Progressive groups and survivors of the disaster led by the People Surge National Alliance of Disaster Survivors marched to Mendiola on November 8 to commemorate the 11th anniversary of supertyphoon Yolanda. The commemoration is timely amid successive typhoons that struck and devastated the Philippines in recent weeks.

The group called for justice for the victims and survivors of Yolanda which struck on 2013 under the Aquino II administration. Yolanda is considered one of the strongest typhoons to hit the Philippines. At least 6,300 people died and 1,062 are still missing due to the storm’s strong winds, rain, and storm surge.

In Tacloban City, journalists belonging to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)-Leyte and other youth groups gathered to commemorate the memory of the journalists and citizens who died due to Yolanda.

“After a decade and several administration turnovers, the country is still unprepared for climate disasters,” People Surge lamented. The group, historically established in Eastern Visayas where Yolanda caused the most damage, has led the fight for recovery, accountability, and justice against past administrations.

People Surge stated that the government did not learn after Yolanda and instead worsened the situation by approving environmentally destructive projects, such as deforestation, large-scale quarrying and mining, and reclamation.

In just these past few weeks, four typhoons ravaged the Philippines. Typhoons Kristine, Leon, Marce, and Nika devastated various parts of the country. Typhoons Kristine and Leon alone brought a recorded 158 deaths, 21 missing persons, and ₱7 billion in agricultural damage.

“Our fellow Filipinos have yet to recover from Marcos Jr’s negligence,” according to People Surge. They called for immediate compensation and aid for the survivors, accountability for criminal negligence, and a stop to destructive projects that harm the environment.