In terms of fatalities, as bad as it was, the past storm system was not that deadly. In December, for example, Tropical Storm Washi (Typhoon Sendong) left more than 1,200 people dead and set off flash floods that swept away entire villages in the southern Philippines.

But again, this storm was different. Unlike the devastation to the south, this storm ploughed straight into one of the biggest metropolitan areas of the world. The result: transportation systems were virtually at a standstill, with government sources stating that as much as 80% of Metro Manila was affected. This area was one of the hardest hit during the historic flooding that came with Tropical Storm Ketsana (Typhoon Ondoy) in 2009.

This storm impacted business and financial centers, and the very hub of government itself. No government or private sector firm was left unscathed.

The rains and flooding for the past few days have created a heightened awareness of the lack of preparedness of the Philippines, and has affected outsourcing operations in Metro Manila, through disruption of service and the lack of human resources to run operations.