We had a dream. No, it wasn’t similar to Martin Luther King’s. The one the American civil rights activist had was something more sublime.
Ours was far from it. It was an ordinary dream that didn’t need great oratorical talent. It was just that — a dream. But the surprise of surprises, we woke up from it realizing our dream had come true. Just like that.
You see, over the weekend, when reports came around that a super typhoon internationally named “Mawar” was about to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility, we decided to retire early knowing that the much-hyped howler could come in at any time and wreak havoc on our god-forsaken islands.
We were kind of expecting that we ought to be prepared in the event that the weather forecasts proved to be true. So off we went to sleep before midnight and prayed just before hitting our bed that the hurtling storm would veer away from a direct hit on the Philippines. We dozed off still thinking of the super typhoon, not knowing that the Philippines, after all, was ably defended by an anti-typhoon defense system.
That system, we were told, can knock off typhoons or deflect their path similar to the anti-missile defense systems of most modern first-world countries. The AMDS is a technology that detects, tracks, intercepts, and then destroys attacking missiles.
The Philippines, per our dream, had joined the ranks of the elite countries although what it had was an anti-typhoon defense system that could deflect super storms coming our way.
“Mawar” or “Betty” (local name) was the first super howler that was forced to veer away from the Philippine islands because of such a defense system. We were on that certain high until we woke up only to realize it was just a dream.
Grasping our phone, we learned that “Betty” indeed had changed course and went up north in the direction of Taiwan, sparing us from a direct hit in northern Luzon. We were shaking our heads in disbelief, but then, we asked ourselves how that could have happened.
We don’t have an anti-typhoon defense system for sure. All we have is disaster preparedness programs that aim to minimize the impact of typhoons. These include community engagement, awareness, and evacuation drills. Pre-positioning of goods and equipment is what most local government units in the path of a typhoon do to ease the devastation.
But what if the Philippines, situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire and visited by an average of 20 typhoons yearly, does have an anti-typhoon defense system? That would be such a big breakthrough.
Per our dream, the Philippines’ ATDS included a robust early warning system that provides timely and accurate information about approaching typhoons. This enables authorities and communities to take necessary precautions, evacuate vulnerable areas, and prepare emergency response plans.
The country had also invested in advanced meteorological technologies, such as radar systems, satellite monitoring, and data analytics, which improved the accuracy of weather forecasts. Enhanced weather monitoring allowed for more precise tracking and prediction of typhoons, enabling authorities to make informed decisions and allocate resources effectively.
Implementing coastal protection measures, such as sea walls, breakwaters, and mangrove restoration, also mitigated the impact of storm surges caused by typhoons. These measures provided a physical barrier against high tides and reduced the vulnerability of coastal communities.
But that was just a dream. We thought implementing an anti-typhoon defense system requires substantial financial resources. It is essential, therefore, to conduct a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis to evaluate the feasibility of such a system, considering the economic impact of typhoons and the long-term benefits of prevention and mitigation.
After shaking off the cobwebs of sleep, we realized it is just not feasible at this time that we are still trying to recover economically from the pandemic. An anti-typhoon defense system cannot be solely reliant on technological solutions. We then thought the best anti-typhoon defense system is not in all of these.
So what made “Betty” veer away and spare the Philippines from sure devastation?
Come to think of it, it must have been our collective prayers that did it.
That, for sure, is the best anti-typhoon defense we could have.
e-mail: mannyangeles27@gmail.com