‘Still a painful memory’: 1 year after Typhoon Tino, victims call for accountability

CEBU CITY — Residents of several barangays in Compostela, Cebu commemorated the deadly Typhoon Tino that battered their homes last year, November 4. 

They offered flowers and held a mass in memory of those who lost their lives.

Resident Junel Maglangit from Mulao shared how he still reels in from the tragedy after losing his two children and a pregnant wife.

“The house was swept away. My pregnant wife was able to hold on but was also swept away. I held on to an electrical cable which made me survive. The current was just too strong. I thought I would just see in the movies,” said Maglangit in Cebuano.

He adds the pain still remains.

“I have no choice but to move on with my life since it happened,” he added.

Emily Maglangit, who also lost four children, can still remember that the water reached her neck.

“The water height was so sudden and we couldn’t believe that it was there already. It is still a painful memory,” she said in Cebuano.

Based on data from the Office of Civil Defense, Typhoon Tino claimed 37 lives in the town of Compostela alone.

For the entire Cebu, there were 150 deaths were recorded, while more than 400 were injured.

Progressive groups in Cebu are now calling for accountability, one year after the Typhoon.

“Survivors continue to struggle with rehabilitation and rebuilding their lives amid delayed assistance, massive corruption, and government inaction. Billions of pesos allocated for flood control projects in Cebu, including projects flagged as questionable, have yet to translate into accountability and true justice,” wrote Jaime Paglinawan, chair of Bayan Central Visayas.

They also criticized the government’s promise of P5,000 financial assistance for partially damaged homes and P10,000 for totally damaged homes.

An indignation rally is slated today in front of the office of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

“A year after the disaster, we refuse to bury these issues in the mud, and those responsible for systemic failures must be held accountable,” Paglinawan added.