Why does the Philippines not use the international standard when naming storms?

Question

The entire world uses one standard when naming cyclones and typhoons. Why does the Philippines see it necessary to confuse us all & call the storms by some different name? I am constantly asked by friends. "what storm are you talking about...storm Int. or storm PI?"

Answer 1

That's just the way it is in the Philippines.

It's just like asking: How come they're still using the American Standards in Accounting, when the rest of the world is using the International Standards? (^_^)

Answer 2

Well, it dates back to the times when we had an average number of 20 typhoons in one year. The Philippine alphabet originally had 20 letters at the same time : A B K D E G H I L M N NG O P R S T U W Y. The first typhoon of the year had to start or still has to start in A and the next would be in B and so on.. Obviously, we can know how many typhoons we have had for the year...

Answer 3

Why don't the entire world use our standard than use theirs?  

Makes me even more sick!

Answer 4

BECAUSE Philippines is Philippines.

why? do we have to use international names like Americans'?

Answer 5

Gerald Bingo!!!   That's the same question I've asked for years now. The only advantage is that they arrive alphabetically. To me it is so confusing hearing about a typhoon on CNN and then hearing something else per PAGASA - maybe it has something to do with the crab mentality where PAGASA has to have it's own name. (Makes me sick).

Answer 6

Dude, this is a really good question which I never could find an answer to during the 2 years I cruised around the Philippines in my speedboat.  As others noted, its just one of those things.

I also always wondered why everyone would get nervous about a typhoon when there was a low pressure system somewhere in the Pacific.

What a wonderful strange place.