A COLLAPSED bridge and blocked mountain roads have left Barangay Lusaran and nearby upland communities in Cebu City struggling with delayed relief and limited access to basic utilities following the onslaught of typhoon Tino.
A response team led by Mayor Nestor Archival reached Lusaran on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, but the damaged bridge and multiple landslides made it difficult for heavy equipment and emergency vehicles to access the isolated communities.
“Naputol usab ang tulay sa Lusaran, maong lisod kaayo ang pag-agi sa mga heavy equipment ug emergency vehicles, nga nakapabug-at sa pagtabang sa mga residente,” Archival said.
“Lusaran, once a source of 20 million liters of water per day for our city, now faces severe damage. Power and water lines are down and it may take around 15 days before service is restored,” he added.
Clearing and stabilization
The Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) and the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) have deployed additional payloaders, backhoes, chainsaws and hauling trucks to clear debris and reopen blocked interior roads.
Landslide-prone slopes are also being stabilized to prevent further erosion.
Archival ordered the priority clearing of chokepoints leading to sitios still cut off from assistance, emphasizing that restoring safe access remains the City’s top priority before full-scale relief delivery begins.
Reopened mountain roads
The DEPW, in its Post-Typhoon Road Accessibility Map for Cebu City, reported that several key mountain routes are now passable, including most sections of the Transcentral Highway, the Paril–Cambinocot–Lusaran corridor and Sitio Burgos in Pulangbato.
These areas were among the most isolated after the storm triggered widespread soil collapse and flooding.
Despite these gains, some interior roads remain impassable. Major roadblocks were identified in upland areas, including Tabunan (near Manggaulgon), Adlaon (Sitio Latom), Bonbon (Sitio Marga) and Pung-ol Sibugay (Sitio Sig-ak).
The road section near Buot Bridge in Buot-Taup also remains impassable. A major road connecting Buot-Taup to the city proper has remained closed, while roads in Barangay Mabini and those leading to Buot-Taup are partially passable, allowing only motorcycles or light vehicles to get through.
The DEPW urged motorists to remain cautious, noting that slope instability and weakened embankments continue to pose risks.
Ongoing relief
Parallel to road-clearing efforts, the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) has deployed multiple teams to validate damages and distribute aid in the hardest-hit barangays.
In Barangay Bonbon, DSWS personnel completed family validation in Sitio Biasong, while another team was sent to Barangay Toong to assess housing damage and identify residents in need of immediate shelter and food assistance.
As of noon Friday, data from the CDRRMO showed that 9,193 families or 34,668 individuals in 80 barangays were affected by the typhoon.
The storm, which made landfall on Tuesday, Nov. 4, caused an estimated P1.2 billion in housing damage, affecting thousands of families across Cebu City. / EHP