MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said the country should stop treating typhoons and floods as one-off emergencies and instead prepare for them as a permanent reality—underscoring a shift in approach that critics say should have been institutionalized long ago.

Following a closed-door meeting with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) at Camp Aguinaldo, Marcos told reporters that climate-induced weather extremes are “no longer unusual.”

“We need to change our mindset. This is no longer unusual, this is no longer an emergency. This is now the reality of our times. It will happen,” he said.

The President said the country’s existing response protocols—from rescue operations to relief delivery—are in place and steadily improving. Still, he acknowledged the need to move from reactive relief to proactive, long-term adaptation.

“We have to make those arrangements almost semi-permanent because this is going to, as I said, this is going to happen… this year, next year, the year after that,” Marcos said.

Marcos also visited evacuation centers in San Mateo, Rizal, and noted what he called the “swift” response of agencies. But behind the praise was concern, as he flagged overcrowded shelters and looming health risks.

“If just one person gets sick, it will spread very quickly,” he warned, ordering the deployment of medical teams with adequate supplies to all evacuation sites.

The President also raised the need to explore alternative learning methods to address the recurring suspension of classes due to storms—a persistent issue yet to be resolved despite years of recurring monsoon disruptions.

His remarks came as the country remains under the grip of three weather systems—Typhoon Emong (Co-May), Tropical Storm Dante (Francisco), and the enhanced southwest monsoon—leaving most of Luzon and parts of the Visayas submerged after days of heavy rain. (With reports from PNA)