The Philippines faced natural disasters in 2023.
From earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons, and flash floods, the country has been bearing the brunt of nature’s immense power with Filipinos scrambling to get through each catastrophic event.
Earthquakes
Cagayan was jolted by a magnitude 6.3 quake in September, hitting the coast of Dalupiri Island, which resulted to P44.65 million worth of infrastructure damage.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported that 43 families were affected by the quake with 20 families staying at evacuation centers. Five persons were injured, two of whom suffered brain trauma and head concussions with the remaining sustaining minor injuries.
Surigao Del Sur and Davao Oriental provinces were also hit by a magnitude 7.4 quake that led to a person’s death while searching for safety in Tagum City in Davao del Norte province along with minor damage to some infrastructures.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded over 600 aftershocks in the coastal town of Carrascal in Surigao del Sur, affecting approximately 15 percent of the province’s population and 30 percent of livelihood.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) recorded three individuals dead with 48 others injured in the quake, causing the provincial government to declare the entire province of Surigao del Sur under a state of calamity.
Volcanic eruptions
In June, Phivolcs raised the Mayon Volcano’s Alert Level to 3 (Increased Tendency Towards Hazardous Eruption) which caused a high level of unrest with the possibility of hazardous eruptions.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported that 8,700 families were affected with 14,200 individuals being internally displaced.
Phivols’s resident volcanologist Paul Alanis, however, noted that the activity of Mayon Volcano might subside within a few weeks. Over 20,000 residents evacuated from the six-kilometer permanent danger zone.
The Taal Volcano was also reported to have spewed the highest sulfur dioxide this year, reaching 9,762 tonnes per day of sulfur, according to Phivolcs.
In September, widespread fish kill hit Barangay Banaga, a town in Agoncillo, following the volcano’s continuous eruption.
Flooding
Heavy rains caused severe flooding in Kabacan, Cotabato which caused it to be declared under a state of calamity since 10 low-lying barangays in the area were reportedly affected by flash floods and have already been evacuated to evacuation centers.
Flash floods also submerged Eastern Visayas provinces following shear line-induced rains, reaching up to the rooftops of houses in Northern Samar province, particularly in the Municipality of Catarman.
The flash floods washed away 60 percent of the barangays in the province, with 1,794 families affected but skyrocketed to 114,260 families in 534 barangays in a day. Provinces of Samar, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, and Biliran were also hit by the flooding.
In November, Eastern Samar was declared under a state of calamity following "incessant rainfall and massive flooding, caused by the shear line and low-pressure area,” according to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC).
