The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has underscored the life-saving power of preemptive evacuations, pointing to the starkly different casualty figures from two recent major storms that hit the Philippines.
Massive Evacuations Before the Storms
In a press conference held on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, OCD Deputy Administrator for Administration Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV revealed the scale of the preemptive efforts. He stated that approximately 290,000 families, or 898,000 individuals, were safely evacuated ahead of Typhoon Tino's devastating arrival in the Visayas.
Similarly, before Super Typhoon Uwan struck parts of Luzon, an even larger number of people—499,000 families or 1.7 million individuals—heeded the warnings from their local government units and moved to safer ground.
A Tale of Two Typhoons: The Casualty Count
The effectiveness of these actions is clear in the numbers. As of the latest reports, Typhoon Tino resulted in over 200 fatalities. In stark contrast, the stronger Super Typhoon Uwan claimed 18 lives.
Alejandro emphasized that the number of casualties from Uwan might still increase, but a significant jump is not expected. He directly credited the lower death toll to the successful implementation of preemptive activities by communities and LGUs.
Community and LGU Response Praised
"In the casualty count, the difference is huge," Alejandro said. "If that data is what comes out, preemptive evacuation really helps reduce possible casualties, even in terms of injuries or people getting hurt."
He added that the data clearly shows how local government units and communities are positively reacting to early warning systems. "We have already seen the difference... I think the data will really show that preemptive activities are truly helpful," he stated.
Meanwhile, on the ground, the aftermath of Typhoon Tino continues to be felt. In Balamban, Cebu, residents from Barangays Baliwagan and Cantuod whose homes were destroyed by a flash flood on November 4, 2025, are currently taking shelter at the Balamban Sports Center.
