‘Tino’ kills 2, knocks out power across W. Visayas

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor, Jennifer P. Rendon, and Mariela Angella Oladive

Typhoon Tino (international name: Kalmaegi) battered Western Visayas on Tuesday, Nov. 4, claiming two lives, cutting power to several towns, and displacing more than 79,000 families.

In Barangay Sublangon, Pontevedra, Capiz, a man from Bacolod City was killed after a large tree, uprooted by strong winds, fell on him while he was attending to his motorcycle.

Police said the victim died instantly from a severe head injury and had been temporarily staying in the area for work.

Another fatality was reported in Barangay Talisayan, Anini-y, Antique, where a 50-year-old man drowned after being swept away by floodwaters while collecting bamboo to build a raft.

Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Broderick Train said the incident could have been prevented if the victim had heeded advisories to stay indoors.

“We did not lack advisories to stay away from raging waters,” Train said.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 6 reported that 79,196 families were affected by the typhoon across 1,349 barangays in 80 cities and municipalities.

Of these, 51,446 families—comprising 161,664 individuals—were taking shelter in 2,117 evacuation centers, while 18,612 families stayed with relatives or friends.

The DSWD has released PHP 12.9 million in emergency aid, part of the PHP 13.48 million in total humanitarian assistance distributed so far.

The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) has yet to report any official injuries as of press time.

Power outages were reported in at least 17 of Iloilo province’s 43 towns due to damaged transmission lines and ongoing restoration efforts.

In Antique, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) confirmed that the Nabas–Culasi–Bugasong 69kV line supplying the Antique Electric Cooperative remained out of service.

In Negros Occidental, the Bacolod–San Enrique and Bacolod–Silay–Victorias 69kV lines were also offline, affecting multiple towns.

Aklan towns including Lezo, Ibajay, Altavas, and Andagao experienced blackouts following the tripping of the Nabas–Sapian 69kV transmission line.

In Iloilo City, an unscheduled power interruption occurred at 3:10 p.m. after the Sta. Barbara–Power Barge 69kV line went down, disrupting service to areas covered by MORE Power’s Lapaz Substation and PFMC.

The Coast Guard District Western Visayas (CGDWV) suspended all maritime operations, affecting 185 ports and stranding 280 passengers, truck drivers, and cargo helpers across the region.

In total, 280 individuals, two vessels, and 113 rolling cargoes were stranded as of midday Tuesday, while 94 vessels and 112 motorbancas took shelter in safe zones.

Local Coast Guard stations in Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique, and Guimaras remain on heightened alert, coordinating with local governments for potential rescue and relief operations.

According to CGDWV, Typhoon Tino’s center was located early Monday over the coastal waters of San Francisco, Cebu (10.8°N, 124.3°E), based on Doppler radar data from Masbate and Mactan.

The typhoon was packing sustained winds of 150 km/h near the center, gusts of up to 205 km/h, and a central pressure of 960 hPa while moving westward at 25 km/h.

Typhoon-force winds extended up to 300 kilometers from the center, prompting the suspension of sea travel for safety.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Iloilo City and several provinces remained under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 4, with strong winds and heavy rains continuing to affect coastal and low-lying areas.

Authorities are urging the public to remain indoors, avoid coastal zones, and stay updated through official weather bulletins.