Last week’s massive typhoon threatened to cross central Philippines, causing the same fear, which a similar catastrophic event brought last year.

It was called Typhoon Ruby and it packed winds of up to 215 km/hour, which was very close to Yolanda, and it travelled at a speed of 15 km/hour, which made it even worse. With memories of last year's devastating Yolanda fresh in their minds, more than 600,000 people had evacuated by Saturday morning, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council about 40 million people are in the path of the typhoon's winds. This time with the lessons learned from last year’s Yolanda Government and the private sector was ready to take on this challenge from nature. Relief goods were already strategically placed in areas safe and with easy access to the expected hit areas. First responders were positioned in strategic locations as well.

CNN reported that the storm was actually breaking up over the landmass of the Philippines, but continued to pour heavy rain. Ruby was moving slowly on its west-northwest track, at 15 kph (9.3 mph). At that rate, it will take about three days for the storm to travel past the archipelago. The concern now was that it might lead to flash flooding and mudslides, even in places far away from the storm's center. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief on Monday when Hagupit weakened and caused minimal damage to the areas it affected.

I share the sentiments of almost everyone that we are spared from the wrath that this typhoon could have brought upon us especially that we haven’t even recovered from Yolanda last year. I am, however, saddened that in spite of everything, there are still some of us that continue to take calamities like these for granted and fail to learn the lessons of the past. They continue to mislead others in posting wrong information on the net causing panic among those who are already in fear, they maliciously question the efforts of others to help others in need, some ride on to the situation in order to accomplish their own selfish agenda and so much more negativity. It is in our nature to put people down over and above our interest and that is why we continue to be a third world country. The lessons of Yolanda failed to teach us as a people that in serious calamities like these and in issues we face as a people, we have to rise above it as one nation and support each other to overcome the challenges it bring because this is bigger than us – it is about who we are and what we are. I am hoping that our society has not degraded to a level beyond rectification and I am hopeful that the younger generation will be different, and that they will realize that the only way we can rise above our challenges is to be united as one country moving forward.