We all know there are four seasons of weather: Spring, summer, winter and fall (or autumn). In countries like the Philippines, however, the four seasons aren’t recognized as such. Officially or unofficially, it really doesn’t matter. What matters is what the people living in the Philippines recognize.
The Seasons
I’ve updated this article to correct the information I was originally told. There are only two seasons of weather in the Philippines and they are:
- Dry Season (tag-araw) – November to April
- Rainy Season (tag-ulan) – May to October
There are other “unofficial seasons” and they are:
- Winter/Cold Season (tag-lamig) – November to January
- Summer/Hot Season (tag-init) – March to May
- Spring or when things grow (tag-sibol)
- Autumn or when things die off (tag-lagas)
The Perception of Cold or Hot
When I lived in Phoenix, AZ, USA, I used to laugh at the people that were called “snowbirds” — people who came to Phoenix for the winter from places where it was much colder. The snowbirds would walk around in T-shirts and shorts when everyone else was wearing heavy clothing, sweaters and jackets. Clothing such as the north face from Backcountry.com didn’t exist in the snowbirds’ luggage. It was amusing, but understandable. The temperature rarely went lower than freezing in Phoenix and these people came from places where it was always below freezing in the winter. They had more brown fat on their bodies, which served to insulate them from the cold.
I’ve been living here for more than six years. For me, it’s almost always either warm or hot. The Filipinos are running around in sweaters and jackets during the cold season while I’m wearing a T-shirt. I guess I could be considered something like a “snowbird”, but not coming from a place where it snows. Of course, I’m adapting to the climate more and more as time progresses. Acclimation is a wonderful thing. Perhaps I’ll be wearing a jacket (and I have nice, warm leather jacket hanging in my closet) during the cold season in a few more years.
Keeping Tabs on the Weather
Most of the bad weather in the Philippines occurs during the rainy season (but not always). That’s when the tropical storms and typhoons like to roll in, destroy things and kill people. There is a website that I visit almost every day, to find out what the current state of the weather is: The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA)
Looking at the satellite map they provide, I can tell whether it’s safe for me to be running around in Olongapo City. I ignore the fact that a lot of Filipinos are running around regardless of the weather, aching to be another statistic, and stay home when I don’t believe it’s safe to be out there.
Right now, as I write this, it’s the rainy season (and still hot) in the Philippines. People are taking showers, with bar soap and shampoo, in the rain and all kinds of things you would never see happening in the US. I’m staying indoors, where I’m comfortable and dry.
Hi RT – I wrote an article awhile back about the seasons here in Spokane and how I didn’t really see anything I could call seasons in the Philippines. I got a few comments back explaining how in Davao/Samal there is Wet, Wetter, Hot & Hotter for the four seasons. It seems to rain a lot more consistently in the Mindanao region.
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Great post!
My fear is that soon we’ll have only 2 seasons – inferno and ice age. :(
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I guess they’re just ahead of us here in the states, since we’re quickly losing our seasons to global warming. Soon we’ll be left with 2 – blazingly hot and ice age.
If you think about it, there’s really no winter in the tropics. Just slightly cooler during the months which signify winter in the temperate regions.
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In San Diego we also have to do without the four traditional seasons. We just have room temperature, hot, or cool and rainy. And it gets more confusing when many of the cool days are in June with the “June Gloom” (i.e. marine layer). We have some of our hottest days in September, then another spirt in December. But most of the year we just call it room temperature, with an average of around 72 degrees.
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I started laughing immediately when I read your description of 3 seasons. Mainly because I live in the Chicago area and I’ve often told people that we have 3 seasons here. They consist of “Summer”, “Winter”, and “Not Winter”.
An example: “Yeah, it’s a bit cold out, I’m just glad it’s not winter.”
Keep in mind that during the summer months, the temp here has gone as high (occasionally over) 100F, but during the winters the windchill factor can make it feel like -70F.
Hi Carl: I went to school and live in Chicago in the early 1960′s for more than 5 years and can identify with Chicago’s weather. On winter, I will ask myself, why in the Heck am I in this city, when life in the Philippines was much warmer. So after graduation, I vowed I will never live in Chicago again. So far so good! Cheers and Have a Good Day!
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I grew up in New England and now live in Georgia. I really miss the extreme changing of the seasons. It always seems like a tease here in Georgia. Not quite cold enough, talk of weather than never comes.
Interesting post about Philipines. I always thought there are only 2 seasons (that is dry and wet), it is nice that You showed me that I was wrong :)
I’m interested in one thing. You said that in cold season You are wearing t-shirt, ant the natives are wearing jackets and sweters. My question is: how high are the temperatures around the cold season?
I can’t tell you how high they get, but I can tell you how low: around 25C or 70F. That’s t-shirt weather for me.
hahaha it’s funny when you mentioned you’ll see people with bar soaps and shampoo under heavy rains.
YOu left out kids buck naked running around splashing on puddles.
In Hawaii, rain is a constant occurance in the afternoon and my kids loved to run around in our fenced in backyard.
But when we moved to Fort Bragg,N.C. just after a week or so,
it started to rain….a freaking storm was coming our way.
My kids started running around and playing, I even joined them.(minus the shampoo and bar soap)
Next thing we know, a Military Police car stopped and warned us not to continue. hahahaha.
So freaking retarded but yeah, I guess it’s weird to see a 3/4 of a family playing under the storm here eh????
Thanks for the wonderful Blog.
God Bless,
Welch
Thanks for sharing those ideas. I would also like to try to visit Philippines to experience its simple yet memorable seasons. I shouldn’t forget the bar soaps too.
We just got back from the Philippines Sept. 19 2009 and experiences the rainy season. We were doing buying appliances and furniture for our zambales home and had to go back and forth to the “smuggler” stores in Manila. On the way back from Manila on the new expressway we experiences a FULL BLOWN TROPICAL storm. Yes, we drove and said to heck with it. IT rained so hard and it was at night on a brightly lit road and we couldn’t see 12 inches outside our windows. I can only compare the rain to pouring buckets of water on my head three gallons at a time. What was interesting is all the toll booths were fully manned and ready to collect money. We made it to the SBMA and stayed in the Marine Barracks, or now called hotel Venecia. The hotel happens to be the best in the Philippines with great flush, hot water and water pressure!
you are so lucky…you missed two of the most desctructive moonsoon storms in the philippines….you missed it by 7 days.
Actually, because of where Olongapo City and Subic Bay are situated, we rarely get affected by any storms. We’ve had a couple of floods, but that’s it.
I spent 2 months in the Philipines this year an going back. I was there Feburary an March. The weather wasn’t bad but it was dry. The people there are some of the friendliest I have ever met. I tried I think about all the food,some was some wasn’t. But I’m going back in november.
ahahaha..so true.. even though there is no snow here, i love my country.. and you will experience things that doesn’t even exist in US.. even taste food(especially the exotic one)…hahaha
Hahaha. And how will I call myself here? A tropical bird? I live in Cebu and everytime I go to Baguio I have to put on my jacket…
Hi, I enjoyed your piece. Although we’ll reconsider booking Boracay for my honeymoon in October!
u know what u are boastful…u dont need ur going to tell us ur going to boracay
@nataliie: Jeez, dude isn’t being boastful in the least. You need to chill since you’re the one being envious right now, shorty. Havoc out.
Growing up in NY, I was able to see all the different seasons. From the white winters to the orange and red days of Autumn-I miss that. I have a lot of Filipino friends and I hear about the humidity and how you need to take another shower as soon as you step outside. I don’t know how you guys do it, but I guess it helps you appreciate the cold better.
-Diane
We have a great weather compare to other country. But in terms of storm, Philippines are always having it most of the time.
Ann | Weather Philippines
I have a lot of Filipino friends and I hear about the humidity and how you need to take another shower as soon as you step outside. I don’t know how you guys do it, but I guess it helps you appreciate the cold better. Thanks for sharing.
The Philippines sounds like a lovely place to visit. The weather sounds beautiful, honestly! :)
Marie, Car Accident Attorneys
I’m from Illinois, RT, and have been in the Philippines almost three years. I always wear a t-shirt, also, even in the “cold season” when my Filipino neighbors are wearing jackets and hooded sweatshirts. I took one of those bar and soap showers during a good rainstorm last night. Fortunately for my neighbors, I didn’t strip all the way down and twilight had already set in .