Typhoon Rammasun batters eastern Philippines, but preparedness saved lives

Philippine Red Cross Secretary General Gwen Pang said it was important to remember that despite its lower than expected impact in Manila, damage caused by the typhoon in other areas remained extensive.

“We’ve had positive feedback from our chapters that our disaster risk reduction training may have had a substantial effect on mitigating Rammasun’s impact. However, thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed,” she said.

She cautioned against complacency. “Now the typhoon season is in full swing, we still need every bit of support we can get, particularly as we have ongoing operations to support recovery efforts after the earthquake in Bohol and Typhoon Haiyan last year.”