Our country experiences an average of 20 typhoons per year, causing massive destruction to infrastructure, livelihood, and transportation systems. This is what we get for being located in front of the Pacific Ocean where typhoons originate and travel to our shores with their devastating effects.
Typhoons particularly create huge setbacks for the transportation system, making it difficult for people to move around. Typhoons not only affect land transport such as roads and bridges but also maritime transport such as ports and ships. When typhoons strike, it is common for boats to get grounded, and ports to close down due to strong winds and huge waves, making it impossible for ships to dock and load or unload cargoes.
Transportation systems are vital in times of natural disasters as they are needed for rescue, supply, and maintenance purposes. However, typhoons can render transportation systems useless, making it challenging for rescuers to reach affected regions. The Philippine transportation industry is not immune to various effects of typhoons. It takes a considerable amount of time to repair damages caused by typhoons, and the long-term impact on the transportation systems can be harder to address.
Typhoons continue to be a significant challenge to the Philippine transportation industry. The country is known for its resilience to natural calamities, but the adverse effects brought about by typhoons on the transportation system remain palpable. The government and stakeholders in the transportation industry must then continue to develop strategies and infrastructure that build resilience to typhoons.
