TYPHOON KALMAEGI, locally known as Tino, left at least 66 dead, 26 missing and over a million individuals affected after its onslaught caused widespread flooding and massive destruction across the Visayas, particularly in Cebu, according to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
Diego A. Mariano, deputy spokesperson of the OCD, confirmed that 49 of the reported deaths were in Cebu, mainly due to fallen debris, landslides, and flooding, with some incidents still under investigation.
The death toll also included six military personnel who died on Tuesday in a helicopter crash in Agusan del Sur en route to Butuan City for a humanitarian mission.
The provinces of Bohol, Capiz, and Leyte each reported one death, all caused by fallen trees.
The Negros Island Region recorded seven deaths: two were due to fallen debris and drowning, while the causes of the remaining five are still under investigation.
Mr. Mariano also said a total of 26 individuals were missing, with 13 in Cebu and another 13 in La Castellana, Negros Occidental.
There were also ten reported injuries caused by fallen debris and floodwaters, while the causes of the others have yet to be determined.
The typhoon was last located 330 kilometers east northeast of Pag-asa Island in Kalayaan Islands, where a Wind Signal No. 2 is currently hoisted, the state weather bureau said in its 5 p.m. bulletin.
It was packing 140 kilometers per hour (kph) of sustained winds, gustiness of up to 170 kph and was moving west northwestward at 30 kph.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) also placed Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Islands and the rest of Palawan including Calamian and Cuyo Islands under Wind Signal No. 1.
“On the forecast track, Tino will continue moving west northwestward over the West Philippine Sea and exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility tonight or tomorrow (Nov. 6) early morning,” PAGASA said.
“Tino is forecast to re-intensify in the next 12 hours and may reach its peak intensity while over the West Philippine Sea.”
Typhoon Kalmaegi affected more than 1.1 million individuals, or more than 318,000 families, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said in its 12 p.m. situational report.
Most of the affected families were from Western Visayas (489,000), Caraga Region (320,573), Eastern Visayas (171,20), and central Visayas (104,619).
Around 1.4 million households, mostly in parts of the Visayas, also experienced power interruption, according to government estimates.
In a virtual press briefing on Wednesday, Energy Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella said that a total of 1.4 million consumer connections were affected due to down facilities affected by the onslaught of the typhoon.
“There’s a tendency for the calamities to compound. We are still recovering from the previous typhoons and the earthquake, and now we have this Typhoon Tino, and there’s another coming this Sunday,” Mr. Fuentebella said.
“But nevertheless, it should not stop our agencies, our members from the energy family to be prepared and to have strategies to immediately restore,” he added.
Eric Campoto, officer-in-charge for Disaster Risk Reduction Management Department at the National Electrification Administration (NEA), said that there are 1.3 million consumer connections still up for restoration in areas served by electric cooperatives.
NEA’s situational report as of 10 a.m. showed that there are 27 electric cooperatives (ECs) that experienced partial power outages and three that experienced total power interruptions.
“With regards with the restoration of affected ECs, we are trying our best to restore all the affected ECs within the end of the week,” Mr. Campoto said.
Meanwhile, state-run National Power Corp. reported that about 110,000 households were affected after 57 small power utilities group (SPUG) plants were disrupted.
Mr. Fuentebella has estimated that the affected households translate to seven million power consumers.
“I understand it’s about seven million people that are affected, but this is also a huge task. Still, we want to assure you that we are working hard. Even late at night, our teams are still on the job so that we can restore power,” Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin said.
On Tuesday, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) ordered the temporary suspension of the operations of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market in the Visayas grid, the trading floor of electricity, due to “overgeneration.”
The suspension took effect on Nov. 4 at 8 a.m. and will be lifted until approval of the ERC.
During the period of market suspension, the standard fixed price is used for all electricity transactions, or the price cap, if applicable.
“During the period of market suspension, the ERC said that the administrative price, or the price imposed by the market operator to the trading participants during market suspension or market intervention, will be applied.”
Meanwhile, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. will visit the southern province of Cebu after deadly flash floods triggered by Typhoon Kalmaegi, Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said.
She did not specify when the President will visit the province.
She added that initial data from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) show that 343 flood control projects were completed in Cebu between 2016 and 2022, with two of them terminated.
Another 168 projects were implemented between 2023 and 2025, including 55 still ongoing.
The province is suffering from the harsh impact of Kalmaegi, which entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility last Sunday.
The Philippines, a country located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, is battered by about 20 typhoons annually. — Edg Adrian A. Eva, Sheldeen Joy Talavera and Chloe Mari A. Hufana
