QUEZON CITY, Feb. 21 — State weather agency Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has introduced eight new names to its roster of local cyclone names, following the retirement of eight names due to their significant destruction in 2024.
During the 57th Session of the ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee in Pasay City, DOST-PAGASA Administrator Nathaniel T. Servando revealed that the new names are Amuyao, Edring, Josefa, Kidul, Lekep, Nanolay, Onos, and Puwok, which will replace the decommissioned names starting in 2028.
Philippine culture behind new names
The replacement names were carefully selected from PAGASA’s reserved list, ensuring they reflect the country’s linguistic and cultural diversity. Notably, “Amuyao” is a name of a mountain in the Cordillera region, while “Puwok,” is a name for a typhoon deity and the other names, such as “Nanolay” and “Kidul,” were also Filipino gods in Philippine mythology.
These new names will be used in PAGASA’s naming cycle beginning in 2028, ensuring continuity in the country’s storm tracking and disaster preparedness efforts.
Why the names were retired
PAGASA decommissions a cyclone name when it either causes at least 300 deaths or results in at least P1 billion in damage to properties or agriculture. Decommissioned names for 2024 met these criteria, with some leaving lasting devastation, according to the report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
The first typhoon in May 2024, Aghon, battered Luzon with torrential rains and strong winds, triggering widespread flooding and landslides. It displaced more than 40,000 families and left more than P1 billion in damage mostly to infrastructures and agriculture.
Typhoon Julian in September 2024, with international name Krathon, rapidly intensified into a super typhoon before exiting the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). It affected 380,000 individuals and inflicted P1.6-billion damage. The cyclone’s powerful storm surges devastated coastal communities in the Batanes group of islands.
On the other hand, typhoons Nika, Ofel and Pepito were part of a series of cyclones that struck Luzon in quick succession, exacerbating flooding in large areas of Luzon, including Metro Manila. The compounded effects led to more than 21,000 displaced individuals and nearly P4 billion in damage, making it the most destructive cyclones of the year.
The retirement of these names ensures that future typhoons with similar intensities will not bear the same identifiers, avoiding confusion and honoring the victims of these disasters.
Strengthening disaster preparedness
Amid the intensifying strength and frequency of typhoons, PAGASA continues to refine its early warning systems and public awareness campaigns.
“In the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), we believe in the power of transformative technology, Science and innovation; and correct information is a basic right. But we are not powerless when we are equipped with the right science, accurate information, effective tools and adoptive behaviors that enable us to act decisively at the right time,” DOST Secretary Renato Solidum, Jr said.
DOST-PAGASA reiterated the importance of preparedness and emphasized that while names change, the goal remains the same—minimizing loss of life and damage through timely information and coordinated response efforts.
“For several decades now, DOST-PAGASA has been steadfast in its mission to provide accurate, timely and reliable weather and climate information to help safeguard lives and livelihoods,” said DOST-PAGASA Administrator Servando.
As the Philippines remains one of the most cyclone-prone countries in the world, with the country, for the third consecutive year, the Philippines ranked highest in disaster risk index among 193 nations in 2024 by the World Risk Report. The introduction of new cyclone names marks another step in the nation’s ongoing commitment to resilience and adaptation in the face of extreme weather events. (AVS / PIA-NCR)
