Situated near the Pacific Ocean, the Philippines is not new to storms that cause massive flooding in the region, with Super Typhoon Haiyan reportedly claiming more than 6,000 lives in 2013.
Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Service Administration (PAGASA), the local weather station, warned the Philippines of another super typhoon as strong as Haiyan, locally known as Yolanda, to arrive in the Southeast Asian nation this year, according to a report by online news website Interaksyon.
Engineer Hilario Esparanza, the head PAGASA in the Northern region of the country (Pagasa-CAR) told Interaksyon that another super typhoon is expected to hit the Philippines this year, "because of the unpredictability of the weather due to climate change and global warming."
"There could be at least one extreme storm," Esparanza said in the report, referring to the prediction that the Philippines will be hit by another super typhoon this year.
When the Southeast Asian nation was hit by typhoon Haiyan last 2013, relief efforts and financial aid came in from various countries worldwide. The international media also paid attention to the disaster that claimed thousands of lives.
According to the official website of the Philippine government, the total foreign aid pledged and received are amounting to around US$ 1.64 billion and US$ 386 million respectively.
Almost two years after the Philippines was hit by super typhoon Haiyan, the government and various groups are continuing their efforts to rebuild and rehabilitate the areas that were affected by the storm.
For instance, the rehabilitation program led by the Catholic Church, one of the major institutions in the country, has entered the next phase according to a report by local news website Philippine Star.
The church is reportedly administering the maintenance and repair of shelters, water and sanitation facilities in the affected regions.
Furthermore, financial management trainings for ecosystem restoration and livelihood beneficiaries have also been conducted. They are also reportedly in partnership with the local government units for disaster risk reduction management.
