Many, particularly members of local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (DRRMCs) were surprised by PAGASA’s raising Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 as early as 5 AM of Oct. 21, 2024, with “Kristine” still a tropical depression about a thousand kilometers away.
The sea was calm, the sky was cloudy, there was a slight wind and occasional light rains, a perfect time for traveling via ferry or for going to school. At the time, even if it maintained its speed of 30 kph, Kristine would take 33 hours to reach the island, enough time for a Tabaco ferry to travel to Virac or San Andres and make it back to home port.
Those who were perplexed by the very early storm warning, were naturally concerned about the effects of the TCWS.
Classes in public schools in Catanduanes were automatically cancelled, along with the regular ferry trips. Local transport groups lost income as a result.
Pupils and teachers will have to recover the minimum three days lost to the class suspensions. Passengers stranded at Tabaco port who have limited funds will have to rely on the provincial government for their food while having to make do with the inadequate facilities at the terminal.
According to an official who was present in the Pre-Disaster Rapid Assessment meeting, PAGASA reportedly said that the early raising of the TCWS No. 1 was intended to prevent local fishermen from venturing out to the sea where they could get caught in inclement weather.
*****
If this report is correct, then the policy on automatic class suspensions in public schools upon the raising of TCWS No. 1 should be revised so as not to add to the learning losses among pupils and cause inconvenience and additional expenses for travelers.
The existing DepEd policy could be refined as follows: automatic suspension of classes in public schools at all levels upon raising of TCWS No. 2, or PAGASA’s declaration of orange or red rainfall warning, or at the discretion of the local chief executive concerned based on the actual situation in the area of jurisdiction.
On the other hand, the suspension of ferry or cargo ship trips between Tabaco and the two ports in Catanduanes could be made upon the raising of TCWS No. 2 or an advisory on rough seas.
By the way, whatever happened to the coastal radar station that was supposed to be built in a coastal barangay in San Andres to monitor wave height at the Maqueda channel for the safety of marginal fishermen and coastal shipping?
*****
THE WORST AGE TO BE – Three men were discussing aging on the steps of the nursing home.
“Sixty is the worst age to be,” announced the 60-year-old. “You always feel like you have to pee. And most of the time, you stand at the toilet and nothing comes out!”
“Ah, that’s nothing,” said the 70-year-old. “When you’re seventy, you can’t take a crap anymore. You take laxatives, eat bran – you sit on the toilet all day and nothing comes out!”
“Actually,” said the 80-year-old, “Eighty is the worst age of all.”
“Do you have trouble peeing too?” asked the 60-year-old.
“No … not really. I pee every morning at 6AM. I piss like a racehorse – no problem at all.”
“Do you have trouble taking a crap?” asked the 70-year-old. “No, not really. I have a great bowel movement every morning at 6:30.”
With great exasperation, the 60-year-old said, “Let me get this straight. You pee every morning at six o’clock and take a crap every morning at six thirty. What’s so tough about being eighty?”
To which the 80-year-old replied, “I don’t wake up until ten.”