Geline Salac

Tino wipes out riverside communities in Talisay City

Article (news)

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Dennis Datu

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17624742971591762474307074.jpeg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>Two impoverished riverside communities — Purok Isla Verde and Sitio Bahala in Talisay City — now stand as grim reminders of the devastation left behind by one of the most powerful calamities to ever strike the province of Cebu.</p><p>When Typhoon Tino unleashed its fury on Tuesday, both communities shared the same fate.</p><p>The Mananga River overflowed, swallowing the two communities in massive floods that wiped them almost completely off the map.</p><p>Purok Isla Verde, located in Barangay San Isidro, was once home to hundreds of families. Today, it is a wasteland of wreckage — where the remains of shattered homes tell silent stories of loss and survival.</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17624743649381762474375585.jpeg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Among those struggling  to rise again is Danilo Alo, who is rebuilding a small shanty on the very spot where his family’s home once stood.</div><p>Using scraps of wood he gathered from the debris — many pieces belonging to houses that once stood proudly in their neighborhood — Danilo works tirelessly to create a temporary shelter for his wife and three children.</p><p>It is far from the three-story house they once had, but for him, what matters most is to have a place where his family can stay, even temporarily.</p><p>“Naiiyak na lang. Kapag dinibdib pa namin magkasakit pa kami. Mahirap, wala pa kami ayuda dito  sa ngayon,&quot;  he said, his voice trembling.</p><p>Beneath a nearby bridge, Rommel Lubiano found the remains of his house that was swept away by the flood.</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17624744198201762474431916.jpeg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>“Masakit yung nararamdaman ko kasi  pinaghirapan ko &#x27;yan. Pagtingin ko sa aking bahay, iyak ako, kasi sa isang iglap nawala ang bahay ko,&quot; he said.</p><p>Despite the heartbreak, Rommel is still grateful as his family survived.</p><p>In Purok Isla Verde, a few homes still stand, but their owners are unsure if they can ever live in them again. Piles of debris and thick mud cover the area. With no machinery or help, residents are doing the cleanup themselves unsure how long it will take to clear the ruins.</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17624745821241762474594283.jpeg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>In Sitio Bahala, under Barangay Biasong, not a single house remains standing. The once lively community of more than 200 homes has been completely destroyed.</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17624745360601762474548050.jpeg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>A few residents return to scavenge whatever recyclable materials they can find — scraps they hope to sell to buy food and survive the tragedy.</p><p>A flood control structure was built along the Mananga River, but it failed to protect nearby residents from the sheer volume of water that tore through their communities.</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17624744985631762474510564.jpeg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>Now, residents are making urgent appeals for food, clean drinking water, and clothing, as they face the grim reality of rebuilding their lives from nothing.</p><p>There is still no information from the local government on whether residents will be allowed to rebuild their homes in Sitio Bahala and Purok Isla Verde, located along the Mananga River.</p>

<p>Two impoverished riverside communities — Purok Isla Verde and Sitio Bahala in Talisay City — now stand as grim reminders of the devastation left behind by one of the most powerful calamities to ever strike the province of Cebu.</p>

Two impoverished riverside communities — Purok Isla Verde and Sitio Bahala in Talisay City — now stand as grim reminders of the devastation left behind by one of the most powerful calamities to ever strike the province of Cebu.