Philippines: Over 31 Killed from Approaching Tropical Storm

Facts

• On Friday, officials announced that more than 31 people have died and nine others are missing following torrential rains that caused flash flooding and landslides in the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao.¹
• According to local officials, most of the victims were swept away in the torrential floods and drowned or were hit by mudslide debris that caused destruction across multiple towns.²
• The deluge of rain arrived ahead of Tropical Storm Nalgae, which surprised residents with flash flooding from unusually heavy overnight rains.³
• After floodwaters receded in other areas, Cotabato City remained inundated. Rescuers in boats, and emergency teams that included military units, searched impacted areas.³
• Nalgae is just the most recent of many tropical systems to batter the Philippines, bringing large amounts of rain that cause destructive flooding and landslides. Nalgae could intensify as it continues to travel over the Philippine Sea.⁴

Sources: ¹NBC, ²San Diego Union, ³Al Jazeera and ⁴Reuters.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Guardian. The Philippines' government hasn’t done enough to protect Filipinos while climate change intensifies typhoons. Despite constant disasters, the government has relaxed restrictions on economic activities, especially mining, that make these disasters worse. Filipinos need to elect leaders determined to combat the climate crisis and hold the global north accountable.
• Narrative B, as provided by World Bank. The Philippine government has made great strides in preparing for climate change. In 2009, Congress passed the Climate Change Act and developed a roadmap for climate programs — including efforts to bolster infrastructure and protect the Filipino people. While any loss of life is a tragedy, these actions are reducing damage from dangerous storms.