Two  storms  and a typhoon  have  hit the Philippines in the last three weeks – “Pepito,” “Quinta,” and  then typhoon “Rolly”  this weekend.    A fourth tropical cyclone has now entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility in the east -- tropical storm  “Siony” (international name:  “Atsani”) which may be here  in  three  days, probably hitting Cagayan and  Batanes in Northen Luzon this coming weekend. Severe tropical storm  “Pepito”  ravaged Luzon, from Cagayan Valley to Southern Luzon,  last  October 22, leaving  P121-million damage to agriculture and infrastructure.  It was followed  by  tropical storm “Quinta” which hit 15 provinces from Cagayan to Aklan on October 27, leaving three dead  and  causing damage to electric power  facilities of cooperatives estimated at P1.1 billion. Then typhoon “Rolly,”  said to be the world’s strongest  typhoon so far this year,   pounded Southern Luzon and the Bicol area  last Sunday, killing  at least seven people and  causing widespread destruction with its  315-kph winds, which  matched  the  peak winds of typhoon “Yolanda” that killed 6,300 people in East Visayas  in November, 2013. And now we have yet  another  tropical storm approaching  Central Luzon from the  east  with the international name “Atsani,”  which will be given a  local name “Siony.”  It is predicted to be around  40 kilometers  east of Aparri, Cagayan, on Friday morning, on its way to Apayao and the Ilocos provinces. These storms  bring winds and floods causing death and considerable destruction,  but   we have accepted  these as part of life in this  country.  Because of them,  we have  generally clean air and  sufficient water denied  to so many other  countries in Asia. Aside from  these  annual storms, we have the natural phenomena  of  alternating dry El Nino and wet La Nina  periods. The World Meteorological   Organization  said  La Nina is back after an absence of nearly a decade and it will cause a large-scale cooling of  the surface of the central  Pacific Ocean, bringing above-average rainfall to Southeast Asia. We may thus  have  many  rainy days  in the coming months, but we welcome them. We just have to be prepared, with people ready to evacuate flood- and landslide-threatened areas, with evacuation  centers  ready with adequate facilities and food supplies. This year, we have the added danger of a  pandemic, requiring social distancing measures, face masks and  face  shields,  and sufficient hand-washing  and other health facilities. Even now, we are certain, the government is preparing for this coming period of storms, rains, and floods, on top of COVID-19.