Following Typhoon Tino’s impact
TACLOBAN CITY — At least four people were confirmed dead while more than 141,000 families were affected after Typhoon Tino pounded Eastern Visayas with strong winds and heavy rains early Tuesday, November 4, triggering floods, landslides, and widespread destruction across the region.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported that Tino affected 499,360 individuals, or 141,423 families, in six provinces and 73 municipalities in Eastern Visayas. Of these, 4,903 families or 16,936 individuals are currently staying in 98 evacuation centers, while 82 families or 312 individuals are temporarily taking shelter with relatives or friends.
The DSWD also recorded 2,892 damaged houses—212 totally destroyed and 2,680 partially damaged. The agency has so far provided P24.8 million worth of humanitarian assistance, including 42,155 family food packs, 124 ready-to-eat meals, and 1,767 non-food items, while P110.7 million worth of relief resources remain on standby.
Among the fatalities were one each from Hilongos and MacArthur, Leyte; and two more in Saint Bernard, Southern Leyte, according to a report from the Police Regional Office 8 (PRO-8).
In Barangay Owak, Hilongos, authorities found an unidentified elderly woman dead along the shoreline on Tuesday morning. The victim, estimated to be between 65 and 70 years old, was believed to have drowned and been carried by strong currents. The Hilongos Municipal Police Station has requested assistance from the Provincial Forensic Unit to identify the woman and determine her exact cause of death.
Meanwhile, in Barangay Romualdez, MacArthur, a 78-year-old man known as alias “Max” died after a macopa tree fell on his nipa hut at the height of the storm around 5:40 a.m.
The two other fatalities were from Saint Bernard, Southern Leyte.
Three people were also reported injured during post-typhoon clearing operations. In Tolosa, a 57-year-old tricycle driver and a 43-year-old farmer sustained minor wounds while removing fallen debris, while in La Paz, a 13-year-old girl suffered a hand laceration after accidentally hitting a galvanized iron sheet while helping clear banana trees.
DSWD Regional Director Grace Subong has personally visited the affected areas, particularly in Southern Leyte, which was placed under a state of calamity on Thursday, November 6, due to the extensive damage brought by Tino. Assessment and validation of damages and affected families are still ongoing in coordination with local government units.
