This originally appeared in the author’s FB page, titled “Beyond Boundaries: How Tropical Storm Kristine Revealed Metro Naga’s True Nature” dated November 7, 2024. We thank the author for generously sharing his experiences and recommendations. He is one of several civic leaders who have volunteered their time and expertise in the drafting of proposals to strengthen disaster risk and recovery governance under Tarabangan Bicol. The disaster volunteer network has transformed into a DRRM policy formulation community with Kenneth Abante Isaiah Ibasco as its leading coordinator.

The rain began on an ordinary October day in 2024. Not unusual for Metro Naga – we’ve seen plenty of storms before. But Tropical Storm Trami (Kristine) wasn’t like the others. It wasn’t the wind that changed us. It was the water. Hour after hour, day after day, the rain fell until our carefully drawn municipal boundaries dissolved into one vast, interconnected waterscape.

Nature’s Lesson in Geography

We’ve always known the Bicol River Basin connects us. It’s there on every map, spanning 317,103 hectares across our region. But Trami made us feel it. As waters rushed down from Mt. Isarog’s slopes, through our communities, into our shared rivers and streams, we witnessed firsthand how artificial our municipal lines really are.

The Bicol River doesn’t stop to check which town it’s flowing through. Neither did Trami’s floods.

What the Waters Revealed

When the floods came, they exposed more than just our physical connections. They revealed the gaps in how we work together:

• Emergency responses stopped at municipal borders
• Relief goods piled up in some areas while others waited
• Some evacuation centers overflowed while others had space
• Information moved slower than the water
• Resources sat idle in one town while urgently needed in another

The Science Behind Our Shared Fate

The Bicol River Basin Master Plan had already told us what was possible:

• A one-in-five-year flood could submerge 42,124 hectares
• A one-in-25-year flood could claim 50,402 hectares
• Our agricultural heartland – 243,800 hectares of it – lies in nature’s path

These weren’t just numbers anymore. Kristine made them real.

A New Way Forward

The storm showed us something crucial: in nature’s eyes, we are one metropolitan area. Our challenges flow across boundaries:

• Water from upland towns floods lowland communities
• Drainage problems in one area back up into another
• Relief efforts in isolation leave gaps
• Individual solutions create collective problems

The Power of Working Together

The solution isn’t complex, but it requires something new: thinking and acting as one Metro Naga. Imagine:

• One early warning system serving all communities
• Coordinated flood control protecting everyone
• Shared emergency resources deployed where needed most
• United watershed management preserving our future

From Crisis Comes Opportunity

Kristine’s waters are gone now, but they left us with a clear message: we’re stronger together. The Bicol River Basin that connects us isn’t just a source of challenges – it’s our greatest opportunity for unified action.

Climate change isn’t stopping. The next storm won’t ask for municipal permits before it floods our communities. Our response shouldn’t either.

The Path Ahead

Every drop of rain that falls on Mt. Isarog will eventually flow through our communities. Every decision we make about water management affects our neighbors. Every solution we create must work for all of us.

This is our moment to transform how we think about Metro Naga – not as separate towns facing similar problems, but as one community building shared solutions.

The waters have shown us the way. The question is: are we ready to follow?

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On November 14, 2024, as Tropical Cyclone Pepito began to bear down on Catanduanes and the coastal communities of Bicol with the threat of rising sea levels and tidal surges, the author wrote this typhoon and storm preparedness guide on his FB page.

Ready?

It’s hard to say if one could be READY for any storm (nothing is enough for disasters) but we could always PREPARE. Heto, prepared na mga survival tools for my family – plus our two generators (isa para sa bahay, another one for our law office – got to keep working kahit may bagyo).

Para sa lahat, itong mga tagubilin na ito ay hango sa guideline ng NDRRMC para sa storm events:

Typhoon & Storm Preparedness Guide

BEFORE THE TYPHOON

1. Stay Informed

• Monitor weather updates and alerts
• Keep emergency hotline numbers handy:
• Main Emergency: 472-3000
• Mobile Numbers:
• 0967-417-7855 (Globe)
• 0908-885-3000 (Smart)
• 0963-220-9700 0908-525-3000

2. Prepare Your Emergency Kit (72-Hour Go Bag)

• Water (3-day supply)
• Non-perishable food
• First aid supplies
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Battery-powered radio
• Important documents in waterproof container
• Extra clothes and rain gear
• Emergency money
• Whistle (for signaling help)
• Basic medicines and prescriptions

3. Secure Your Home

• Clean gutters and drains
• Trim tree branches near your house
• Secure or store loose outdoor items
• Check roof for necessary repairs
• Install storm shutters if possible
• Prepare emergency power options
• Switch off main electrical lines when advised

4. Know Your Evacuation Plan

• Identify nearest evacuation center
• Plan your route to higher ground
• Keep family communication plan ready
• Set a family meeting point
• Keep vehicle fueled and ready

DURING THE TYPHOON

1. If Staying Home

• Stay indoors and away from windows
• Monitor official announcements
• Keep emergency kit accessible
• Stay on ground floor unless water rises
• Keep phones charged and ready

2. If Evacuating:

• Follow evacuation orders immediately
• Bring your emergency kit
• Secure your home before leaving
• Use recommended evacuation routes
• Don’t drive through flooded areas
• Stay in designated evacuation centers

AFTER THE TYPHOON

1. Safety First

• Wait for official “all clear” signal
• Check for building damage before entering
• Watch for downed power lines
• Avoid floodwaters
• Document damage for insurance

2. Recovery Steps

• Clean and disinfect everything that got wet
• Check water safety before drinking
• Report damaged utility lines
• Help neighbors if possible
• Begin cleanup when safe

The header collage features a weather radar image of Tropical Cyclone Pepito as of November 15, 2024 (credit: Weather Update by Mike “Mr. Typhoon” Padua) and inundated farmlands along a highway in Camarines Sur (credit: PAGCOR).

About the author

ANGEL R. OJASTRO III is a Professor at the Ateneo de Naga University College of Law and Senior Partner at Ojastro Savilla Savilla & Associates Law Office. He was Undersecretary, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council  (HUDCC), Senior Consultant at World Bank in the Philippines, and Senior Policy Consultant at the National Anti-Poverty Commission. He studied Economics at Catanduanes State University.