A year after Tino: Survivors still cry for justice, accountability

CEBU, Philippines — Flowers and balloons were offered in memory of those who died when Typhoon Tino devastated Cebu, but for survivors who gathered at Cotcot Bridge in Liloan a year after the disaster, remembrance also meant renewing their calls for accountability and justice.

A day before the typhoon’s first anniversary, survivors and families of victims gathered for a commemoration rally organized by the United Tino Survivors Network for Justice and Reform.

The gathering opened with a Holy Mass presided over by Fr. Ciano Ubod, followed by tributes to victims swept away by raging floodwaters.

For some families, the occasion brought back painful memories of losing several loved ones within hours.

A year after the tragedy

Among those who returned was 40-year-old Junel Maglangit of Mulao, Compostela, who lost his pregnant wife and two sons, aged 11 and 15.

Maglangit recalled holding on to his wife as floodwaters swept through their community, but she was eventually struck by a piece of wood and carried away by the current.

"Ako nakagunit pa ko pero katong akong asawa nga buntis nakagunit pajud unta siya pero nadala man siya sa tubig kay naigo og kahoy jud ba," he said.

He said he never expected to survive the disaster, describing the experience as something he thought could only happen in a movie.

"Wako ga-expect nga maka-survive ko atong higayona. Abi nakog salida ra mahimo ba. Kay nakakalas jud og kinabuhi. Akong duha ka anak, asawa, mga pag-umangkon," Maglangit said.

His wife's remains were later found in a neighboring barangay in Cabadiangan.

A year after losing his family, Maglangit said the pain remained, although he was trying to move forward.

"Usa ka tuig na ang nilabay, sakit gihapon kaayo, pero pugos na lang jud og bangon para sa kaugalingon kay nahitabo naman," he said.

Another survivor, 46-year-old Emily Maglangit, also from Mulao, lost several family members, including her mother, a sibling, two nephews and four children. One of her children remains missing.

She recalled how quickly floodwaters rose, leaving her family unable to comprehend what was happening as the current swept through their community.

"Sa kalit nga tubig, wa jud mi nagtuo ato nga diha diay sila kutob higayona. Wa na jud mi kahibaw og unsay nahitabo nila," she said.

Emily said private individuals provided much of the financial assistance her family received, which went toward funeral expenses.

She said the family had yet to fully recover, adding that even ordinary rainfall now triggers fear among residents.

"Di jud ingon nga naka-recover og maayo. Og ginagmay uwan, mahadlok na jud mi anang uwan. Og walay uwan sa amoa, ang tubig kay mokalit og baha gikan sa babaw," she said.

She also urged authorities to ensure assistance reaches families directly affected by the disaster.

"Og naa man gani itabang, i-direct sa hitaboan. Kung kinsa tong tagtungod, i-direct nila," she said.

Survivors seek accountability

John Ruiz, spokesperson of BAYAN and the United Tino Survivors Network for Justice and Reform, said the commemoration was also intended to press authorities to address the circumstances surrounding the disaster.

He said the group was seeking justice for the lives lost, properties destroyed and livelihoods disrupted by massive flooding in Cebu and other affected areas.

"Normal para nato nga dunay bagyo, dunay baha, pero abnormal kayo nga daghang mga proyekto nga naa unta sa Sugbo nga wala makahatag og igong proteksyon sa katawhan," Ruiz said.

Ruiz questioned why survivors had yet to see sufficient investigations into flood-control projects and possible environmental factors that contributed to the flooding, a year after the disaster.

He also raised concerns over the lack of publicly reported accountability measures involving those responsible for infrastructure projects and watershed protection.

While typhoons and flooding are natural hazards, he said, proper disaster preparedness and implementation of mitigation projects should protect communities from severe consequences.

"Ang bagyo, tinuod, gani giingon nga ang Pilipinas dunay 20 average nga bagyo. Dapat ang atong gobyerno andam na sa pag-atubang niini," he said.

Ruiz also questioned how billions of pesos allocated for flood protection were spent, particularly after communities were inundated despite the presence of flood-control structures.

He criticized the distribution of government assistance, saying some survivors who attended the commemoration had yet to receive aid because their names were excluded from beneficiary lists.

"Una-una, sa ayuda lang mismo, nganong karon, sa nanambong karon, daghan gihapon ang nagmulo nga wa silay nadawat nga ayuda, tungod lang kay wa sila maapil sa lista, og kinsa man kaha ang naghimo sa lista," he said.

The group also called for reforms in national and local budgeting to ensure public funds are directed toward projects and services that address the needs of disaster-prone communities.

Ruiz said survivors wanted a unified platform to collectively demand accountability and push for changes in government policies and disaster response.

The Cotcot River, which runs through Liloan and Compostela, overflowed during Typhoon Tino, inundating nearby communities and contributing to the destruction of homes and loss of lives.

The waterway became a focal point of public scrutiny because flood-control structures had been built along portions of the river before the typhoon struck.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) earlier reported that a P149.5-million revetment-type flood mitigation project along the Cotcot River in Liloan was completed on March 10, 2025, months before the disaster.

The project was undertaken by a joint venture involving Alpha and Omega General Contractor and Development Corp. and MC Geometric Proportions Inc., according to the DPWH's September 2025 announcement.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) subsequently inspected eight flood-control projects in Cebu on November 16, 2025, including structures along the Cotcot River in Liloan and Compostela.

The inspection sought to determine whether the projects complied with their required specifications. Engineers from the DPWH Central Office, Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police remained in Cebu for further verification, the ICI said.

Then Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said in December 2025 that the government would pursue criminal and administrative cases against officials and contractors responsible for substandard flood-control projects and failures to implement priority mitigation measures.

Dizon also cited the failure to implement key components of the 2017 Cebu Flood Control Master Plan, including upstream interventions, watershed protection and impounding reservoirs.

These developments haave reinforced survivors' calls for a transparent accounting of public funds and the identification of those responsible for any irregularities or failures in infrastructure implementation.

Aid and recovery concerns

Questions over relief distribution have also persisted beyond the disaster's first anniversary.

In its 2025 annual audit report, the Commission on Audit (COA) questioned the documentation supporting P30.714 million in cash assistance distributed by the Liloan municipal government to households whose homes were damaged by Typhoon Tino.

Auditors said the available records lacked sufficient validation to establish whether all listed beneficiaries were eligible.

The municipal government attributed the documentation gaps to the urgency of disaster response and said it had prepared the missing validation documents for submission.

COA, however, stressed that emergency conditions did not exempt the government from maintaining complete supporting records.

For survivors like the Maglangit family, the struggle to rebuild continues amid the loss of loved ones, lingering fears of flooding and uncertainty over available assistance.

As they marked the first year since the tragedy, survivors said remembering the dead should go hand in hand with ensuring that those who remain are not left behind.

For them, the flowers and balloons offered at Cotcot Bridge were not only symbols of remembrance but also reminders of unanswered questions and the accountability they continue to seek. (CEBU NEWS)