The mountain barangay of Lusaran in Cebu City continues to grapple with the severe aftermath of Typhoon Tino, more than a week after the powerful storm made landfall on November 4, 2025. The province-wide impact remains devastating, with communities and rescue teams working tirelessly in response.
Rising Casualty Count Across the Province
According to the latest situation report from the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) issued at 10 a.m. on Thursday, November 13, 2025, the human cost of the typhoon is staggering. Forty-four individuals are still missing across Cebu Province after being swept away by flash floods triggered by Typhoon Tino, internationally known as Kalmaegi.
The official death toll has reached 108 fatalities, with 1,365 people reported injured. PDRRMC head Dennis Pastor confirmed that while several local government units have completed their retrieval operations, others are still searching for dozens of missing residents. He could not provide a definitive timeline for how long these critical search and retrieval efforts would continue.
Ongoing Search and Recovery Efforts
Retrieval and rescue operations involve a coordinated effort between multiple agencies. Teams from various LGUs, the PDRRMC, municipal disaster offices, and national agencies including the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Army, and Philippine Coast Guard are all on the ground. Pastor noted that even municipalities like Argao and Carmen, which were not heavily affected, have sent personnel to assist in the hardest-hit areas.
The PDRRMC has currently established its station in Compostela, the town recording the highest number of missing people. The focus of operations remains on Compostela, Liloan, and Balamban due to their high casualty figures.
Breakdown of Casualties by Locality
The specific impact on towns and cities varies significantly:
- Compostela: 37 fatalities, 362 injured, and 23 missing. Six newly recovered bodies included two unidentified individuals, three from Liloan, and one from Cebu City.
- Liloan: 34 fatalities, 126 injured, and two missing, according to the town’s DROMIC report as of November 10.
- Balamban: 14 fatalities, 869 injured, and 15 missing, based on SitRep 15.
- Danao City: 9 fatalities, 1 injured, and 1 missing.
- Asturias: 4 fatalities, 2 injured, and 2 missing. One new fatality was previously listed as missing.
- City of Talisay: 7 fatalities and 6 injured. All missing persons have been accounted for.
- Mandaue City: 1 fatality, 1 injured, and 1 missing.
- Bantayan: 1 fatality and 2 injured. No missing persons remain.
- Tabogon: 1 fatality. No missing persons.
Some LGUs, including Talisay City and Bantayan, have officially called off their search operations after successfully recovering all individuals who were previously reported missing.
Cebu City Operations and Community Impact
In Cebu City, Police Regional Office 7 Director Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan personally inspected affected areas, including Sitio Tamiao 3 in Barangay Tamiao, Compostela, and Barangay Bacayan in Cebu City, to oversee the ongoing search, retrieval, and clearing work.
Maranan addressed a critical issue affecting communities: a pervasive foul odor believed to be from the bodies of animals or people swept away by floodwaters. "We received reports that this area really smells foul, and accordingly, that stench might be from bodies, either human or animal, that drowned in the flood," Maranan stated. Teams are actively clearing debris to mitigate the health hazard and address the smell.
To aid in the sensitive task of locating remains, search dogs from the Regional Explosive Ordnance Disposal-K9 Unit 7 have been deployed in Barangay Bacayan. Furthermore, Maranan has ordered personnel to check subdivisions in Bacayan, such as Villa del Rio 1, for potential explosive materials or structural hazards left in the wake of the disaster, ensuring the safety of both responders and returning residents.
