Eastern Visayas is now confronting the full scale of devastation left by Typhoon Tino (international name: Kalmaegi), as government figures verified show thousands affected, families displaced in both Samar and Leyte islands, and communities struggling through blocked roads, widespread flooding and prolonged power interruptions.
While the region did not record the highest national casualties, its geographic exposure placed several provinces directly in the path of the storm’s fiercest winds and torrential rains.
The catastrophe resulted in 224 deaths nationwide (as of Sunday, November 9), with many more missing, according to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
The fatalities:158 in Cebu province, 27 in Negros Occidental, 20 in Negros Oriental, eight in Caraga, three in Capiz, two in Southern Leyte, two in Leyte, and one each in Antique, Bohol, Guimaras, and Iloilo.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), 3,330,315 persons, or 946,660 families, were affected across six regions, including Eastern and Central Visayas.
Data extracted from situational reports and regional submissions place the number of affected residents in Eastern Visayas at 29,160 persons, a figure expected to rise as local governments complete assessments in remote barangays.
The NDRRMC’s verified casualty list attributes two deaths to Eastern Visayas out of the 52 confirmed fatalities nationwide in its early November summary. That same report records 10 injured and 13 missing across the impacted regions.
These numbers have since increased from day to day, with fatalities nationwide reaching 188 on Friday.
Evacuations were carried out on a massive scale as Tino approached landfall.
Across the Visayas, Palawan and southern Luzon, authorities ordered the pre-emptive evacuation of 70,540 families, moving residents from coastal and landslide-prone communities into safer ground.
Nationwide, shelters housed 10,981 families in 3,894 evacuation centers, while an additional 27,698 families fled to the homes of relatives or were assisted off-site.
Observers note that a significant share of these evacuees came from Visayan provinces directly battered by the storm, including those in Eastern Visayas.
International and local reports complement these government figures, with Reuters estimating more than 200,000 people evacuated across the Visayas cluster as floodwaters rose and communities were cut off.
In Eastern Visayas, the storm unleashed howling winds that tore roofs off several houses.
“Makaradlok. Bagat pareho han Yolanda an hangin,” a local from Tolosa posted on social media.
Homes in low-lying communities of Cebu were rapidly overtaken by floodwaters, prompting mayors to impose forced evacuations at the height of the storm.
Local disaster offices report that fast-moving currents and debris made rescue operations difficult on the night of landfall, forcing emergency teams to wait until conditions improved.
The regional impact was worsened by widespread infrastructure disruption. Several major roads were rendered impassable by landslides and toppled trees.
Power outages swept across Eastern Samar and northern Leyte, with utilities warning that full restoration may take days due to damaged poles and transformers.
Telecommunications services were intermittent, complicating both rescue operations and local reporting.
Though the national death toll climbed to 66 in later tallies by international agencies, with 26 missing, Eastern Visayas’ numbers remain comparatively lower.
Yet officials emphasize that the severity of the region’s flooding and displacement requires as much attention as the casualty figures.
As of this writing, relief operations continue around the clock, with local governments, the Philippine National Police, and humanitarian organizations delivering food, water and medical support to thousands who remain unable to return home especially in Southern Leyte areas where the typhoon did the most damage.
As local officials said, typhoon Yolanda really served as a lesson for everyone and the quick preparedness and coordination of the LGUs are testament of the lessons learned hard back in 2013.
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