In the wake of the devastating flash floods brought by Typhoon Tino, teachers at Owak Elementary School in Asturias, Cebu, are engaged in a desperate race against time. Their mission: to salvage vital student records and important documents from classrooms that were submerged in thick mud on November 4, 2025.
A School Submerged in Mud
The powerful onslaught of Typhoon Tino on November 4, 2025, left a trail of severe damage across Barangay Owak. Public facilities and homes were not spared, but Owak Elementary School was among the hardest hit. Classrooms were completely inundated, submerging learning tools, school supplies, and, most critically, the official academic records of its students under layers of mud. When the floodwaters receded, they left behind a scene of destruction, with most educational materials and forms rendered useless and beyond repair.
The Personal Toll on Educators
The impact on the teaching staff has been profoundly personal. Liezel Mariae Loreto, a Grade 6 adviser, suffered a significant personal and professional loss. She lost all her classroom materials, including a three-year compilation of her teaching portfolio that she had meticulously prepared for her upcoming promotion. Crucial student documents, such as Form 137 records, were also destroyed, along with Christmas gifts she had already prepared for her students. This event marks the first time Barangay Owak has experienced flooding of this magnitude, surpassing even the impact of the notorious Typhoon Odette.
A Community's Struggle for Clean Water
Compounding the crisis is a severe shortage of a basic necessity: clean water. Residents of Barangay Owak are in dire need of clean, potable water for drinking and for the massive cleanup effort. Teachers and community members are finding their recovery efforts thwarted by the inability to properly wash away the mud and grime. Every classroom in the school is severely damaged and caked with mud, making a return to normal operations incredibly difficult. The community believes the floodwaters originated from the overflowing Combado River in neighboring Balamban.
As the cleanup continues, the community is making an urgent appeal for immediate assistance. The priority needs remain clean drinking water and essential materials to help restore the school and the affected households to a functional state.
