On November 8, 2013, the Philippines experienced what was then the strongest super typhoon, Yolanda (international name: Haiyan), which claimed the lives of 6,300 individuals, left nearly 29,000 injured, and caused infrastructure and agricultural damage amounting to PhP 95.5 billion. Beyond this, a total of 1,062 people remain missing to this day.

Yolanda’s onslaught affected 60 provinces, yet recovery from the disaster remains incomplete. Recent typhoons, such as Kristine, have only exacerbated the challenges left in Yolanda’s wake since 2013. For 11 years, justice has remained elusive, as the government’s inaction has created a cycle of poor response and misplaced priorities.

The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights or CTUHR demands that the government act with urgency, as the reality of a “climate crisis” has been undeniable since Yolanda’s time. Justice can only be achieved if the government reverses misguided policies such as land use conversion, inadequate flood control projects, and mining and quarrying operations. Justice will remain elusive, however, if the government fails to recognize corporate greed, industrialized nations, and its historical complicity with the two as the culprits behind environmental destruction and worsening effects of typhoons.

Because of its location, the Philippines will always be hit by typhoons. Climate change has been increasing the strength of these typhoons and even their frequency. The country’s best defense is a healthy environment and disaster preparedness. Beyond preparing the country, the government and international should hold industrialized countries accountable for climate change and its disastrous effects.

We call on the Philippine government and all international actors to prioritize the needs of workers and marginalized communities, especially of underdeveloped countries that contributed least to global warming but are being hit the worst by climate change.

We also urge the United Nations to review the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, the board of which the Philippines has been selected to host. The UN must ensure that future disbursements of this fund are sustainable and genuinely support the pursuit of climate justice, rather than enabling counterproductive projects.

With national elections approaching next year, we call on Filipinos to remain vigilant and elect candidates who demonstrate a genuine commitment to climate justice and sustainable development.