#Lubang Island

[jareckiworld]

Franciszek Ledóchowski — Lubang (acrylic on canvas, 2023)

[firstoccupier]

Philippines Takes Stand Against Chinese Intrusions in West Philippine Sea

WPS.News Report: Tensions Rise in the West Philippine Sea Amid Chinese Intrusions Dateline: February 1, 2025 As the geopolitical landscape in the West Philippine Sea continues to evolve, significant developments have emerged regarding Chinese incursions into Filipino territorial waters. Reports indicate that on February 1, 2025, the Philippine government has taken a firm stance against the���

[dean-boese-universe]

There is so much in this episode, the internet can barely contain it! First . Krysta discusses a recent trip to see 'Jesus Christ, Superstar' at Starlight Theater as well as discusses some of her favorite extinct animals including the Dodo, the Sabretooth Tiger and the Thylacine! Then we settle into this week's topic with a broad strokes and very miniscule overview of World War II and after that we discuss three men who were stationed at different places in the Pacific in the early 1940's and none of these men returned home until the 70's. From the quiet hidden life of Shoichi Yokoi as he simply tried to survive in hiding, to the war of Hiroo Onoda who refused to surrender until his commanding officer came to the Phillipinse and ordered him to surrender, to Tetsuo Nakamura, a Taiwanese Indiginous person who served in a unit of 'Volunteers' until he was lost on the Island of Morotai where he lived in a hut he built in a small fenced in field for almost twenty years. We cover their lives in wartime and afterwards in this unforgivingly historical episode of the Family Plot Podcast!

[coelophysoid]

Kadalia

Kadalia is a medium-sized continent, located within the Southern and Eastern Hemispheres, surrounded by the Kadalian Ocean from the north, west and east and by the Sagastanian Ocean from the south. The Voay Sea (also called the Voay Channel) lies between Kadalia and Africa, while the Sea of Sejuk separates Kadalia from Sagastan. The archipelago of Tanana, as well as multiple islands, such as Panya, lay on Kadalian continental shelf and are considered part of the continent, especially since many of them (though not the Tanana Archipelago) were connected to the mainland during the glacial maximums.

Kadalia is composed of different parts of ancient continent of Gondwana, those that in OTL would form Madagascar, Kerguelen, Seychelles and Mascarene Islands. On Tehar, they are conjoined in the form of a large landmass above sea level.

Kadalia has a variety of climates, from frigid tundras of Sejuk to hot rainforests of Tanana. It has relatively few mountains and is mostly flat. Kadalia is home to an extraordinarily unique biota, since it existed separate from the other landmasses for at least 66 million years. It's human history is long, and nowadays it is home of a variety of ethnic groups. Historically it was often considered "the crossroads between Libya and Tanah", and humans first came to it's shores from both sides.

Compared to the mountainous landmasses, such as Skiffia or Hatunwata, Kadalia is relatively flat. It's highest mountain is Mount Hitam, part of the Besar Mountains, in the southeast. It reaches just 3568 meters above sea level. The lowest point of Kadalia, the marshy lowlands of Lubang Rawa, is -13 meters below sea level. Most of the continent is either flat or hilly, with only a few minor ridges. The lowlands are home to multiple large rivers, flowing from the mountain peaks towards seas or lakes.

Volcanism is relatively prevalent in the southernmost parts, such as Besar, as well as in the Alas and Ramona Ridges. Active volcanoes exist, with multiple eruptions in the last few hundred years.

Glaciation exists in a significant portion of the mountains of Kadalia. While no part of the continent is covered by ice shields, unlike, for example, the frozen Sagastan, the glaciers in the southeast frequently reach low latitudes. Ocean waters south of Kadalia are often full of icebergs.

The most famous lake on Kadalia, the Ularair Lake, is of glacial origins. It has been carved up during the LGM.

Kadalia has been isolated since Late Cretaceous, when it completely broke away from Arda, right before the end-Cretaceous mass extinction event. Prior to that, it was a part of the ancient continent Gondwana, which causes a large portion of it's biota to share common origins with those from other Southern Hemisphere landmasses.

The minerals of Kadalia include copper, iron, manganese, gold, sapphires and others. Fossil fuels found include moderate amounts of oil, gas and relatively larger reserves of coal.

[art1for2the3masses]

Creepy Things About Prehistoric Cave Paintings | Enigma Files

You've probably seen lots of prehistoric cave paintings - but have ever seen a human face depicted in them?

"In archaeology, cave paintings are a type of parietal art (which category also includes petroglyphs, or engravings), found on the wall or ceilings of caves. The term usually implies prehistoric origin. These paintings were often created by Homo sapiens, but also Denisovans and Neanderthals; other species in the same Homo genus. Discussion around prehistoric art is important in understanding the history of the Homo sapiens species and how Homo sapiens have come to have unique abstract thoughts. Some point to these prehistoric paintings as possible examples of creativity, spirituality, and sentimental thinking in prehistoric humans. The oldest known are more than 40,000 years old (art of the Upper Paleolithic) and found in the caves in the district of Maros (Sulawesi, Indonesia). The oldest are often constructed from hand stencils and simple geometric shapes. More recently, in 2021, cave art of a pig found in Sulawesi, Indonesia, and dated to over 45,500 years ago, has been reported. A 2018 study claimed an age of 64,000 years for the oldest examples of non-figurative cave art in the Iberian Peninsula. Represented by three red non-figurative symbols found in the caves of Maltravieso, Ardales and La Pasiega, Spain, these predate the appearance of modern humans in Europe by at least 20,000 years and thus must have been made by Neanderthals rather than modern humans. In November 2018, scientists reported the discovery of the then-oldest known figurative art painting, over 40,000 (perhaps as old as 52,000) years old, of an unknown animal, in the cave of Lubang Jeriji Saléh on the Indonesian island of Borneo. In December 2019, cave paintings portraying pig hunting within the Maros-Pangkep karst region in Sulawesi were discovered to be even older, with an estimated age of at least 43,900 years. This finding was recognized as "the oldest known depiction of storytelling and the earliest instance of figurative art in human history.""

[ebelal56-blog]

The Last Japanese Soldier: Hiroo Onoda's 30 Year War!

Discover the incredible story of Hiroo Onoda, the last Japanese soldier to surrender after a 30-year war on Lubang Island. Learn about this fascinating piece of history in Japan in this video. There were several cases of Japanese soldiers who continued to fight or hide long after World War II had ended because they were unaware that Japan had surrendered. The most famous of these soldiers was Hiroo Onoda, an intelligence officer in the Imperial Japanese Army. He continued his guerrilla activities on the Philippine island of Lubang for nearly 30 years after the war had ended. Onoda remained in hiding from 1945 until 1974, convinced that the war was still ongoing. Despite efforts to inform him that the war was over, he believed them to be enemy propaganda. It wasn't until his former commanding officer traveled to Lubang to personally relieve him of duty that he finally surrendered. There were other similar cases of Japanese holdouts, but Onoda's story is the most well-known and widely documented. These soldiers' dedication and belief in their cause, even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, are often cited as examples of extreme loyalty and the hardships of war.

[rauthschild]

Navy chief says China ship off Lubang Island was doing innocent passage | INQUIRER.net

[dewidraupadi]

Cara Membedakan Ayam Jantan dan Betina Umur 2 Bulan

Membedakan ayam jantan dan betina pada usia muda, khususnya umur 2 bulan, memang tidak semudah membedakan ayam dewasa. Namun, dengan memahami beberapa ciri khasnya, kamu dapat mengidentifikasi jenis kelamin mereka dengan cukup akurat. Berikut beberapa cara untuk membedakan ayam jantan dan betina umur 2 bulan:

Perhatikan Bulu

Warna: Ayam jantan umumnya memiliki bulu yang lebih cerah dan berwarna-warni dibandingkan betina. Contohnya, ayam jantan Rhode Island Red memiliki bulu berwarna merah cerah dengan garis hitam, sedangkan betinanya berwarna coklat kemerahan.

Bentuk: Bulu ekor ayam jantan lebih panjang dan melengkung ke atas, sedangkan betina lebih pendek dan datar.

Pola: Pada beberapa ras, ayam jantan memiliki pola bulu yang berbeda dengan betina. Contohnya, ayam jantan Plymouth Rock memiliki bulu bergaris, sedangkan betinanya polos.

Amati Jengger

Ukuran: Ayam jantan umumnya memiliki jengger yang lebih besar dan menonjol dibandingkan betina. Jengger ayam jantan juga lebih merah dan tegak.

Bentuk: Jengger ayam jantan dapat memiliki berbagai bentuk, seperti tunggal, ganda, atau bergerigi. Betina umumnya memiliki jengger yang lebih kecil dan halus.

Perhatikan Tubuh

Ukuran: Ayam jantan umumnya memiliki tubuh yang lebih besar dan berotot dibandingkan betina.

Kaki: Kaki ayam jantan biasanya lebih tebal dan berotot dibandingkan betina.

Suara: Ayam jantan mulai berkokok pada usia 3-4 bulan, sedangkan betina tidak.

Cara Vent Sexing

Peringatan: Cara ini hanya direkomendasikan untuk orang yang berpengalaman karena dapat melukai ayam jika tidak dilakukan dengan benar.

Metode: Vent sexing dilakukan dengan menekan kloaka (lubang di bawah ekor) untuk mengeluarkan organ reproduksi. Ayam jantan memiliki tonjolan kecil, sedangkan betina tidak.

Tips Tambahan

Kamu dapat memisahkan ayam jantan dan betina pada usia 4-6 minggu untuk mencegah perkawinan dini dan meningkatkan produksi telur.

Ayam jantan dapat dijual untuk diambil dagingnya, sedangkan betina dapat dipelihara untuk menghasilkan telur.

Semoga informasi ini bermanfaat!

[wouriqueen]

Just to correct the info further up in this post: according to the article, Onoda killed Mia Stewart's great-uncle (her mother's uncle), not her father.

The article is really interesting and I recommend reading it, but if you won't, here are some more interesting points:

saying the man terrorized the island of Lubang for decades may sound abstract, so here are some solid facts : many elderly people at the time MS started filming were missing a leg or limping because Onoda aimed for kneecaps and leg arteries / he killed civilians, sometimes in gruesome ways / he looted and burned fields / dead family members and financial loss forced many people to abandon their studies and return to Lubang (no family support, having to care for parents and siblings...) so he affected many generations / farming families had a curfew for safety.

the 2021 award-winning movie mentioned is Onoda: 10,000 nights in the jungle filmmaker. The French filmmaker, Arthur Harari, was interviewed for the above article. His movie only shows Onoda killing in "self-defense" and perpetuates all the colonialist stuff you might find in western literary tradition. Harari owns his desire to make the story feel like it didn't happen in any real place or time. He shot in Cambodia, never visited Lubang, and was very comfortable with having only read one single (french) history book on Onoda as he worked on his script. When confronted later with some of Onoda's violence on the island, he says (I shit you not): “Every one of us has reasons mysterious even to ourselves to say what we say, so the truth is not exactly always what you say. And in [Onoda’s] case, to me, it's completely ambiguous—completely.” okay...

In his first book, Onoda himself uses another beloved colonialist and racist trope: "going native", aka going mad by becoming more like the (implied: savage) local people and environment.

the post above mentions a second book by Onoda's ghostwriter. The man wanted to disspell some of Onoda's lies he helped perpetuate through Onoda's book and give his honest perspective based on his conversations and time with Onoda. Hence why MS is trying to have it translated and spread out. The writer's two sons are also working with MS on her documentary.

Anyway once again I have to be in almost awe of Japan's post WWII PR job. The fact that an imperial japanese army soldier could ever be seen as a hero or admirable fighter is .... certainly something.

I read a very interesting article recently.

Hiroo Onoda is a famous name among WWII history buff circles. He was the soldier who disappeared into the Philippine jungle at the end of the war with three other soldiers, and ended up being the last to surrender after 29 years fighting a "guerilla war" until he surrendered in 1974. For at least twenty years he fought with one other, Kinshichi Kozuka; who was killed by police in 1972.

The article was about one woman named Mia Stewart, a Filipino-Australian, who's trying to get the funding to finish a documentary she's been working on for about 20 years.

The documentary she's making is trying to shed a little more light than the fascinating "lone samurai" legend that has been built up around Onoda. It very pointedly asks one thing -- what is this "guerilla war" he was fighting for 29 years? Who were his opponents? Who was he fighting?

Onoda (and Kozuka until his death) were killing, sometimes in very gruesome ways, almost exclusively Filipino civilians. Innocent people who were just living their normal lives -- who couldn't fight back. One of their victims was Mia Stewart's father, when she was barely two years old.

The article essentially asks, "war hero or serial killer?"

Those civilians he stalked and killed or stole from for nearly thirty years weren't ever asked their opinion before the Filipino president gave a blanket pardon, Onoda was welcomed home a hero, and he gained worldwide fame. Their side of the story entirely forgotten as some nebulous force he was fighting "guerilla warfare" against.

It was genuinely kind of enlightening because even I have kind of looked at the Onoda story as a, "wow that's crazy" and never really gave it more thought of "who exactly was he fighting?" I figured he was shooting at cops, if anything. But no, it was nothing as simple as that.

The documentary is not out yet (she doesn't have the funding to finish it, the article was essentially one long ad to go "and if you can donate please do so") but there is a nine minute extended trailer from two years ago

On some level I think if I'd just given it any ounce of thought I'd have gone, "who was he fighting actually?" But instead I just assumed he spent nearly thirty years fighting cops… not doing what the IJA did best and mutilating helpless civilians. But I bought the popular narrative entirely and didn't give an ounce of a think at the question of who was he fighting in this 'guerilla war.'

"Actively fighting a war… against who?" is a question that just straight up never came to my mind.

[mostly-history]

Second Lieutenant Onoda Hirō heads for a helicopter landing site on Lubang Island for a flight to Manila (March 1974).  He is wearing his 30-year-old imperial army uniform, cap and sword, and has just come out of hiding in the jungle.

Onoda had been sent to Lubang Island in December 1944, a few months before the Americans invaded and retook the Philippines, to join an existing group of soldiers.  The last instructions he received from his immediate superior were to retreat to the interior of the island and harass the Allied occupying forces until the Imperial Japanese Army eventually returned.  “You are absolutely forbidden to die by your own hand,” he was told.  “It may take three years, it may take five, but whatever happens, we'll come back for you.  Until then, so long as you have only one soldier, you are to continue to lead him.”

When Allied forces took the island a few months later, Onoda and four other soldiers fled into the hills, and began a thirty-year-long insurgency.  The other three soldiers were Private Akatsu Yūichi, Corporal Shimada Shōichi and Private First Class Kozuka Kinshichi.

In October 1945, the four men found a leaflet left behind by the islanders that said, “The war ended on August 15.  Come down from the mountain!”  But they believed it was Allied propaganda, and that if they war was over, they wouldn't have been fired on.

Near the end of the year, leaflets with a surrender order from General Yamashita Tomoyuki (of the 14th Area Army) were dropped on the island from the air.  Onoda's group still didn't believe they were genuine.

Akatsu left the group in September 1949, and surrendered to Filipino forces six months later.  In 1952, letters and family pictures were dropped from aircraft, urging them to surrender.  These letters weren't believed, either.

Shimada was killed on May 7th, 1954, by a search party looking for the soldiers.  On October 19th, 1972, Kozuka and Onoda were burning rice that had been collected by farmers, as part of their guerrilla activities.  Kozuka was killed by local police, and Onoda was now on his own.

On February 20th, 1974, Suzuki Norio came across Onoda. He had been looking for “Lieutenant Onoda, a panda, and the Abominable Snowman, in that order.”  The two men became friends, but Onoda still refused to surrender, as he was still waiting for orders from a superior officer.  In 2010, he said in an interview: “This hippie boy Suzuki came to the island to listen to the feelings of a Japanese soldier.  Suzuki asked me why I would not come out...”

When Suzuki returned to Japan with photos of them together, the Japanese government found Onoda's commanding officer, Major Taniguchi Yoshimi, who was now a bookseller.  Taniguchi flew to Lubang Island and met with Onoda on March 9th, 1944.  He issued him the following orders:

In accordance with the Imperial command, the Fourteenth Area Army has ceased all combat activity.

In accordance with military Headquarters Command No. A-2003, the Special Squadron of Staff’s Headquarters is relieved of all military duties.

Units and individuals under the command of Special Squadron are to cease military activities and operations immediately and place themselves under the command of the nearest superior officer.  When no officer can be found, they are to communicate with the American or Philippine forces and follow their directives.

Onoda had formally been relieved of duty, and he surrendered, turning over his sword, rifle, ammunition, hand grenades, and the dagger his mother had given him in 1944 to kill himself with if he was captured. Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos issued him a pardon for his actions (the men had killed about 30 Filipinos over the years), taking into consideration Onoda's mistaken belief that the war was still ongoing.

[aiiaiiiyo]

Hiroo Onoda walks out of the jungle on Lubang Island after agreeing to surrender 29 years after the end of World War II, March 11, 1974 [1118 x 1600] Check this blog!

[keiyoomi]

Weather Bulletin from PAGASA as of 8PM

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal no. 4

AFFECTED AREAS

Luzon - Catanduanes and the eastern portion of Camarines Sur (Siruma, Tinambac, Goa, Lagonoy, San Jose, Garchitorena, Presentacion, Caramoan)

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal no. 3

AFFECTED AREAS

Luzon - Camarines Norte, the rest of Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Burias and Ticao Islands, Marinduque, and the southern portion of Quezon (Atimonan, Pagbilao, Padre Burgos, Agdangan, Unisan, Plaridel, Gumaca, Pitogo, Macalelon, Lopez, General Luna, Catanauan, Mulanay, San Francisco, San Andres, San Narciso, Buenavista, Guinayangan, Tagkawayan, Calauag, Quezon, Alabat, Perez)

Visayas - Northern Samar

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal no. 2

AFFECTED AREAS

Luzon - Pampanga, Bulacan, the southern portion of Nueva Ecija (Cabiao, San Isidro, Gapan City, General Tinio, Peñaranda, San Antonio, Jaen, San Leonardo, Santa Rosa, Cabanatuan City, Palayan City, Laur, Gabaldon, Bongabon), the southern portion of Zambales (San Marcelino, San Felipe, San Narciso, San Antonio, Castillejos, Subic, Olongapo City), Bataan, Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, the southern portion of Aurora (Maria Aurora, San Luis, Baler, Dingalan), the rest of Quezon including Polillo Islands, the rest of Masbate, Romblon, Oriental Mindoro, and Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Island

Visayas - The northern portion of Samar (Catbalogan City, Jiabong, Motiong, Paranas, Hinabangan, San Sebastian, Tarangnan, San Jorge, San Jose de Buan, Matuguinao, Gandara, Santa Margarita, Calbayog City, Santo Nino, Almagro, Tagapul-An), the northern portion of Eastern Samar (San Julian, Sulat, Taft, Can-Avid, Dolores, Maslog, Oras, San Policarpo, Arteche, Jipapad), the extreme northern portion of Antique (Pandan, Libertad, Caluya), and the northwestern portion of Aklan (Buruanga, Malay, Nabas, Ibajay)

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal no. 1

AFFECTED AREAS

Luzon - The rest of Zambales, Tarlac, the rest of Nueva Ecija, the rest of Aurora, Pangasinan, La Union, the southern portion of Ilocos Sur (Quirino, Gregorio Del Pilar, Salcedo, San Emilio, Candon City, Galimuyod, Santa Lucia, Cervantes, Sigay, Santa Cruz, Suyo, Tagudin, Alilem, Sugpon), Mountain Province, Benguet, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, the central and southern portions of Isabela (Mallig, Quirino, Ilagan, Roxas, San Manuel, Burgos, Gamu, Palanan, San Mariano, Benito Soliven, Naguilian, Reina Mercedes, Luna, Aurora, Cabatuan, San Mateo, Cauayan City, Dinapigue, San Guillermo, Echague, San Agustin, Jones, Angadanan, Alicia, San Isidro, Ramon, Santiago City, Cordon), and Calamian Islands

Visayas - Biliran, the northern portion of Antique (Sebaste, Culasi), the rest of Aklan, the northern portion of Capiz (Jamindan, Mambusao, Sapi-An, Ivisan, Roxas City, Panay, Pilar, Sigma, Dao, Panitan, Pontevedra, President Roxas), and the northern portion of Iloilo (Carles, Balasan, Estancia, Batad)

[phgq]

‘Rolly’ weakens into typhoon; another tropical storm enters PAR

#PHnews: ‘Rolly’ weakens into typhoon; another tropical storm enters PAR

MANILA – “Rolly” weakened into a typhoon while Tropical Storm Siony slightly intensified as it entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Sunday.

In its 11 a.m. weather bulletin, PAGASA said the eye of Typhoon Rolly was located over the coastal waters of Pasacao, Camarines Sur.

It is moving westward at 25 kilometer per hour with maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 295 kph.

The weather bureau said catastrophic violent winds and intense to torrential rainfall associated with the region of the eyewall and inner rainbands of the typhoon is expected within the next 12 hours over the western portion of Camarines Sur, Marinduque, the central and southern portions of Quezon, Laguna, the eastern portion of Batangas, and Cavite due to Typhoon Rolly.

“Rolly” is forecast to slightly weaken as it exits the mainland Luzon landmass and emerge over the Philippine Sea between Sunday night and Monday earning morning, it added.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 4 is up in Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, the northern portion of Sorsogon (Donsol, Pilar, Castilla, Sorsogon City, Prieto Diaz, Gubat, Barcelona, Juban, Casiguran, Magallanes), Burias Island, Marinduque, Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon including Polillo Islands, Pampanga, Bulacan, the southern portion of Aurora (Dingalan), Bataan, the southern portion of Zambales (San Marcelino, San Felipe, San Narciso, San Antonio, Castillejos, Subic, Olongapo City, Botolan, Cabangan), the northwestern portion of Occidental Mindoro (Mamburao, Paluan) including Lubang Island, and the northern portion of Oriental Mindoro (Puerto Galera, San Teodoro, Baco, Calapan City, Naujan, Pola, Victoria, Socorro, Pinamalayan).

PAGASA said a very intense typhoon will affect the locality and winds of greater than 171 kph up to 220 kph may be expected in at least 12 hours.

Areas under TCWS No. 3 are rest of Sorsogon, the northern portion of Masbate (Mobo, Masbate City, Milagros, Uson, Baleno, Aroroy, Mandaon) including Ticao Island, the rest of Zambales, Romblon, the rest of Occidental Mindoro, the rest of Oriental Mindoro, Tarlac, the southern portion of Nueva Ecija (Cuyapo, Talugtug, Muñoz City, Llanera, Rizal, Bongabon, Gabaldon, General Tinio, Laur, Palayan City, General Mamerto Natividad, Cabanatuan City, Santa Rosa, Peñaranda, Gapan City, San Isidro, Cabiao, San Antonio, Jaen, San Leonardo, Zaragoza, Aliaga, Talavera, Santo Domingo, Quezon, Licab, Guimba, Nampicuan), and the central portion of Aurora (San Luis, Baler, Maria Aurora), and Northern Samar.

TCWS No. 2 is now up in the rest of Aurora, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Benguet, La Union, Pangasinan, the rest of Nueva Ecija , the rest of Masbate, northern portion of Samar (Catbalogan City, Jiabong, Motiong, Paranas, Hinabangan, San Sebastian, Tarangnan, Pagsanghan, San Jorge, San Jose de Buan, Matuguinao, Gandara, Santa Margarita, Calbayog City, Santo Nino, Almagro, Tagapul-An), the northern portion of Eastern Samar (San Julian, Sulat, Taft, Can-Avid, Dolores, Maslog, Oras, San Policarpo, Arteche, Jipapad), the extreme northern portion of Antique (Pandan, Libertad, Caluya), and the northwestern portion of Aklan (Buruanga, Malay, Nabas, Ibajay).

Mainland Cagayan, Isabela, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Abra, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and the northern portion of Palawan (El Nido, Taytay, Dumaran, Araceli), Cuyo Islands, rest of the northern portion of Antique (Sebaste, Culasi, Tibiao, Barbaza, Laua-An), the rest of Aklan, Capiz, the northern portion of Iloilo (Lemery,Sara,Concepcion, San Dionisio, Batad, Estancia, Balasan, Carles), the northern portion of Cebu (San Remigio, Bogo City, Medellin, Daanbantayan) including Bantayan Islands, Biliran, the rest of Samar, the rest of Eastern Samar, and the northern portion of Leyte (San Isidro, Tabango, Villaba, Matag-Ob, Palompon, Ormoc City, Pastrana, Palo, Calubian, Leyte, Kananga, Capoocan, Carigara, Jaro, Tunga, Barugo, Alangalang, Santa Fe, Tacloban City, Babatngon, San Miguel) are under TCWS No. 1.

On the other hand, “Siony” is forecast to move generally northwestward at 30 kph with maximum sustained winds of 75 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph. It remains less likely to affect any portion of the country over the next two to three days, the PAGASA said. (PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "‘Rolly’ weakens into typhoon; another tropical storm enters PAR." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1120401 (accessed November 01, 2020 at 11:11PM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "‘Rolly’ weakens into typhoon; another tropical storm enters PAR." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1120401 (archived).

[virdyperdana]

2020 Tahun Terburuk?

Mungkin tidak sedikit orang di seluruh dunia ini menunggu datangnya tahun 2020. Waktu masih tahun 2019, entah kenapa gue melihat tahun 2020 adalah tahun yang keren dan cantik. Mungkin karena angkanya kembar, ya. Ada yang sepemikiran? Seperti biasa ketika pergantian tahun banyak orang yang membuat resolusi di tahun yang baru. Ada juga yang melihat kembali kesalahan yang terjadi di tahun sebelumnya dan ingin memperbaiki di tahun yang baru. Karena belajar dari sebuah pengalaman merupakan pelajaran terbaik sebelum lo jauh-jauh belajar ke negeri China seperti kata pepatah.

Ngomong-ngomong soal China yang sekarang disebut Tiongkok, negara ini menghebohkan seluruh dunia di awal tahun 2020 ini. Sebuah virus baru yang dikenal Covid-19 mewabah di salah satu kota yaitu Wuhan di Provinsi Hubei. Banyak banget video yang viral di Twitter gimana respon tubuh orang yang terjangkit. Ada yang tiba-tiba tergeletak dan tidak sadarkan diri, ada yang kejang-kejang, pokoknya serem deh. Kabarnya virus ini berasal dari kelelawar yang dikonsumsi warga lokal di Wuhan. Tapi banyak juga yang mengatakan virus ini adalah bio weapon yang sengaja dibuat untuk kepentingan tertentu. Ah, itu kan konspirasinya, kalo gue sih tipe yang nggak percaya soal konspirasi tapi suka baca teori-teorinya hehe. Kalo lo main game serial Resident Evil atau nonton filmnya pasti terlintas untuk menyamakan keadaan dengan virus Covid-19 ini, kan? Ngaku!

Film Resident Evil dan film-film lainnya yang tayang sebelum tahun 2020 mungkin saat ini merasa sangat beruntung. Gimana nggak, wabah Covid-19 ini sukses menyetop aktivitas bioskop yang artinya film yang akan tayang 2020 gagal tayang. Sebut saja dari James Bond 007 : No Time to Die hingga sekuel Fast & Furious 9 yang akan nyayur di tahun ini jadi gagal total sampai nggak tahu kapan bisa tayang. Kebayang nggak tuh produser, sutradara, aktor, aktris, sampe kru film yang udah punya resolusi dan ekspetasi besar di tahun ini tapi gagal dengan alasan yang mungkin mereka nggak pernah kepikiran. Bukan cuma mereka yang merasakan dampak dari wabah ini tapi sepertinya seluruh lapisan kehidupan merasakannya. Semua tempat berkumpulnya manusia dan bersosialisasi seperti bioskop, restoran, sekolah, kampus, kantor, club, dan tempat prostitusi dari kelas teri sampai kelas kakap pun tutup. 

Penutupan akses ini juga diberlakukan oleh beberapa negara yang menerapkan lockdown. Terhitung ada 15 negara di dunia ini yang menerapkan lockdown, salah satunya Denmark yang sudah menerapkan lockdown sebelum adanya kasus kematian akibat wabah ini. Negara lain mungkin dengan pertimbangannya tidak melakukan lockdown, namun memberlakukan pembatasan di setiap aktivitas. Orang kantoran jadi WFH alias Work From Home, anak kuliah dan anak sekolah jadi belajar online, restoran jadi tutup dan hanya mengandalkan penjualan via ojol, dan lain-lainnya. Pasti lo merasa bete banget di masa-masa quarantine ini, kan? Entah lo suntuk buat kuliah atau sekolah online yang jadi bejibun tugasnya, atau kerja di rumah yang malah job desc lo jadi nambah, atau lo seorang pelaku bisnis yang pusing mikirin gimana caranya survive biar gak gulung tikar, atau lo di-PHK sama kantor yang mencoba nge-cut biaya operasional, gue yakin kita semua merasakan hal buruk di tahun ini. Mungkin yang merasa 2020 ini tahun hoki adalah CEO Zoom Meeting.

Eh tapi, pernah nggak sih lo kepikiran sisi positif dari adanya wabah ini? Pasti lo merasakan untuk lebih aware banget sama kebersihan. Dikit-dikit cuci tangan, dikit-dikit pake hand sanitizer, paket dateng disemprot alkohol dulu, dan lebih sering masak sendiri demi higienitas. Banyak juga yang jadi mempelajari dan ngulik hal-hal baru akibat kegabutan selama masa quarantine, seperti ada teman gue yang belajar menanam, ngoprek mesin kendaraannya atau mungkin ada salah satu dari lo yang mencoba memecahkan kode Beale Ciphers. Mungkin setelah wabah ini selesai, banyak pakar-pakar dari segala bidang bermunculan, kan keren! Banyak banget kegiatan yang bisa lo lakukan di masa quarantine asal nggak ngecoba hack web pentagon aja. Bisa-bisa lo jadi buronan interpol. Jangan ya, inget, lo bukan Ethan Hunt.

Lo tau, dengan adanya pembatasan kegiatan selama adanya wabah ini juga berdampak positif buat lingkungan. Mungkin lo pernah lihat foto yang menunjukan polusi di negara Tiongkok jauh berkurang karena pabrik-pabrik berhenti beroperasi. Bahkan lo yang warga Jakarta mungkin merasakan udara jadi lebih bersih dan langit pun terlihat cerah selama masa PSBB. Gue inget ada yang pernah share di Twitter foto langit Jakarta sebelum masa PSBB dan saat masa PSBB, dan gue amazed banget lihat perbedaannya! Ada juga saintis dari NatGeo dan BBC yang meneliti danau di Vancouver Island karena airnya berubah menjadi sebening kristal gara-gara pembatasan saat pandemi ini. Isu pemanasan global di dunia juga membawa kabar baik yaitu ketika peneliti mendapati lubang ozon sebagian besar menutup. Bumi jadi sedikit lebih adem, cuy!

Kita harus selalu inget setiap peristiwa dan kejadian ada plus-minusnya. Memang nggak bisa dipungkiri, kita sebagai manusia saat ini merasakan banyak sekali kesulitan dan kerugian di masa pandemi. Pinter-pinter lo nyikapin dan bikin strategi buat tetep survive melewati masa-masa ini. Dari pada lo sibuk gontok-gontokan debatin mana konspirasi yang paling masuk akal atau sibuk nyalahin pemerintah, mending lakuin hal positif. Buat temen-temen diluar sana yang kena PHK atau unpaid leave dari perusahaan lo, semangat terus, ya. Ada kok diluar sana yang kena unpaid leave dan awalnya iseng bikin dessert box, mentai, dan jadi designer malah punya penghasilan lebih banyak dari biasanya. Seperti harapan semua manusia di bumi ini, gue juga berharap pandemi ini cepet selesai dan anti virusnya cepat ditemukan. Semangat terus buat semua yang sedang berjuang bertahan!

Virdy Perdana