Landslides, road damage from Typhoon Tino cripple travel

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor and Mariela Angella Oladive

Typhoon Tino’s heavy rains and strong winds damaged major road networks in Western Visayas, prompting authorities to restrict vehicle access and reroute traffic.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported that a portion of the Iloilo–Antique Road in Barangay Lopez Vito, San Joaquin, Iloilo, sustained a road slip.

The affected stretch is part of the mountainous national highway connecting the provinces of Iloilo and Antique.

According to the DPWH, the road remains passable only to light and single motor vehicles, while heavy vehicles are temporarily prohibited due to safety risks.

Embankment work is ongoing to stabilize and restore the damaged portion.

Motorists traveling between San Jose de Buenavista, Antique, and Iloilo City are advised to use the coastal route via Tobias Fornier and Anini-y as an alternate path.

However, this detour adds nearly an hour to the usual two-hour drive.

In Antique, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) reported road erosion in Barangay Igbucagay, Hamtic, limiting access to light vehicles and motorcycles only.

A one-lane section also remains passable in Barangay Pacencia, Tobias Fornier, due to a landslide.

Clearing operations are underway in Punta Nasog, Anini-y, where another landslide partially blocked the road.

The Antique PDRRMO has advised motorists to take alternate routes via Kalibo–Altavas–Capiz–Iloilo or Jamindan–Tapaz–Calinog–Iloilo, as the Hamtic–Iloilo mountain route remains unsafe for heavy vehicles.

Meanwhile, the Iloilo PDRRMO reported one fatality in the province due to Typhoon Tino.

A 55-year-old woman from Barangay Paloc So-ol, Dumangas, died after strong winds destroyed a hut near a river where she had been staying.

The structure collapsed and was swept away by floodwaters, carrying the woman with it.

Rescuers retrieved her and brought her to a nearby health facility, where she was declared dead on arrival.

This brings the death toll in Western Visayas to three, with one fatality each reported in Capiz, Antique, and Iloilo.

The Office of Civil Defense Region 6 (OCD-6) reported that Typhoon Tino displaced at least 152,514 families or 489,109 individuals across the region.

Of these, 76,773 families are currently in 3,066 evacuation centers, while 37,300 are being assisted outside these facilities.

Capiz recorded the highest number of displaced families at 57,797, followed by Iloilo with 39,928.

OCD-6 said at least 111 houses were damaged, including 10 that were totally destroyed.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development reported that 22,394 affected families have already received PHP 13.4 million in assistance.

ONE DEAD, 442 HOMES DAMAGED IN ILOILO

A 55-year-old woman died while more than 400 homes were damaged in Iloilo province after Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) unleashed strong winds and heavy rains across Western Visayas on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

The fatality was recorded in Barangay Paloc So-ol, Dumangas, where the victim’s home was swept away by raging floodwaters near a river and fish pen.

According to Mia Resano, spokesperson of the Iloilo Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), one of the victim’s children tried to rescue her but failed.

Her body was later retrieved by her daughter before emergency responders arrived.

PDRRMO Situation Report No. 10, issued at 9 a.m. on Nov. 5, stated that 40 municipalities, including Passi City, were affected by the typhoon, impacting 37,850 families or 120,420 individuals across 761 barangays in the province.

A total of 442 houses were damaged, with 418 partially damaged and 24 totally destroyed in 14 municipalities.

Flooding incidents were reported in three municipalities, while two others experienced rain-induced landslides that have since been cleared.

Strong winds also toppled trees and damaged electric posts, causing power outages in 25 municipalities, with 18 totally affected and seven partially affected.

Several roads and bridges became impassable at the height of the storm, including those in San Joaquin, Ajuy, Dingle, and Miag-ao, due to flooding and soil scouring.

Clearing and restoration operations are underway in the affected areas.

Classes were suspended in 26 local government units, while two LGUs also suspended work as a precautionary measure.

Sea travel in the province was temporarily halted but later resumed for the Iloilo–Guimaras routes following clearance from the Philippine Coast Guard.

The PDRRMO Emergency Operations Center remains under red alert status to monitor the situation and coordinate response efforts with municipal DRRMOs.