The Philippines hit the global stage again last week when Super Typhoon “Rolly” struck the country. It prompted the Incredible Hulk himself, Mark Ruffalo, to tweet: “Pray for our brothers and sisters in the Philippines then get ready to send donations.” On one hand, it was great hearing from one of Hollywood’s finest actors air his concern for this side of the world. But on the other, I thought it sounded like it was yet another part of a vicious cycle of sending donations to places where typhoons just come and go.
One would think that, with the Philippines experiencing an average of 26 typhoons in one year, we have become experts in disaster management. However, a closer look at how we do things does not necessarily reflect an improved approach. In fact, it shows it’s more important than ever to have a better disaster management plan in place.