Every year I come to Philippines and stay in my house in Cebu. Before returning to live in Australia in 2004, I lived in the northern part of the Country for almost 20 years. Typhoon season here is usually between May and November, and they usually hit the southern islands. In November 2013, Super Typhoon Haiyan hit Tacloban City with wind gusts up to 230 kph. I was on a nearby island and just got out in time. Damage was US$4.5 Billion with 6329 people confirmed dead and another 1074 missing. Now another one is on the way, fortunately not a Super Typhoon but it will be bad enough. The eye will pass just north of Cebu Island/Province early Saturday morning with wind gusts forecast up to 90 kph. I'm not expecting damage only lots of rain. My house is constructed of brick and concrete so should be OK. This typhoon doesn't really worry me but I am concerned about those families that live near the coast in bamboo shanties. 90kph winds will blow most of them away. I've had a lot of experience with weather in this Country, having been close by to over 50 typhoons, 1 earthquake and 1 volcanic eruption, Mt. Pinatubo on June 15, 1991. I was 10 miles from the eruption. Happy New Year to everyone..
Ken,
I realise millions of Asian & Pacific peoples live in poverty but isn't it about time that the authorities started using the $$$$ of overseas aid to improve the living conditions of their people instead of feathering their own nests & militias letting them rule with fear & bullets? Every year typhoons, hurricanes, cyclones (depending on where you live) cause havoc, destruction & death to the islands in these areas as flimsy houses are blown, washed away. And every year they expect the wealthier countries & charities to pick up the tab!
I live in a cyclone area & our houses have to be built or upgraded to a building code that reduces the amount of damage to buildings. Our insurance companies certainly know it too - some including the "We've got you too" mob refuse to cover anyone with a post code from 4700 onwards!! Others up the costs to more than double what SE Qld customers pay.
PeterX said
09:33 AM Dec 27, 2018
A big problem is corruption. Example, how many people in Jail over the Maguindanao massacre, where 58 people murdered.
Big Gorilla said
01:49 PM Dec 27, 2018
Corruption is a big problem in many Asian Countries, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Philippines from the President down. I resigned from a good paying airline job to buy a Hotel here in mid 80s. I have paid money to some very important people to get things done, A Police Chief, City Mayor, Provincial Governor and for a couple of civil Court cases I was involved, money went to two Judges, one equivalent to a District Court Judge in Australia, the other equivalent to a Supreme Court Judge. I've paid Tax Inspectors so I didn't pay tax.. You might rightly say I should not have made those payments, but that is the way business is done here. You don't pay, you are out of business !!
On the other side, I can never understand why Countries like Australia give large amounts in foreign aid. The money just goes into the pockets of elected representatives. Roads, drainage and other infrastructure are poor, electricity is always subject to outages, referred to as Brownouts. Water supply is unreliable. At our house there is no water after about 9 a.m. until around 6 p.m. at night, 7 days a week. Schools, Hospitals and Doctors are of poor standard. Even Government Public Hospitals are not free. Medicine is not free. Many die here from minor ailments. I know of a 20 year old girl living in Manila with a Heart problem. I arranged for her to see a Cardiologist at Philippine Heart Center. The Cardiologist is the brother of my Lawyer and one of the very few Doctors I would be prepared to see myself here. He has given her medication for temporary relief, but she needs surgery or she will die within the next few months. Cost of surgery is $17,000.00 in our money. No one has that sort of money and can help her. She will die. 20 years old !!!
Finally the story of a Provincial Congressman who was given funds to build a new bridge of concrete, replacing an old timber structure over a small river. A short time after completion, the new bridge collapsed. An investigation of the collapse revealed the concrete mixture was mainly sand and gravel, with a spoon full of cement. The steel bar reinforcing was shown to be about half the diameter specified and lacking in quantity specified. I don't know what happened afterwards, but the Congressman and Contractor were never charged !!
That's it for now. I think I should write a book of my experiences living in the Philippines.
Incidentally the typhoon will probably be upon us around mid day tomorrow. Forecast wind speed increased from 90kph to 100kph.
The Travelling Dillberries said
01:59 PM Dec 27, 2018
All the best BG, stay safe.
PeterX said
02:32 PM Dec 27, 2018
Yes that was my point. Very difficult to root out corruption.
Many honest people who try, get assassinated. Or have a minor dispute with someone, you could be murdered by a hitman
So sad.
I used to visit , Guihulngan, Negros Oriental, with family members, but too many killings, so I no longer go there.
-- Edited by PeterX on Thursday 27th of December 2018 02:37:57 PM
Warren-Pat_01 said
02:52 PM Dec 27, 2018
Ken, I'm certain that quite a few of us could write books on our earlier experiences but the some of us would be still getting free board & lodging! Bosses don't always have good senses of humour.
And I wonder what would have happened if the Allies had not defeated Japan in places like the Philippines or had Mr Churchill not sent Top Secret papers by ship earlier in the Pacific war (refer to forcez-survivors.org.uk/automedon.html). I'm certain the world would be a different place.
Your oncoming typhoon is a cat 1. We've just "enjoyed" TC Owen - it proved to be very beneficial giving us rare but valuable rain. It had lost most of its puff by coming back over land (The Cape) but I hear it is still sitting off Cairns as a Low.
All the best for you & your friends in the New Year.
Big Gorilla said
03:31 PM Dec 27, 2018
I was watching Owen. According to the US site I monitor, it's long gone. And hopefully not too much damage was done in it's path, the rain would have been most welcome but it didn't cover more affected areas further south in the State. The system here now is classed as a Tropical Depression with wind speeds from 35 knots gusting to 45 knots. I don't think it will do a lot of damage, just produce lots of rain.
http://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/jtwc.html
Big Gorilla said
10:49 AM Dec 28, 2018
Typhoon reduced to Tropical Depression with wind speeds 30 to 45 knots. Little rain now but expect more tonight. I'm pleased about this development as it will save the lives and properties of those living near the east coast of Samar Island
rodrocket said
11:45 AM Jan 2, 2019
Greetings Ken
I spend a lot of time in Cubu as well are you in Cebu City or Mactan
Every year I come to Philippines and stay in my house in Cebu. Before returning to live in Australia in 2004, I lived in the northern part of the Country for almost 20 years. Typhoon season here is usually between May and November, and they usually hit the southern islands. In November 2013, Super Typhoon Haiyan hit Tacloban City with wind gusts up to 230 kph. I was on a nearby island and just got out in time. Damage was US$4.5 Billion with 6329 people confirmed dead and another 1074 missing. Now another one is on the way, fortunately not a Super Typhoon but it will be bad enough. The eye will pass just north of Cebu Island/Province early Saturday morning with wind gusts forecast up to 90 kph. I'm not expecting damage only lots of rain. My house is constructed of brick and concrete so should be OK. This typhoon doesn't really worry me but I am concerned about those families that live near the coast in bamboo shanties. 90kph winds will blow most of them away. I've had a lot of experience with weather in this Country, having been close by to over 50 typhoons, 1 earthquake and 1 volcanic eruption, Mt. Pinatubo on June 15, 1991. I was 10 miles from the eruption. Happy New Year to everyone..
I realise millions of Asian & Pacific peoples live in poverty but isn't it about time that the authorities started using the $$$$ of overseas aid to improve the living conditions of their people instead of feathering their own nests & militias letting them rule with fear & bullets? Every year typhoons, hurricanes, cyclones (depending on where you live) cause havoc, destruction & death to the islands in these areas as flimsy houses are blown, washed away. And every year they expect the wealthier countries & charities to pick up the tab!
I live in a cyclone area & our houses have to be built or upgraded to a building code that reduces the amount of damage to buildings. Our insurance companies certainly know it too - some including the "We've got you too" mob refuse to cover anyone with a post code from 4700 onwards!! Others up the costs to more than double what SE Qld customers pay.
Corruption is a big problem in many Asian Countries, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Philippines from the President down. I resigned from a good paying airline job to buy a Hotel here in mid 80s. I have paid money to some very important people to get things done, A Police Chief, City Mayor, Provincial Governor and for a couple of civil Court cases I was involved, money went to two Judges, one equivalent to a District Court Judge in Australia, the other equivalent to a Supreme Court Judge. I've paid Tax Inspectors so I didn't pay tax.. You might rightly say I should not have made those payments, but that is the way business is done here. You don't pay, you are out of business !!
On the other side, I can never understand why Countries like Australia give large amounts in foreign aid. The money just goes into the pockets of elected representatives. Roads, drainage and other infrastructure are poor, electricity is always subject to outages, referred to as Brownouts. Water supply is unreliable. At our house there is no water after about 9 a.m. until around 6 p.m. at night, 7 days a week. Schools, Hospitals and Doctors are of poor standard. Even Government Public Hospitals are not free. Medicine is not free. Many die here from minor ailments. I know of a 20 year old girl living in Manila with a Heart problem. I arranged for her to see a Cardiologist at Philippine Heart Center. The Cardiologist is the brother of my Lawyer and one of the very few Doctors I would be prepared to see myself here. He has given her medication for temporary relief, but she needs surgery or she will die within the next few months. Cost of surgery is $17,000.00 in our money. No one has that sort of money and can help her. She will die. 20 years old !!!
Finally the story of a Provincial Congressman who was given funds to build a new bridge of concrete, replacing an old timber structure over a small river. A short time after completion, the new bridge collapsed. An investigation of the collapse revealed the concrete mixture was mainly sand and gravel, with a spoon full of cement. The steel bar reinforcing was shown to be about half the diameter specified and lacking in quantity specified. I don't know what happened afterwards, but the Congressman and Contractor were never charged !!
That's it for now. I think I should write a book of my experiences living in the Philippines.
Incidentally the typhoon will probably be upon us around mid day tomorrow. Forecast wind speed increased from 90kph to 100kph.
All the best BG, stay safe.
Yes that was my point. Very difficult to root out corruption.
Many honest people who try, get assassinated. Or have a minor dispute with someone, you could be murdered by a hitman
So sad.
I used to visit , Guihulngan, Negros Oriental, with family members, but too many killings, so I no longer go there.
-- Edited by PeterX on Thursday 27th of December 2018 02:37:57 PM
And I wonder what would have happened if the Allies had not defeated Japan in places like the Philippines or had Mr Churchill not sent Top Secret papers by ship earlier in the Pacific war (refer to forcez-survivors.org.uk/automedon.html). I'm certain the world would be a different place.
Your oncoming typhoon is a cat 1. We've just "enjoyed" TC Owen - it proved to be very beneficial giving us rare but valuable rain. It had lost most of its puff by coming back over land (The Cape) but I hear it is still sitting off Cairns as a Low.
All the best for you & your friends in the New Year.
I was watching Owen. According to the US site I monitor, it's long gone. And hopefully not too much damage was done in it's path, the rain would have been most welcome but it didn't cover more affected areas further south in the State. The system here now is classed as a Tropical Depression with wind speeds from 35 knots gusting to 45 knots. I don't think it will do a lot of damage, just produce lots of rain.
http://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/jtwc.html
Typhoon reduced to Tropical Depression with wind speeds 30 to 45 knots. Little rain now but expect more tonight. I'm pleased about this development as it will save the lives and properties of those living near the east coast of Samar Island
I spend a lot of time in Cubu as well are you in Cebu City or Mactan
regards
Rod