Scenes of devastation in Cebu after Typhoon Tino: a damaged home in a rural village (top) and vehicles stacked in a flooded street (bottom) as residents begin clearing debris just weeks after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck the province. (Photos: RTVM Presidential Broadcast)
Cebu faces twin disasters as Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) devastates communities still rebuilding from a 6.9-magnitude earthquake that killed 72 and caused billions in damage.
CEBU, Philippines — Cebu Province is contending with overlapping catastrophe and scrutiny after Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) slammed the region this week while recovery from a magnitude 6.9 earthquake is still underway. The crisis has triggered not only relief efforts but a full-scale probe of flood-control infrastructure in the area.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and international wire reporting, at least 114 people were killed and 127 remain missing nationwide as of November 6, as Tino caused flash floods, landslides and power outages across the Visayas. Cebu is among the worst-affected.
Floods and evacuations across Cebu
Heavy rainfall and flooding inundated parts of Cebu City, Mandaue, Talisay and surrounding towns. Local authorities reported evacuation of thousands of families. Drainage systems and storm-water infrastructure which were already stressed by the September earthquake were declared overwhelmed. Nationwide evacuations exceeded 200,000.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) noted that Typhoon Tino entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility on November 2, made landfalls in Samar and Masbate, then exited toward the West Philippine Sea by November 5.
Quake left deep scars
On September 30, a magnitude-6.9 earthquake struck offshore northern Cebu, with epicentre approximately 19 km northeast of Bogo City and at a shallow depth of about 5 km. Hundreds of aftershocks followed in the days after; by mid-October numbers rose into the thousands.
Initial official figures from NDRRMC placed the death toll in Cebu at at least 72 from the quake. Infrastructure damage-cost estimates in Cebu vary between ₱1.9 billion and ₱3 billion, depending on what is being counted (roads, public buildings, utilities).
Flood-control probe launched
In the wake of the flooding, the DPWH under Secretary Vince Dizon announced a full-scale investigation into flood-control projects in Cebu implemented between 2016 and 2025. The probe was triggered by apparent “massive failure of the flood-control system” that the agency said arose from “wrong planning and wrong execution”.
The inquiry includes work on “ghost” projects (projects reported as done but not visible on the ground), substandard construction and whether design criteria were sufficient to handle extreme rainfall. Civil-society groups and provincial officials have pointed out that about ₱26.7 billion in flood-control funds were released to Cebu over the past three years—even as flooding hit hard.
In addition:
- A special task force in the Office of the Ombudsman has been assigned to examine possible anomalies in flood-control works in Cebu.
- The Department of Justice (DOJ) is set to probe legislators, contractors and top officials for possible graft, malversation or collusion linked to flood-control funds.
- Specific project sites – such as parts of the “Monterrazas” development in Cebu City – are under scrutiny for how their flood-control and slope-protection elements performed during Tino.
Relief and rehabilitation
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported releasing ₱69.45 million in assistance for families affected by Typhoon Tino in the Visayas and Mindanao. Relief teams remain on the ground, clearing debris, inspecting roads and bridges, and distributing aid.
Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro continues to coordinate with national agencies on both the earthquake rehabilitation and the typhoon recovery efforts.
Landslide and safety warnings
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) issued warnings that slopes and embankments already weakened by the earthquake are now saturated by typhoon rain, raising heightened risks of landslides in mountainous barangays. Residents in high-risk zones have been urged to follow official evacuation orders and avoid hazardous areas.
