Moises Padilla reels from ‘Tino’, PHP 373-M in damages

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By Dolly Yasa

MOISES PADILLA, Negros Occidental — Typhoon Tino unleashed widespread devastation across this municipality early on November 4, forcing the evacuation of over 1,000 families and causing damage to infrastructure and agriculture estimated at PHP 373 million.

As of this writing, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) confirmed 10 fatalities and 24 persons still missing.

Retrieval operations remain ongoing as authorities continue to search for missing residents.

Initial assessments pegged the total damage at PHP 373 million, including losses in infrastructure, housing, and agriculture.

The breakdown is as follows:

Infrastructure and property — PHP 363.6 million

• Roads: PHP 162 million
• Spillways: PHP 75 million
• Hanging footbridges: PHP 60 million
• Houses: PHP 60 million
• Water pipelines: PHP 1.6 million

Destroyed structures included a spillway and hanging footbridge connecting Barangays 1 and Inolingan, and the bridge linking Barangays Montilla and Macagahay.

According to the Municipal Agriculturist Office, agricultural losses reached PHP 11.5 million, broken down as follows:

• Crops: PHP 7.1 million (including PHP 6.6 million from rice)
• Livestock: PHP 4.5 million

Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo ordered preemptive evacuations for residents in flood-prone areas ahead of the typhoon’s landfall.

Despite these efforts, flash floods overwhelmed several barangays, submerging homes and cutting off access for rescue teams.

Garcia-Yulo said the disaster could have been worse had the typhoon struck at night.

She confirmed that the Sangguniang Bayan has declared a state of calamity in Moises Padilla.

The local government continues to support displaced families now sheltering at various evacuation centers, including Moises Padilla Elementary School, Central Philippine State University, San Isidro Academy (serving evacuees from Barangays 1, 3, 4, 6, and Crossing Magallon), and public schools in Montilla, Odiong, Magallon Cadre, Inolingan, Guinpana-an, and the Quintin Remo Covered Court.

Garcia-Yulo said her uncle, Eric Golez, pledged to donate land for permanent relocation of families who lost their homes.

She has also sought assistance from Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose “Bong” Lacson for the immediate repair of the damaged Intiguawan Bridge.

The provincial government deployed heavy equipment and provided relief packs, medicines, hygiene kits, and a 10,000-liter water tanker to the town.

Donations from national agencies, private firms, and individual donors have also started arriving.

Cadiz City sent rice and 1.2 tons of dried fish to Moises Padilla as part of its relief efforts for Typhoon Tino victims.

Mayor Garcia-Yulo and Vice Mayor Felix Mathias Segundo “Pimpoy” Yulo III personally received the aid from Cadiz City on Saturday, November 8.

Additional aid from the provincial government was also delivered to the town over the weekend.