20 million children at risk from devastating impact of Typhoon Goni

Wazzup Pilipinas!

More than 20 million children in the most populous island of Luzon face multiple risks of injury, displacement and even deaths as powerful Typhoon Goni (local name: Rolly) pummeled coastal and landmass areas, including capital Manila over the weekend, according to Save the Children Philippines.

Typhoon Goni is forecasted to upgrade to a super typhoon in the next 12 hours prior to its landfall in the eastern provinces of Catanduanes and Camarines early Sunday, the state weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

Atty. Alberto Muyot, Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children Philippines, has called on local and national government leaders to protect the most vulnerable sector of children, pregnant and lactating mothers who face life-threatening impacts of typhoon Goni, which is expected to bring violent winds, and heavy rains that will cause storm surges and flooding in the coming days.

Luzon is home to 65 million population including 27.2 million children (Philippine Statistics Authority, 2020) which will be hit hard by the typhoon particularly Bicol region, Southern Tagalog, Central Luzon, and Metro Manila. Typhoon Goni is the 18th typhoon to hit the Philippines this year and the fifth in October, surpassing the PAG-ASA average of three typhoons in a month.

“Children from poor households in the coastal towns and remote provinces will bear the brunt of the impact of typhoon Goni as their homes are made of light materials that are easily destroyed by strong winds,” said Muyot.

As local governments implement pre-emptive measures, children and their families will have to stay in cramped evacuation areas, exposing them to COVID-19 and other life-threatening diseases, hunger and possible abuse and violence.

A 10-member humanitarian team from Save the Children Philippines will be deployed on Tuesday, November 3rd, to Southern and Central Luzon provinces to conduct rapid assessment of the impact of Typhoon Goni, and identify the support for children.

The child rights organization has prepositioned life-saving items including household kits with basic necessities for families, tarpaulins to build emergency shelters, and hygiene kits in stock so people can take COVID-19 preventative measures.

Both tracks and intensity of Typhoon Goni are expansive with maximum sustained winds of 215 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 265 km/h, comparable to super typhoon Haiyan (local name: Yolanda) that flattened Visayas provinces, and killed more than 6,300 people including children in November 2013.

Children huddled in evacuation centres at risk from COVID19, as year’s strongest storm batters the Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!


Children huddled in evacuation centres at risk from COVID19, as year’s strongest storm batters the Philippines

As hundreds of thousands of children huddle in evacuation centres following the most powerful typhoon in the Philippines for seven years, Save the Children fears the spread of COVID19.

Typhoon Goni made landfall across Luzon island on Sunday local time, bringing with it catastrophic winds, storm surges and widespread floods.

The extent of the damage in coastal areas is still unknown, but feared to have had a high humanitarian impact.

The CEO of Save the Children in the Philippines is Atty. Alberto Muyot. He said, “We call on the local government to urgently put in place proper health protocols to protect people sheltering in evacuation centres from life-threatening diseases including COVID-19.

“They must also ensure children and their families staying in evacuation centres are provided with hygiene essentials, nutritious food and clean water.”

“It is important local officials provide breast milk access to babies in case they are separated from their mothers, or mothers are unable to express breastmilk due to injury and psychosocial distress.”

The nation’s capital Manila, home to 13 million people, is bracing for the impact of the storm today. Save the Children has fears for more than nine million people living in the city.

“The impact on the most vulnerable in Manila could be horrendous. We are especially concerned for 1.5 million families forced to live in dangerous conditions along railroads tracks, garbage dumps and riverbanks.”

As soon it is safe to do so, Save the Children will deploy aid workers to the worst affected parts of Luzon island. They will quickly distribute basic life-saving hygiene kits and emergency supplies.

#NasaanAngPangulo is an accountability tweet in the middle of a pandemic

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"To ask #NasaanAngPangulo is not to demand the impossible--that he stop #RollyPh. It's to ask: where's the highest  official of the country being battered by the strongest typhoon of the year? 

In a time of crisis, presence is a sign of leadership. Absence is abandonment of duty" - Pilo Hilbay

President Rodrigo Duterte is still missing in action hours after the first landfall of Rolly (Goni), the world's strongest tropical cyclone this year.   

When DDS cult fanatics claims Duterte is the best president in the solar system, it feels too good to be true. Well this is his chance.. at least, to do something or pretend to be a mayor, err, president nga pala... 

Certain wokes are asking the whereabouts of PRRD as the Philippines braces for Typhoon Rolly. Is the government already been working around the clock in preparation for its impact? When I saw the sort of presscon, they keep saying that communications are down so they couldn't get updates from the provinces, and that the LGU can handle the situation on their own. WTF! Is that being ready. Haven't they heard of satellite phones?

Do we really need to see him para lang malaman na may ginagawa siya? Does he have better things to do than to show his face on camera? I know that any leader can still be on top of things without being in the limelight, but as a leader it is best to still see him before an impending disaster.

Do you really think that he's doing something when he's missing from the high level briefing about the typhoon? We were expecting him to tell us about their preparedness and response in regards to this typhoon for assurance, but no, I can't even see articles about it.

He's the president, duhhhh! He should be leading the preparation for this Typhoon.

During this time that the country is facing a calamity, being the "Tatay" that he is and he claims to be, dapat visible sya cause it eases the people.

Bakit kay Bong Go pa mangggaling ang ganyang statement? Hindi na ba mabuka ni Duterte ang bibig nya? Kapag sa pagmumura ang lakas.

Yes its his job. It could be ministerial bit still his job.

What the people want is pure leadership, to man the ship, guide it, stir it with its people before during and after each calamity. Thats ACCOUNTABILITY!

You know a supertyphoon is about to make a landfall in the country yet you had the audacity to neglect your responsibilities and failed to prepare for the disaster. If you're not going to do anything might as well let the Vice President handle it. Let her become the President. 

President Duterte's spokesman Harry Roque: "We expect him to address the nation. Hindi ko lang alam kung kailan."

Gahaman sa Emergency Power pero di mo mahagilap pag may Emergency?

He's not just the clown he's the whole fucking circus. 

2020 is scary enough. No need for Halloween. Pero beh di ba dapat nag address ang pangulo bago tumama sa kalupaan si bagyong Rolly?. Ahhhh baka advance para kay Siony? Hindi rin namin alam kung kelan kami lalaya sa gobyernong ganito. Uugh! Kairita!

We can debate about the Yolanda response of Noynoy Aquino's administration due to some major shortcomings. But he gave us timely information based on experts' advice before the storm made a landfall unlike the inutile who doesn't seem to care about Typhoon Rolly.

Ang example ng isang good leadership ay si President Moon ng South Korea hindi sya absent sa panahon ng kalamidad sa bansa nya kaya madali silang makabangon.

DDS in a nutshell-- these 2 answers to every facts they are presented with:

🤮 Eh di ikaw pumalit sa pangulo

🙄 Ano ambag mo bukod sa pagiging dilawan?

#NasaanAngPangulo is an accountability tweet. Hindi ‘yan bashing. It’s a call for leadership especially when we’re in a crisis in a middle of a pandemic.

#NasaanAngPangulo