Numbers tell stories. And in the aftermath of typhoon Tino (international name Kalmaegi), they tell a story of accountability long overdue. The storm that made landfall on Nov. 4, 2025, has left a nation questioning and, for many, fuming.
P26.7 billion
SunStar Cebu reported on Nov. 6 that according to data from the Sumbong sa Pangulo website, at least 414 flood control projects worth P26.7 billion were implemented across Cebu between 2022 and 2025.
Cebu, ironically, ranks second among provinces with the highest number of flood control projects, even though it isn’t listed among the country’s top 10 flood-prone areas.
109 missing. 526 injured.
Still unaccounted for are 109 individuals — 57 from Cebu, 42 from Negros Occidental and 10 from Negros Oriental. 526 more have been injured, their wounds serving as physical reminders of a disaster that should have been less deadly.
P17.44 billion
That’s the estimated worth of 179 flood control projects built between 2016 and 2025 across four major rivers in a Nov. 5 report by SunStar Cebu. Billions meant to keep cities dry and people safe. Yet, when Tino struck, the waters rose anyway.
P1.2 billion
That’s the estimated housing damage as of Nov. 8. The destruction tells of infrastructure unprepared for the inevitable. Concrete collapsed. Roofs flew. Walls fell. And in every corner, people asked the same question: how much more must we lose before something changes?
9,193 families. 34,668 individuals.
As of Nov. 7, the Cebu City Government reported that nearly 9,200 families or 34,668 individuals were affected across 80 barangays. They’re people now living in evacuation centers, unsure when or if they can go home.
224 deaths
As of Nov. 9, 224 Filipinos are confirmed dead — 158 from Cebu, 27 from Negros Occidental, 20 from Negros Oriental, eight from Caraga, three from Capiz, two each from Leyte and Southern Leyte and one each from Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras and Bohol.
P3.785 million
That’s what the agricultural sector lost to Tino’s floods and winds in a Nov. 8 report by SunStar Cebu. Crops ruined, livestock drowned, livelihoods gone. It’s a smaller figure than the billions in flood projects, but it represents what so many rural families rely on to live.
0 arrests
Since President Marcos exposed the multibillion-peso flood control scandal, not a single arrest has been made. Zero. The same flood projects that were supposed to keep the Visayas dry are now under scrutiny for alleged corruption, overpricing and ghost implementation.
And yet, justice remains as elusive as dry ground after the storm. Tino has once again revealed that the Philippines lacks accountability. When billions are spent and thousands still drown, anger is necessary.