ENGAMENT ACTIVITY

A. Conduct a research and identify two specific examples (one local and one international) for
each type of disaster under the two major classifications (NATURAL: Meteorological,
Topographical, Environmental and MAN-MADE: Technological, Industrial and Warfare). Write
a brief description of each disaster stating the date and population involved. (6 types x 1
example each x 2 pts = 12 pts)

NATURAL DISASTERS

Meteorological

Local – Last Year, November 16, 2020 we are all shocked by what happened in Cagayan De
Oro. I remember that time, I was lying on my bed and scrolling to my twitter to just fan girl, but
while scrolling, my friends there were all using the #CagayanNeedsHelp. I became very
curious that is why I clicked the hashtag to see what is going on. And then, there I found out
that there is a massive flooding in Cagayan.

According to the National Irrigation Administration (2021) during the onslaught of

Typhoon Ulysses (Vamco) on Luzon on November 11-12, 2020, Magat Dam was identified
as the cause of extensive flooding in the Cagayan Valley Region, particularly in Central
Isabela and the entire lower Cagayan River System down to Aparri, Cagayan. However,
according to the Flood Bulletin No. 3 Cagayan River Basin of the Philippine Atmospheric
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Northern Luzon Regional
Services Division, some locations in the Region are low-lying and flood prone.

Source: https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/issues-need-to-be-addressed-cagayan-
flooding
International – According to Peer (2018) of World Vision Organization, hurricane Sandy was
the deadliest hurricane of 2012, as well as one of the most devastating hurricanes to hit the
United States in history. Hurricane Sandy smashed into the Caribbean, killing 75 people
before coming north at the end of October 2012. As it reached the East Coast, it produced
the largest waves ever recorded in the western Atlantic, bringing disastrous storm surge and
flooding along the New York and New Jersey coasts. Sandy blanketed a span of 800 miles
between the East Coast and the Great Lakes region at one time.

It was also known as Superstorm Sandy, as it caused $70.2 billion in damage,

knocked out electricity to 8.5 million people, demolished 650,000 homes, and killed at least
72 Americans.

Source: https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/2012-hurricane-sandy-facts

Topographical

Local - Limos (2020) of Esquire Magazine, Mayon's 1814 eruption was also one of its
deadliest, sending ballistic projectiles hurtling toward the unsuspecting village of Cagsawa,
killing 1,200 inhabitants. Those who survived were able to flee and settle in the town of
Daraga.

When the eruption stopped, there were a lot of dead and injured individuals all over
the place. Cagsawa's entire town was buried. The debris was so dense that only the tops of
buildings and coconut trees could be seen. Mt Mayon's once-beautiful cultivated slopes were
now just covered in sand and ash (Fabulous Philippines).

Mayon has historically emitted brown ash, indicating that the minerals are high in iron
and magnesium. This is also demonstrated by the car-sized rocks strewn over Cagsawa, the
town it destroyed in 1814. Black sand, created from basalt or dark molten glass rocks thrown
from the volcano, can also be seen on beaches near Legazpi. (Limos, 2020).
Source: https://www.fabulousphilippines.com/mayon-eruption-1814.html

International - The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 struck the coasts of numerous South and
Southeast Asian countries in December 2004. The tsunami and its aftermath caused massive
devastation and loss around the Indian Ocean's rim.

According to Britannica (2021), on December 26, 2004, at 7:59 a.m. local time, a 9.1
magnitude underwater earthquake happened off the coast of the Indonesian island of
Sumatra. Over the next seven hours, a tsunami—a series of massive ocean waves—caused
by the quake swept over the Indian Ocean, wreaking havoc on coastal communities as far
away as East Africa. When the waves hit the shoreline, they reached a height of 30 feet (9
meters) or more in some places.

The tsunami killed at least 225,000 people in a dozen countries, with severe
devastation in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, the Maldives, and Thailand. Officials in Indonesia
projected that the death toll would eventually approach 200,000, mainly in Aceh province in
northern Sumatra. Tens of thousands of people were reported dead or missing in Sri Lanka
and India, with a considerable number of them coming from the Indian region of the Andaman
and Nicobar Islands. The Maldives, a low-lying island nation, reported over a hundred dead
as well as massive economic damage. Thousands of non-Asian tourists who were
vacationing in the area were also reported dead or missing. The shortage of food, clean
water, and medical treatment, combined with the immense job faced by relief workers
attempting to deliver supplies into some distant places where roads had been devastated or
civil war raged, added to the tally of casualties. Long-term environmental damage was also
severe, with villages, tourist destinations, agriculture, and fishing grounds being destroyed or
overwhelmed with debris, bodies, and plant-killing salt water. (Britannica, 2020)
Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/tsunami-india-
359485-2016-12-26

Environmental

Local - Typhoons have always been associated with the Philippines.The El Nio phenomena,
on the other hand, can be as damaging: the climatic cycle is connected with lesser rainfall
between December and February, which can have serious impacts on the second cropping
cycle and deplete water resources for the main cropping cycle.

The strongest El Nio phenomenon ever recorded formed between 2015 and 2016,
hitting various Asian countries, including the Philippines. As of early 2016, over 85 percent of
the territory was believed to be affected by El Nio's dry conditions, with Mindanao bearing the
brunt of the burden.

Source: https://cnnphilippines.com/regional/2016/03/19/dswd-el-nino-northern-mindanao.html

International – According to Gannon (1986), the 1982-1983 El Nio was the most powerful
and destructive of the century, possibly the worst in recorded history. During that time, the
trade winds not only weakened, but also reversed. Its effects were also long-lasting. Twelve
years later, a warm water wave from the 1982 El Nio remained (in 1994, it measured only
eight inches high and traveled about five miles an hour).
 It was responsible for weather-related tragedies on practically every continent.
Droughts, dust storms, and brush fires ravaged Australia, Africa, and Indonesia. Peru
experienced the highest rainfall in recorded history, with 11 feet of rain falling in locations
where 6 inches was the average. Some rivers transported 1,000 times their usual volume.

The incident was blamed for between 1,300 and 2,000 deaths, as well as more than
$13 billion in property and livelihood loss. During this time, the thermocline off the coast of
South America plummeted to roughly 500 feet. On September 24, sea-surface temperatures
in the Peruvian coastal community of Paita rose by 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit in just 24 hours.

Source: https://www.whoi.edu/science/B/people/kamaral/1982-1983ElNino.html

MAN – MADE

Technological

Local - According to Arellano's (2019) report for Inquirer.net, fire investigators indicated that
the Star City amusement park was "categorically" set on fire on purpose.

The fire that destroyed the majority of Star City began at 12:22 a.m. According to
authorities, the incident caused P1 billion in damage. There were no casualties as well.

Source: https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2019/10/02/arsonists-may-have-caused-star-city-fire/

International – According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

(2019), the Camp Fire in Butte County began on November 8, 2018, and burned 153,336
acres, destroying 18,804 houses and killing 85 civilians and injuring numerous firefighters.
The Camp Fire is California's worst and most devastating fire in history.

Investigators from CAL FIRE were called to the Camp Fire immediately and began
working to discover the origin and causation of the fire. CAL FIRE has established that the
Camp Fire was caused by electrical transmission lines owned and operated by Pacific Gas
and Electricity (PG&E) in the Pulga area, following a rigorous and extensive investigation.

The fire broke out in the early morning hours near the Butte County hamlet of Pulga.
The tinder dry vegetation and Red Flag conditions of strong winds, low humidity, and warm
temperatures aided in the growth of this fire, which quickly burned through Pulga to the east
and west into Concow, Paradise, Magalia, and the outskirts of east Chico.

A second ignition sighting was discovered near the intersection of Concow Rd. and
Rim Rd. during the inquiry. The cause of the second fire was determined to be vegetation in
PG&E-owned and operated electrical distribution wires. The first fire, which started earlier
near Pulga, consumed this fire.

Throughout the state of California, there were over 7,571 wildfires that burned over
1.8 million acres in 2018.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/california-s-deadliest-wildfire-blamed-
lawsuit-faulty-utility-transmission-tower-n944811

Industrial

Local - On August 11, 2006, the Petron Corporation-hired oil tanker M/T Solar 1 sank off the
coast of Guimaras, a Philippine island province, leaking more than 2.1 million liters
(approximately 555,000 gallons) of bunker fuel. It is still regarded as the worst oil leak in
Philippine history. The oil that contaminated the water was not only bad for the environment,
but it was also bad for the people and the economy of Guimaras.
Source: Photo by Shubert Ciencia, licensed under CC BY 2.0.

International - The Bhopal disaster has been dubbed "history's worst industrial accident." 45
tons of toxic methyl isocyanate gas spilled from an insecticide facility in Bhopal, India, in
1984. Thousands of people were killed instantly. A total of 15,000 to 20,000 individuals died,
with a half million surviving with respiratory and ocular issues.

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5649172
Warfare

Local – In 2010, an armed ex-policeman hijacked a bus in Manila, killing eight tourists. Police
in the Philippines stormed the bus and shot dead shooter Rolando Mendoza, who had seized
the vehicle in an attempt to reclaim his job. There were 22 Hong Kong tourists and three
Filipinos aboard the vehicle. The hostage drama lasted 11 hours and was carried live on
television and radio. (BBC News, 2014).

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-25958824

International – According to History (2019), on the morning of September 11, 2001, as much
of the country was just getting started, 19 terrorists hijacked four East Coast flights, crashing
three of the planes into targets in New York and Washington, D.C., with the fourth plane
crashing into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers fought back. In the end, 2,977 people
were killed, making it the bloodiest attack on American territory in history.

Source: https://ctc.usma.edu/eighteen-years-war-terror-comes-age/
B. Watch any one of the following films that feature a disaster as its main theme.

▪ Megafault
▪ San Andreas
▪ The 33
▪ Day After Tomorrow
▪ Geostorm
▪ Lava Storm

After Viewing the film of your choice, answer the following:

1. How did you feel after watching the film? (1 pt.)

After watching the movie “The 33”, I felt relieved, because the first and middle parts of the
movie gave me so much stress.

2. What major “personal takeaways/learnings” were you able to obtain about disasters?
State at least 2 and briefly but concisely expound on each. (2 pt.)

Every time I reflect on what is going on in my surroundings, it makes me sad, especially now
that we are in the midst of a nightmare due to the epidemic. People are dying every day, and
there are people who are starving and homeless. That's why I've had so many epiphanies
and lessons. Two of my realizations are that I should stop wasting time and start loving
myself and people who actually love and care about me.

I should stop wasting time because I know I can never go back in time. I have so many
regrets in my life because I was unable to love myself, I was unable to devote time to myself,
and I was overly concerned with others. Another is that I will begin to shower myself with
affection, as well as those who actually love and care for me. I forgot to love them back
because I was so preoccupied with criticizing myself for devoting my time and life to someone
who was unworthy. I waste my time asking why.
References:

https://www.nia.gov.ph/?q=content/nia-reaffirms-recent-flooding-cagayan-valley-not-wholly-
attributed-magat-dam

https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/2012-hurricane-sandy-facts

https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/most-destructive-volcanic-eruptions-in-philippine-history-
a00293-20200125-lfrm

https://www.fabulousphilippines.com/mayon-eruption-1814.html

https://www.britannica.com/event/Indian-Ocean-tsunami-of-2004

file:///C:/Users/Lenovo%20Ideapad/Downloads/phl_-_thematic_report_2_droughts.pdf

https://www.whoi.edu/science/B/people/kamaral/1982-1983ElNino.html

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1174015/star-city-fire-caused-by-arson-investigators

https://www.fire.ca.gov/media/5121/campfire_cause.pdf

https://news.mongabay.com/2019/10/saving-an-island-from-the-worst-oil-spill-in-the-philippines-the-
case-of-guimaras/

https://www.insider.com/worst-modern-manmade-disasters-world-environment-day-2019-5#bhopal-
gas-leak-1984-3

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-25958824

https://www.history.com/topics/21st-century/war-on-terror-timeline