OUR ecosystem has a way of protecting the country when it comes to natural calamities. It is the longest mountain range in the country and serves as the eastern backbone of Luzon, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east. And yet the natural defenses are no safe frontiers if the forecast of Pagasa is too conservative, even nebulous at times. As early as September 12, the typhoon was a supertyphoon in Taiwan but was just a regular typhoon for Pagasa. Worse, such quarrying had the reported blessings of officials from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Source: Manila Times September 17, 2018 17:37 UTC