The enduring Filipino spirit amid Habagat challenges

For most of the second half of 2024, heavy rains poured across the Philippines, flooding homes and submerging communities with murky and knee-to-waist-deep waters. This experience is nothing new to many Filipinos who have, time and time again, suffered challenges brought on by extreme weather. The intensified Habagat, or Southwest monsoon, from June to October 2024 has once again revealed the enduring spirit of Filipinos.

Floods that lasted many days overwhelmed several communities, forcing many to brave the floodwaters for the sake of their livelihoods and their families. No one was spared from the effects of Habagat, which was even enhanced by tropical storms.

GMA’s Unang Hirit Weather reporter Anjo Pertierra had to evacuate because of the severe flooding in Marikina on July 24. Despite his ordeal, he still reported to work. “Wala ‘kong nasalbang gamit, ang nakuha ko lang, apat na t-shirt, gawa nga po ng sobrang bilis po ng pagtaas ng tubig sa aking bahay. [I couldn’t save anything, the only things I got were four t-shirts because the water in my house was rising too fast.]” Anjo shared. His story is only one of the many who were left stranded by the floods in Marikina, and he is just one of residents who had also gone to their rooftops to wait for rescue.

The increasing severity of weather patterns poses growing risks for the Philippines, but Filipinos have consistently proven that they can readily adapt and find hope and strength amid adversity. During the devastation of Super Typhoon Yolanda, the strongest typhoon to have hit the Philippines, photos and videos captured smiles on the faces of Filipinos, who, despite being surrounded by destroyed houses, maintained a positive attitude and sought to look at the bright side of things–their mere survival.

As a response to weather-based calamities, many donation drives were launched, such as the ABS- CBN Foundation, Caritas Manila, and Angat Buhay, to help victims. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) also released over a million family food packs to those affected by Habagat.

While resilience has become a defining characteristic of Filipinos, these lived anecdotes highlight the increasing need for better disaster risk reduction and management plans in the country.

Action must be taken by governments, organizations, and citizens alike, especially considering that the Philippines is highly susceptible to extreme weather.

The positive mindset of Filipinos serves as an inspiration to maintain hope and bounce back from difficult times, but also as a call to work towards preventing the devastating effects of extreme weather in the future, such as by improving disaster risk management and ensuring clean roads to prevent trash from blocking drainage.