Typhoon Preparation: A Normal Routine Living In A Storm-Prone Country

3 November 2025

Being in the Philippines which sits right in the path of the Pacific typhoon belt, typhoons has already become part of our lives. Imagine experiencing more or less 20 typhoons each year. Some even causing widespread flooding, landslides, and devastation. That’s what make Filipinos resilient and always prepared.

At around 11 in the morning, an Emergency Cell Broadcast alert was sent to all phones in the affected areas. The alert tone itself was already alarming.

From orange rainfall warning to red at around 2 in the afternoon.

Before the typhoon intensified, we already made some preparations. The first thing we did was stock up on supplies like rice, noodles, canned goods, coffee, milk, clean water, batteries, and other essentials.

Next was charging everything that needed to be charged. Power interruptions usually follow when a strong typhoon hits, so we made sure our phones, rechargeable flashlights, and power banks were all fully charged, just in case.

My mother also asked my brothers to cut down the big branches of our cotton fruit tree that could cause damage to the house if the storm worsened. Before cutting, my brother had to smoke out the area to drive the bees away from the tree.

I also made sure the shop was safe. I emptied the shelves and placed everything in secure positions.

Our shop has two floors, and the first floor serves as our evacuation area in case the river water rises. During Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, this place became our second home after our house was damaged. One reason I decided to renovate the building was to make it a safe shelter for situations like this.

We stay vigilant and monitor the river from time to time. The forecast said the typhoon might reach the same intensity as Yolanda, which is quite worrying. We’ve been through that before, and we never want to experience it again.

Since classes were suspended, my siblings had nothing else to do but play on their phones and watch movies. What a life! Just temporary, though.

It’s only Monday, and the forecast says the typhoon will intensify by Tuesday. We just hope it won’t be as strong as the deadly Typhoon Yolanda.

If you’re in the Philippines and affected by the typhoon, stay safe!

Thanks for your time.