BBM declares nat’l state of calamity

With the death toll from Typhoon Tino hitting 142 and Cebu and parts of Negros struggling to recover, President Marcos yesterday declared a state of national calamity.

- By BELLA CARIASO

“Because of the scope of problem areas that have been hit by Tino and will be hit by Uwan, there was a proposal from the NDRRMC, which I approved, that we will declare a national calamity,” Marcos said yesterday in a chance interview following the situation briefing at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

Marcos noted that 10 to 12 regions were affected by Tino and the declaration of a national calamity would allow the government to immediately provide assistance to the victims of the typhoons.

“That gives us quicker access to some of the emergency funds...(and) second, our procurement will be accelerated so we don’t have to go through the usual bureaucratic procedures,” he said.

The President was briefed on the initial response to Tino.

“It hit Cebu really hard — actually, Regions 6, 7, 8, Mimaropa, reaching the Negros Island Region. Tino crossed and its damage was heavy," Marcos said.

Typhoon Tino (international name Kalmaegi) has killed at least 142 people and left another 127 missing after unleashing devastating flooding across the central Philippines, figures showed on Thursday, as the storm headed towards Vietnam.

The typhoon is so far the world's deadliest in 2025, according to disaster database EM-DAT. Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name Trami), also in the Philippines, was last year's thirddeadliest typhoon with 191 fatalities.

Floodwaters described as unprecedented rushed through Cebu province's towns and cities this week, sweeping away cars, riverside shanties and even massive shipping containers.

The national civil defense office on Thursday confirmed 114 deaths, though that tally did not include an additional 28 recorded by Cebu provincial authorities. More than 500,000 people remain displaced.