OUT of the 14 fatalities initially reported in Mandaue City, 12 were residents of Cebu City, one was from Barangay Tingub, while two remain unidentified.
“This has been confirmed by the PNP (Philippine National Police) and MCDRRMO (Mandaue City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office),” said Mandaue City Administrator Gonzalo “Sally” Malig-on in an interview Friday, November 7, 2025.
“We were relieved when we received the updated data last night, November 6, because it means that our preemptive evacuations truly helped save lives,” he added.
Malig-on explained that the initial report was based on the bodies recovered during the aftermath of Typhoon Tino, and at that time, authorities had yet to verify the victims’ identities.
“At first, we thought all of them were from Mandaue City because of where they were found. But after the identification process, it became clear that 12 of those victims were from Cebu City,” he said.
He said the continuous rainfall on Tuesday, caused by Typhoon Tino, led to the overflow of the Butuanon River, which traverses nine barangays in Mandaue City from Cabancalan down to the coastal areas.
“The upstream portion of the Butuanon River is located in Cebu City, while the downstream or receiving water area is in Mandaue. That’s why when the flooding started, the impact extended to both cities,” he said.
Malig-on emphasized that the preemptive evacuation order issued by Mayor Thadeo “Jonkie” Ouano on November 3, a day before the typhoon struck Cebu, played a crucial role in minimizing casualties in Mandaue.
“Because of the mayor’s Executive Order No. 2025-057, which called for the early evacuation of residents in flood-prone and high-risk areas, we were able to save many lives,” he said.
Despite the City’s preparedness, Malig-on acknowledged that the tragedy still took a toll on families who lost their loved ones.
The Mandaue City Government has committed to provide P50,000 in financial assistance to the families of Mandaue residents who died due to Typhoon Tino.
“Our city is grieving with the families who have lost their loved ones,” he said.
“We assure them that the local government will continue to help them recover and rebuild,” he added. (ABC)