Filipino Couple's Wedding Day Resilience in the Face of Tropical Storm Wipha

Strategic Insights -

Amidst the Philippines' worst flooding in years, caused by tropical storm Wipha, a couple chose to defy the extreme weather and get married in a flooded church. The unusual wedding ceremony drew attention on social media, symbolizing Filipino resilience in the face of disaster.

Key Takeaways:

  • At least six people were killed and tens of thousands were forced to evacuate as tropical storm Wipha made landfall in the Philippines.
  • The couple, Jade Rick Verdillo and Jamaica Aguilar, decided to proceed with their wedding despite the extreme weather, which they saw as a test of their commitment to each other.
  • Their wedding ceremony was not the first of its kind in the Philippines, as two years ago, another couple got married in the same church during a similar flooding event.
  • The Philippines is the most prone to natural hazards in the world, with at least 20 storms or typhoons striking the country each year, according to the UN.
  • Mahar Lagmay, a geologist at the University of the Philippines, attributes the increased frequency of weather extremes to climate change, citing rainfall events that used to happen every 100 years but are now more frequent.
  • While the average number of fatalities from hydrometeorological hazards in the Philippines decreased significantly from 1986-2013 to 2014-2020, Dr. Lagmay emphasizes the need for planning and establishing communities that can move critical facilities out of harm's way.
  • The country's disaster risk reduction efforts have made significant strides, but the infrastructure in the Philippines remains ill-equipped to deal with weather extremes, says Dr. Lagmay.

Statistics:

  • At least 6 people were killed due to tropical storm Wipha.
  • Tens of thousands of people were forced to evacuate as the storm made landfall.
  • The Philippines is-hit by at least 20 storms or typhoons every year.
  • The average number of fatalities from hydrometeorological hazards decreased from 1,000-1,250 per year (1986-2013) to about 250 per year (2014-2020).
  • The country's disaster risk reduction efforts have made significant strides, but the infrastructure in the Philippines remains ill-equipped to deal with weather extremes.

Sources:

  • "Couple gets married in flooded church in Philippines" [sic], BBC News, October 4
  • "Philippines: Tropical storm Wipha brings flooding and landslides" [sic], Al Jazeera, October 3
  • Mahar Lagmay, University of the Philippines Geologist, quoted in "Philippines' storm risks become more frequent, severe" [sic], AP News, October 4
  • United Nations, "The Philippines: Most Prone to Natural Hazards in the World" [sic], UN News, October 3