Updated Article on Recent Disasters in the Philippines — Emphasis on Tino & Verbena

Natural hazards meet structural neglect: Why floods and devastation keep recurring

The Philippines remains among the world’s most disaster-prone countries, facing frequent typhoons, heavy rains, earthquakes, volcanic hazards — and now evidence shows that infrastructure design and poor flood management aggravate the impact on communities.

Recent Major Storms: Tino and Verbena (2025)

Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) — November 4, 2025

Tino made multiple landfalls over the Visayas starting November 4, 2025. (Gulf News)
As of early reports: thousands of homes flooded; many roads blocked; flights and sea routes suspended. (Gulf News)
According to the latest situation report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), Tino affected 635,565 families — about 2.26 million people across 5,535 barangays nationwide. (News.az)
Casualties: Death toll reached 188 (with majority in Cebu, plus in Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Capiz, Southern Leyte, Bohol, Iloilo, Leyte, Antique, Guimaras) as per latest NDRRMC report. (News.az)
People reported missing: 135 (Cebu: 79; Negros Occidental: 39; Negros Oriental: 17). (News.az)
Houses damaged: 9,321; completely destroyed: 264. (News.az)
Power blackout: After Tino, about 1.4 million household power connections in the Visayas remained without electricity. (GMA Network)
Many affected provinces still reeling from other emergencies (earthquakes, volcanic threats, previous storms) — compounding the hardship for communities. (CARE)

Tropical Cyclone Verbena — November 24–26, 2025

On November 24, 2025, a low-pressure area evolved into a tropical depression and was named “Verbena.” (AHA Centre)
Verbena’s track: It made landfall over northeastern Mindanao (Surigao del Sur), then moved westward across the Visayas — including Visayas provinces such as Cebu, Negros Oriental, Guimaras, Iloilo, and northern Palawan. (ReliefWeb)
Though Verbena was relatively weak in winds (max sustained ~ 45 km/h; gusts to ~ 55 km/h) per initial bulletin, it carried heavy rainfall. (AHA Centre)
Forecast rainfall from Verbena (and associated shear line) — 100–200 mm in many Visayas, Mindanao, and Palawan areas; 50–100 mm in surrounding provinces — raising risk of flooding and rain-induced landslides. (AHA Centre)
Several barangays were identified at risk of rainfall-induced flooding and landslides. (AHA Centre)
As of the most recent bulletins, there were reports of 2 missing people in the Negros Island Region due to Verbena and associated flooding. (Wikipedia)

What This Means — The Flood & Damage Crisis Gets Worse

The combined onslaught of Tino and Verbena so close to each other demonstrates how back-to-back storms — even when one is stronger and the other weaker — can have compounded impact, especially when:

Watersheds and river systems are already saturated
Flood-control infrastructure is lacking, substandard, or poorly maintained
Roads and highways — often built high and wide — block natural water flow, acting as unintentional dams
Drainage systems are not scientifically designed to match local topography
Watershed degradation and deforestation speed up runoff, reduce soil absorption, and increase flood severity

Communities across Visayas — from Cebu to Negros, Bohol to Palawan — are now experiencing inundation of homes and farmlands, loss of livelihood, power outages, displacement, and catastrophic structural damage.

The Urgent Need for Structural and Systemic Reforms

These recent disasters strengthen the earlier call: Flood control and infrastructure planning must be scientific, local-contextual, and resilient. Key reforms needed:

Hydrological studies and watershed mapping before any major roadway or development project
Properly sized drainage systems, cross-road culverts, and flood exits aligned with natural water flow to sea
Clearing and maintaining natural waterways, rivers, estuaries — preventing blockage by garbage, informal structures or illegal encroachments
Enforcement of standards in flood-control and drainage works; transparent auditing to avoid “ghost” or substandard projects
Protection and reforestation of upland areas to reduce runoff, erosion, and landslide risks

Final Thought — Disaster Risk Needs Forward-Looking, Not Just Post-Storm Reaction

The tragedy of Tino and the heavy rains from Verbena show a grim reality: In the Philippines, natural hazards alone do not fully explain the scale of destruction — human decisions around infrastructure, land use, and governance play large roles too.

Resilience demands responsible engineering, ecological care, and accountable governance. Until those take root, every storm — big or small — risks becoming another humanitarian, economic, and ecological catastrophe.

Dr. Bon Mark Uy, PECE

Author

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