Cebu. — REUTERS/ELOISA LOPEZ
TYPHOON KALMAEGI, locally often called Tino, left at the very least 66 dead, 26 missing and over 1,000,000 individuals affected after its onslaught caused widespread flooding and large destruction across the Visayas, particularly in Cebu, in accordance with 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 as a result of 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 path to Butuan City for a humanitarian mission.
The provinces of Bohol, Capiz, and Leyte each reported one death, all attributable to fallen trees.
The Negros Island Region recorded seven deaths: two were as a result of fallen debris and drowning, while the causes of the remaining five are still under investigation.
Mr. Mariano also said a complete of 26 individuals were missing, with 13 in Cebu and one other 13 in La Castellana, Negros Occidental.
There have been also ten reported injuries attributable to fallen debris and floodwaters, while the causes of the others have yet to be determined.
The typhoon was last positioned 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 as much as 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 remaining of Palawan including Calamian and Cuyo Islands under Wind Signal No. 1.
“On the forecast track, Tino will proceed 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 subsequent 12 hours and will reach its peak intensity while over the West Philippine Sea.”
Typhoon Kalmaegi affected greater than 1.1 million individuals, or greater than 318,000 families, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said in its 12 p.m. situational report.
Many 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, in accordance with government estimates.
In a virtual press briefing on Wednesday, Energy Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella said that a complete of 1.4 million consumer connections were affected as a result of down facilities affected by the onslaught of the typhoon.
“There’s a bent for the calamities to compound. We’re still recovering from the previous typhoons and the earthquake, and now we have now this Typhoon Tino, and there’s one other coming this Sunday,” Mr. Fuentebella said.
“But nevertheless, it shouldn’t stop our agencies, our members from the energy family to be prepared and to have strategies to right away restore,” he added.
Eric Campoto, officer-in-charge for Disaster Risk Reduction Management Department on 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 attempting our greatest to revive all of the affected ECs throughout 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 folks that are affected, but this can be an enormous task. Still, we would like to guarantee you that we’re working hard. Even late at night, our teams are still on the job in order that we will 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 within the Visayas grid, the trading floor of electricity, as a result of “overgeneration.”
The suspension took effect on Nov. 4 at 8 a.m. and shall be lifted until approval of the ERC.
Through the period of market suspension, the usual fixed price is used for all electricity transactions, or the value cap, if applicable.
“Through the period of market suspension, the ERC said that the executive price, or the value imposed by the market operator to the trading participants during market suspension or market intervention, shall 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 didn’t 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 accomplished in Cebu between 2016 and 2022, with two of them terminated.
One other 168 projects were implemented between 2023 and 2025, including 55 still ongoing.
The province is affected by the tough impact of Kalmaegi, which entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility last Sunday.
The Philippines, a rustic positioned within the Pacific Ring of Fire, is battered by about 20 typhoons annually. — Edg Adrian A. Eva, Sheldeen Joy Talavera and Chloe Mari A. Hufana