 2010 08:00 AM Paolo Miguel Cruz

Pepeng forecasts. In the first days of October 2009, Metro Manila and several low-lying areas were still recovering from the heavy rainfall brought by the typhoon Ondoy. At the same time, authorities were on alert as typhoon Pepeng was threatening to add to the damage brought by the previous typhoon.

On October 1, PAGASA forecast that typhoon Pepeng would bring more rains and stronger winds in Northern Luzon and Metro Manila upon landfall on Saturday afternoon. In a press conference, PAGASA said that Pepeng packed winds of 195 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 230 kph.

Philippines under state of calamity. Malacanang opted to place the whole country under a state of calamity to keep prices of goods at current levels while several local government authorities ordered forced evacuation of the residents of their respective areas in anticipation of the incoming typhoon.

Even as the typhoon slowed down and degraded into a tropical depression as it made landfall, it still inconvenienced many Filipinos as it further delayed recovery of some areas still submerged in the flood, left about 2,000 stranded in Southern Luzon ports, and led to the cancellation of about 20 arriving and departing domestic flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Some casualties were reported as of October 3.

Pepeng Returns. It was reported on October 6 that after remaining just off the tip of Northern Luzon for two days (http://thepoc.net/breaking-news/pepeng/2477-pepeng-threatens-northern-luzon-anew.html), Pepeng had started to head back towards the country due to the influence of typhoon Quedan and was then moving towards the Ilocos and Cagayan regions.

Aftermath. As of October 12, there were already 317 confirmed deaths in the aftermath of typhoon Pepeng, most of them caused by landslides. Several towns in Central Luzon were also majorly affected by the storm, especially those who were caught in shock floods caused by water released from the Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija and the San Roque Dam in Pangasinan.

Damages to agriculture, infrastructure, and private property amounted to more than P5 billion.

Leptospirosis Outbreak. The effects of typhoon Ondoy could still be felt mid-October, as on the 15^th more than 700 cases of leptospirosis were reported in Metro Manila. The bacterial infection, which is caused by exposure to water contaminated by the urine of rats and other animals, was easily spread since many areas were still submerged in floodwater. Later, leptospirosis cases jumped to over 1,000.

Climate Change Act. After the devastation wrought by the storms Ondoy and Pepeng, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed the Climate Change Act of 2009 on October 23 to institutionalize government response to climate change.

CNN Hero of the Year. On October 25, Efren Peñaflorida, the man behind the Kariton Klasrum, was nominated as one of the 10 finalists in the year’s CNN Hero of the Year award, in the Championing Children category.

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