The Philippines activates its EAP for Typhoons ahead of Tropical Storm Nalgae

A low-pressure area, which had begun to form to the east of the Philippines, developed into Tropical Storm Nalgae on 26 October 2022, known locally as Paeng. With forecasts from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) predicting it would further intensify into a typhoon by 29 October, the Philippine Red Cross activated it Early Action Protocol (EAP) for Typhoons on 27 October.

Triggering anticipatory action before the typhoon made landfall provided a window to support those predicted to be the worst affected by Nalgae. PAGASA’s forecast predicted that the typhoon would affect 43 provinces between 27 October to 1 November. Building on this, an impact-based forecast predicted that around 10 per cent of shelters would be damaged in municipalities within the priority areas listed in the EAP.

Once the EAP was triggered, the International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies released funds from the anticipatory pillar of its Forecast-based Action by the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (16,981 Swiss francs; 17,059 US dollars; 17,122 euros). With these, the Philippine Red Cross was able to support 100 families – a total of 500 people – who had been pre-identified as recipients for assistance. These families, all in the municipalities of Casiguran, Dinangulan, Dilasag and Dipaculao, all in Aurora Province, each received shelter-strengthening kits and help from local Red Cross chapters to install these.

"This partial activation was a great way to test, in a real-time scenario, the preparedness of local partners and volunteers, as well as the pertinence of the EAP," said Elena Suero, the German Red Cross's forecast-based finance delegate in the Philippines. "It was very satisfying to see how everybody worked together to execute the protocol."

Nalgae is the latest in a series of typhoons to hit the country in the last 12 months. Typhoons often intensify rapidly, meaning there has not always been sufficient time to activate the EAP ahead of past events in the Philippines. For Nalgae, however, the local Red Cross chapters confirmed they could implement the agreed early actions within the lead time.