TYPHOON ONDOY

Typhoon Ondoy is the 16th typhoon that struck Southwest Luzon in the Philippines on September 25-26, 2009; it was also known to be the second most devastating tropical cyclone of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season. Typhoon Ondoy was followed by typhoon Pepeng, which is also known as Typhoon Parma, a category III storm, bringing powerful winds with gusts of up to 230 km/hr then an extended period of heavy rains that affected certain countries such as the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. In this section, we will be focusing on the area: Marikina City.

Transitioning to the perspective of the pre-disaster period, the exposure of the area can be rated as 4 out of 4. This can be said due to lots of factors. To begin with, there are about 424,150 individuals living in Marikina City who are exposed to the disaster. Knowing that the city comprises around 21.5km², which makes it a major city here in the Philippines, there are a significant number of people who choose to reside in this area, exposing a large amount of population to the disaster. There are also 45,000 houses and other building structures that are also exposed to the disaster. With having lots of people living in this city, there are also lots of houses and other structures that are built in this city to accommodate the whole population living in this area, thus exposing numerous houses and building structures as well to the typhoon. In addition, over 1,802 major companies are located in the city. Knowing that the city is also known for its shoe industry, lots of big companies are located in the city and are exposed to the typhoon disaster. Given the significantly large proportion of the population, houses, and businesses are exposed to the typhoon disaster.

Meanwhile, the vulnerability of the area can be rated as 3 out of 4. In terms of the housing characteristics of Marikina City- there are over 236 housing units that are made using makeshift and improvised materials, thus making them more vulnerable to the effects of the typhoon as they may be easily damaged or blown away by strong winds. Moreover, numerous individuals would also be vulnerable to the disaster, as many are living below the poverty line. It was reported that the poverty line in Marikina City increased by 26% from 2006 to 2009 as families need P974.00 to meet their monthly food needs and P1,403 to stay out of poverty, therefore, they are prone to have more financial loss as their housing and livelihood can be taken away due to the typhoon. In line with the group’s claim, a study revealed that around 15,000 residents of the total population living in Marikina City are reported severely vulnerable to the disaster. Although Marikina is a big city, it also comprises lots of people who are financially struggling financially with 11.6% of its population coming from a low-income family; thus, when a disaster occurs, they are very likely to get injured or lose their homes as they cannot afford to live in a big, stable house that can keep them safe amidst the disaster. However, the MMDA has reported that they are able to upgrade the drainage system of Metro Manila and have installed 50+ sensors all over Metro Manila to monitor the flooding and water level with the help of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). Hence, there are about 52 pumping stations around Metro Manila. This lessens the vulnerability of Marikina, as efforts are made to upgrade the drainage system, enabling them to be more equipped in facing the disaster, thus making it a 3 out of 4 for the overall vulnerability accounting various factors.

MOST VULNERABLE BARANGAYS

Marikina City

Common low elevation areas would turn out to be among the worst hit as the river grew shallower through the years.

SAFETY TIPS AND HOTLINES