Cebu Needs P11.17 Billion to Complete Typhoon Tino Recovery

Cebu requires at least P11.174 billion to rehabilitate communities and infrastructure damaged by Typhoon Tino, a year after the storm killed 143 people and left several priority bridge projects still awaiting construction.

The Cebu Provincial Government reported spending nearly P300 million on recovery initiatives in 2026, including infrastructure allocations and housing assistance for affected families. However, several major projects remain in the procurement stage, while the full extent of funding commitments from national agencies and local government units remains unclear.

At a briefing on Wednesday, Nov. 4, provincial government representative Aldwin Empaces said the P11.174-billion requirement was based on the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment, a joint evaluation led by the Office of Civil Defense 7 with the participation of national government agencies and LGUs.

The assessment covers rehabilitation needs for housing, schools, health centers and other essential services. Empaces clarified that the figure represents the overall recovery requirements of affected communities, not the amount that the provincial government alone must shoulder.

“Joint gyud ni siya,” Empaces said. (It was a joint undertaking.)

Officials did not provide a breakdown of how much funding national agencies and LGUs had committed or how much of the identified recovery requirement remained unfunded.

Bridge projects face procurement delays

Infrastructure projects in Compostela and Balamban account for P206.6 million of the Capitol’s reported recovery allocations.

In Compostela, P104.6 million has been allocated to upgrade five spillways into flat-slab bridges, while another P59.9 million is intended for the Gimbal-Dapdap Road project.

In Balamban, the Dakit and Luca bridge projects have a combined allocation of P42.1 million.

However, procurement for some of the seven priority bridge projects intended to restore access to upland communities remains incomplete.

An Oct. 9 report by SunStar Cebu found that only two of the five planned bridge projects in Compostela had undergone bidding, while the remaining three were scheduled for procurement within the month.

During Wednesday’s briefing, Empaces said the contract for the Dakit Bridge retrofitting project in Balamban had already been awarded.

The Luca Bridge project, however, remains without an awarded contract after its initial bidding failed. A second bidding is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 10.

Provincial Engineering Office head Hector Jamora previously attributed the delays to technical reassessments, redesign requirements and the reassignment of engineering personnel to emergency response operations following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake on Sept. 30, 2025.

He also cited the need to update bridge designs to meet revised parameters set by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

In Barangay Mulao, Compostela, the provincial government is also opening a 300-meter road section under a P15-million project that includes slope protection measures.

Jamora said the road opening could be completed by mid- to late November, with concreting expected to begin in January 2027. The road alignment was modified to improve its resistance to heavy rainfall.

Billions needed for infrastructure and housing

The provincial situation dashboard lists P2.3 billion in rehabilitation requirements for roads, P1.9 billion for bridges and footbridges, P1 billion for schools, P737 million for slope protection and P137 million for barangay health centers.

Empaces said recovery projects would incorporate climate-resilient designs to ensure that rebuilt infrastructure would be better equipped to withstand future disasters.

The proposed 2027 provincial budget also includes investments in infrastructure, health, agriculture and other sectors, although officials did not identify the specific amount dedicated to Tino-related rehabilitation.

For housing recovery, the Capitol reported providing P142.25 million in assistance to 14,238 families whose homes were damaged by the typhoon. Each qualified household was entitled to receive P10,000.

Balamban recorded the highest number of beneficiaries at 4,363, followed by Talisay City with 4,207 and Mandaue City with 1,133.

The provincial disaster management dashboard also listed P100 million released to the Province for road repair and rehabilitation in Tabogon.

Health and disaster preparedness

Beyond infrastructure reconstruction, provincial officials are pursuing measures to reduce the impact of future disasters.

Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief Dennis Pastor said the Province was developing flood mitigation strategies that combine engineered structures with nature-based solutions.

The approach aims to slow water runoff upstream, retain water in midstream areas and improve drainage downstream.

Pastor said the provincial government was coordinating with academic institutions and other experts to develop strategies addressing flooding, drought and landslides.

The disaster office has also conducted five batches of climate and disaster risk assessment training for municipal disaster officers and planning personnel.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Health Office reported that flooding during Tino damaged equipment at the Cebu Provincial Hospital in Danao City, requiring replacements and support from other provincial hospitals.

Provincial health officer II Sheila Faci said the typhoon was followed by 528 reported leptospirosis cases, consisting of 504 probable and 24 confirmed infections.

The Province distributed 566,874 doses of doxycycline to local government units as part of its response to the outbreak.

Faciol said preparations for future emergencies across the Province’s 16 hospitals include strengthening medicine supplies, staffing and equipment.

Despite the recovery spending and ongoing rehabilitation initiatives, Cebu continues to face the challenge of completing major infrastructure projects and securing the funding needed to address the P11.174-billion post-Tino recovery requirement.