Climate Change Impacts Health and Livelihood of Filipinos, Study Says

As a tropical country, the Philippines suffers from increased rainfall and flooding due to rising temperatures. Every year, an average of 20 tropical cyclones enter the Philippine area, with about eight or nine crossing the country during the peak season between July and October (PAGASA, 2021).

Typhoons in the Philippines are becoming more intense and unpredictable. Typhoon Rolly, the superstorm that hit the southern part of Luzon on October 30, 2020, killed at least 25 people and damaged homes and infrastructure in an amount exceeding US$200 thousand.

We are still coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. Hopefully, with the vaccines being rolled out worldwide, we are at the tail-end of this global adversity and will soon come out alright on the other side. Post-pandemic, another pressing issue will again come to the fore—climate change.

Climate change is a real threat in the Philippines, and the country is considered one of the most vulnerable to its effects. Increasing rainfall, intensifying typhoons, and the resulting floods also increase the risks of vector-borne diseases like dengue and flood-borne diseases like leptospirosis (Tagupa, 2021).

There are also other climate-related health risks, such as droughts and low water supply, respiratory problems from air pollution, injuries that can arise from extreme weather events, and illnesses that spread in evacuation centres during disasters. People with underlying health conditions, who are low income and live in remote areas with no immediate access to health services, are most vulnerable to health risks posed by climate change (Tagupa, 2021).

A Harvard University’s Humanitarian Research Centre study examined how Filipinos perceive climate change and how it can affect their lives and livelihoods. A Philstar article published the study’s summary findings. According to the report, 7 out of 10 Filipinos “expressed concern they will be affected by the impacts of climate change despite having a low level of awareness on the issue” (Cabico, 2020).

They believe climate change will affect their crops, households and properties, farming practices, and livelihoods. 

Regarding the health impacts of climate change, residents in Metro Manila, the Philippines’ most populous city, are the most concerned about climate change’s health impacts. Those living in Eastern Visayas, a region most prone to cyclones, are worried about rising temperatures on farming and their households.

To build Filipino climate resilience, the government provided training programs for evacuation drills, emergency food and supplies storage, preparing homes for disasters, preparing emergency kits, and monitoring the weather.  Participants of this training are likely to have previous disaster experiences, have higher education, and are in good health.

Regarding awareness of climate change, 60% of respondents said they are not aware and not well-informed, while 12% expressed that they are “extremely well-informed.” Thirty-two per cent believe that climate change is caused by human activity, and 20% think natural processes cause it.

Filipinos feel that the following factors will amplify climate change – deforestation, increased poverty, inadequate waste disposal, population increase, and poor infrastructure.