Typhoons:
On November 8, 2013, Typhoon Yolanda, also known as Typhoon Haiyan,
struck the Philippines. It was one of the most powerful tropical storms ever to make
landfall, killing over 10,000 people and displacing millions. It caused $10 billion in
economic damage by destroying buildings, roads, fisheries, and agricultural areas.
To say the least, the massive rehabilitation effort since then has been challenging.
The immediate response saved the lives of millions of people in the impacted
region, but the greater issue has been ensuring that recovery and reconstruction
efforts leave shattered communities better prepared to resist future shocks.
Typhoon Hagupit followed soon after, wreaking havoc on the country once more.
Hagupit was the worst threat to the Philippines in 2014 before it made landfall, but
it was far smaller than Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. These tragedies are simply a small
fraction of the Philippines' true susceptibility in the face of such disasters. In fact,
the country is visited by an average of twenty (20) typhoons every year, five of
which are destructive, due to its geography being positioned along the Pacific
typhoon belt.
Earthquakes and volcanic eruption:
Apart from typhoons, the Philippines is also not immune to earthquakes and
volcanic eruptions due to its location along the Ring of Fire.
Mount Pinatubo, on the Philippines' island of Luzon, awoke after more than
500 years of dormancy in early April 1991, with indicators of impending eruption.
It then burst on June 15, 1991, dumping more than 1 cubic mile (5 cubic kilometers)
of volcanic ash and rock pieces on the volcano's slopes, rising as high as 22 miles
into the air and spreading over 300 miles throughout Central Luzon, effectively
turning day into night for days. Not only that but, fine ashes dropped as far as the
Indian Ocean, and satellites traced the ash clouds multiple times across the world.
From 1991 to 1993, about 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide were also released into
the stratosphere and scattered around the world, creating a 1°F drop in global
temperature. As a result, Mt. Pinatubo's eruption in 1991 became the secondlargest volcanic explosion on Earth in the twentieth century.
Aside from Mt. Pinatubo, the Mayon Volcano, in contrast with its well-known
flawless cone shape, also taunts the population of Albay. Since 1616, the active
volcano has had about 30 eruptions. In particular, the eruption in 1993 claimed the
lives of 79 people, and the five succeeding ones forced tens of thousands of
residents from nearby villages to flee. On its most recent eruption, on the 14th of
January 2018, the volcano saw two ava collapse events, resulting in rockfall and
small-volume pyroclastic density currents. Ash clouds were also produced with
ashfalls reported in 29 villages (barangays) in the municipalities of Camalig and
Guinobatan in the southwest of the volcano. Lava flow, further rockfall episodes,
and small pyroclastic flows were also seen on the 16th of January. Due to the
potential of rockfalls, landslides, and abrupt explosions or dome collapse that may
generate dangerous volcanic flows, PHILVOLCS advised that the 6-km permanent
danger zone and a 7-km extended danger zone be enforced. Precautionary
evacuations have been carried out in 25 villages (barangays) in three municipalities
and two cities as a result of the increased alert level. A total of 5,318 households
(21,823 persons) have been displaced as of 15 January, with 4,134 families (16,877)
residing in 18 evacuation facilities.
Filipinos’ Showcasing Resiliency during their most difficult times:
In the event of any of the aforementioned obstacles or disasters, the
Philippines proved to be one of the most resilient nations, surviving for years on
end amid famine, sickness, and inadequate crisis management.
Despite the country's circumstances, Filipinos maintain a positive attitude in
their daily lives. They'd learnt how to properly pack their burdens so that they could
carry them more easily. They have adapted to their circumstances since they have
been confronted with them virtually their entire lives. They have always found a
way to endure or recover from adversity, even in the direst of circumstances.
Every time a typhoon hit the country, Filipinos saw it as an opportunity to
replace or improve unjust or ineffective humanitarian responses in order to be
better prepared in the future. Since they are aware of the country's vulnerabilities,
they ensure that an emergency survival kit is constantly available at their houses,
or that they have enough food and other supplies to last at least a month before
the storm hits. People ascend to their roofs in locations where water is predicted
to accumulate soon and send out SOS messages via instant messaging or Facebook
posts. Because of the sudden torrent of rescue reports, Filipinos were eager to act
after the landfall, notwithstanding their restricted mobility and delayed disaster
response. Survivors begin to feel the weight of their disturbed lives on their
shoulders at this moment, yet with psychological traumas, many would still fight
for their lives. The community has also developed ways to integrate and assist one
another in order to enhance their standard of living during these times.
Filipinos really have a strong sense of resilience. They have the ability to
perceive life not through colored lenses, but rather, to see that setbacks occur, and
that life is full of trials and misery. They still have unfavorable emotions after a
misfortune, but their mental approach allows them to work through them and
recover. People with resilience have the ability to confront issues head on,
overcome hardship, and move on with their life. Filipinos then see themselves as
fighters rather than victims in this situation.
Addressing it with the concept of Toxic Positivity:
Regardless of the virtues of resilience, the narrative we have about it needs
to be rectified. One can't help but be impressed by how resilient Filipino survivors
are in the face of challenges but would otherwise be too much for others, especially
those who are directly affected. As a result, we must be mindful that our stance
toward it should not be romantic or amorous. Instead, Filipinos should also realize
that they cannot rely just on themselves and that nothing can be addressed simply
by being optimistic. We should continue to learn how to speak up for what we need
and push for more from the government, because it is, after all, their duty in
society. With this, we should not equate resiliency with toxic positivity and treat
the former as if it were a moral problem when, in fact, it is a value to be proud of
since it makes us stronger. The latter refers to the denial of negative emotions'
existence and the belief that they should not be felt, therefore they are very
different. Furthermore, Filipinos are also human beings who can experience both
pleasant and negative emotions that are both transient. It's only a matter of
keeping the proper perspective of it.
Let's think of resilience as a balance scale where negative events tip the scale
toward bad outcomes, and positive experiences tip the scale toward favorable
outcomes, in order to develop it without toxic positivity. First, we may realistically
assess undesirable incidents without focusing on blaming or worrying over what
we can't alter. We should reframe our thoughts to look for tiny methods to
approach the problem and make changes that will help, rather than perceiving
adversity as hopeless. Talking about your problems won't make them go away but
discussing them with a friend or loved one might help you feel like you've got
someone on your side, which can help you build strength. Communicating with
others can also help you gain insight or generate fresh ideas that can help you
better manage the issues you're facing. Finally, we can practice stress and
emotional management, as we can easily become overwhelmed by things that feel
out of our control during a crisis. Rather than wishing you could go back in time or
change things, try concentrating on the things you can directly influence.