TACLOBAN CITY — The provincial government of Southern Leyte has declared the province under a state of calamity following the widespread destruction left by Typhoon Tino, which battered the province early this week.

Governor Damian Mercado signed Executive Order No. 54, Series of 2025, on Thursday, November 6, placing the province under a state of calamity to allow the immediate use of calamity funds and other necessary resources for relief, recovery, and rehabilitation operations.

Typhoon Tino made its first landfall in the town of Silago at midnight on November 4, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall that caused severe damage across 18 municipalities and Maasin City.

The storm toppled trees and power lines, leaving the entire province without electricity, while homes and infrastructure sustained significant damage from winds and flooding.
An initial report from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) showed that 31,738 families, or 114,402 individuals, from 100 barangays were affected by the typhoon. The OCD also reported two confirmed deaths in the province, both from Saint Bernard town, though a third fatality in Libagon is still being validated.

Under the executive order, all provincial offices, local government units, and concerned agencies were directed to implement rescue, relief, recovery, and rehabilitation operations, as well as to ensure the continuous delivery of basic services to affected communities. Law enforcement units were also instructed to maintain peace and order in the affected areas.
As of Thursday, power supply has yet to be fully restored across Southern Leyte, including in Maasin City, while internet connectivity remains limited in most towns, hampering communication and coordination of disaster response.

Governor Mercado said the declaration would help speed up government efforts to deliver aid and restore normalcy in communities hit hardest by Typhoon Tino.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY — The municipality of Silago in Southern Leyte, where Typhoon ‘Tino’ first made landfall, has been placed under a state of calamity following the massive destruction brought by the storm on November 4.

The declaration, approved by the Sangguniang Bayan members, was made upon the recommendation of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) headed by Mayor Lemuel Honor.

Mayor Honor said the local government had prepared for the typhoon’s arrival by conducting preemptive evacuations for residents in hazard-prone areas and prepositioning heavy equipment and relief supplies in strategic locations for clearing and immediate response operations.

After the typhoon’s onslaught, the municipal government reported that more than 5,800 families were evacuated to various shelters. Electricity and communication lines remain down, and the town’s main water supply was damaged, cutting access to safe drinking water.

Major roads leading to the municipality and its villages were also blocked by fallen trees and debris for several hours. Clearing operations by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Silago Municipal Police Station, Philippine Coast Guard, and the Philippine Army later made these routes passable by midday of November 4.

Mayor Honor said the damage assessment is ongoing, particularly in the agriculture sector, which includes losses in the town’s hog and poultry industries.

The mayor appealed for additional assistance from the national and provincial governments, as well as non-government organizations and private donors, for food, drinking water, medicines, and hygiene kits to aid families still staying in evacuation centers.

“We appeal for your help. We welcome your assistance—may it be water or food—because we badly need it,” Honor said, adding that the municipality’s Quick Response Fund (QRF) under its 5% calamity fund is insufficient to meet the needs of all affected residents.

Despite the extent of the damage, Mayor Honor expressed relief that no casualties were reported during the typhoon, attributing the zero-death record to the town’s early evacuation measures and preparedness.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY — Relief operations led by Leyte 1st District Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Tingog party-list continue to provide food and essential supplies to communities across Eastern Visayas reeling from the impact of Typhoon Tino.

According to a statement from Romualdez’s office on Wednesday, November 5, relief distribution began even before Tino made landfall, with teams deployed to towns within Leyte’s first district to ensure immediate aid for affected residents.

Emergency assistance has since expanded to other hard-hit areas, including Baybay City, Burauen, and Abuyog in Leyte, and Silago in Southern Leyte — which has been under a state of calamity since Monday, November 3.

In Baybay City, residents received 3,750 kilos of rice, 30 boxes of noodles, 10 boxes each of biscuits and coffee, 20 boxes of bottled water, and 30 boxes of canned goods. Silago received 2,500 kilos of rice, along with similar food packs and bottled water. The same assistance was extended to Burauen and Abuyog.

Beneficiaries expressed gratitude for the swift response led by Romualdez and Tingog, which have maintained round-the-clock monitoring and coordination with local government units to address urgent needs in storm-affected areas.

Earlier, the lawmaker and Tingog had also distributed sacks of rice, noodles, and canned goods to Tacloban City and the seven towns within Leyte’s first congressional district.
Babatngon Mayor Leny Lugnasin thanked Romualdez and Tingog for their continuing support, posting on social media: “Thank you very much, Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Tingog Party-list, for your continued concern for the people of Babatngon!”

Authorities continue to monitor weather developments as another potential tropical disturbance is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) this weekend.

(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY — A Black Hawk helicopter of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) conducting post-disaster assessment operations in Southern Leyte made a precautionary landing in a rice field in Barangay Panian, Saint Bernard town, on Wednesday, November 5, after experiencing engine trouble.

According to a report from the Police Regional Office 8 based in Palo, Leyte, personnel from the Saint Bernard Municipal Police Station immediately responded to assist the crew of the PAF helicopter, which bore body number 753, at around 12:30 p.m.

In a statement, the PAF said the aircraft encountered fluctuating temperature readings in one of its engines, prompting the pilots to execute an emergency landing as a safety measure.

“All crew and passengers are safe,” the PAF assured, adding that a maintenance and investigation team has been dispatched to inspect the aircraft and address its mechanical issues.

The helicopter was in Southern Leyte as part of the military’s rapid damage assessment and needs analysis (RDANA) following the devastation left by Typhoon Tino, which hit the province earlier in the week.

The incident occurred a day after the PAF confirmed the loss of six airmen in a Super Huey helicopter crash in Agusan del Sur during humanitarian and disaster response operations related to the same typhoon.

(RONALD O. REYES)