On December 16, Super Typhoon Rai (known as “Odette” in the Philippines) made landfall and caused devastation across the archipelago. With a death toll of over 200 people so far and hundreds of thousands of additional people displaced, Rai/Odette is yet another example of extreme weather events becoming the norm, and a reminder to continue demanding climate justice.
Addressing the increasing regularity of severe storms hitting this region, Filipino artist and environmentalist Issa Barte said yesterday, "our ability to withstand the worst should not only be a beacon of strength, but a narrative to question who is putting us in this position to have to be resilient in the first place." Barte's organization For the Future is calling for increased media coverage of the crisis in the Philippines and seeking donations, which you can contribute to here.