It is a scene we are no longer unfamiliar with, unfortunately. As Typhoon Mario itself was ravaging Northern Luzan, thanks to the southwest monsoon or “habagat,” found itself on the receiving end as well of the typhoon’s fury even though the metropolis was not in the typhoon’s direct path. As a result, last September 19, parts of Metro Manila was submerged in flood water that rose as high as the chest, paralyzing the metropolis as a whole to a standstill that day. Alarming as it may seem, it looks like it is going to be the new normal, thanks to climate change and the continued inaction of our authorities.
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The Metropolis and Natural Disasters
A few days ago, a story was published by the Philippine Star about a study by a Swiss insurance firm which stated that Manila was the 2nd most at-risk metropolis from natural disasters. With such a story, one has to get more information, preferably straight from the source. Fortunately, Swiss Re, the firm that commissioned or has done the study, has a copy of this study online, which you can check here. One thing to note though is that this study has been published way back in September 2013. So how it managed to fly under the radar of local journalists until a few days ago is a puzzle to…