by 
The Philippines faced one of its most destructive storms in recent years. Typhoon Kalmaegi (locally known as Tino) hit the country with winds up to 180 km/h and heavy rain that caused floods and landslides. The disaster killed at least 114 people, and more than 120 remain missing.
Massive destruction
The Central Visayas region, especially Cebu province, suffered the worst damage. Entire villages vanished under water and debris. Floods swept away cars, destroyed hundreds of homes, and forced people to climb onto rooftops to survive. Power lines collapsed, cutting electricity for over two million residents, while clean water became scarce.
Rescue efforts and aid
The Philippine government declared a state of emergency and sent troops and volunteers to help. Flooded roads and broken bridges slowed rescue teams, yet they continued reaching trapped families. International groups like the Red Cross and the United Nations delivered food, water, and medicine to shelters.
Why it turned so deadly
Meteorologists explain that Kalmaegi strengthened quickly over the warm South China Sea and struck areas still recovering from an earlier earthquake. Weak infrastructure and poor flood control worsened the impact. Local anger grew after reports of corruption in public works, which left many cities unprotected. The storm’s multiple landfalls and intense rainfall made the tragedy even greater.
The road ahead
Rebuilding will take months, maybe years. Floods ruined thousands of hectares of rice and sugarcane fields, threatening food supply and income. The storm now heads toward Vietnam, where officials have already begun evacuations.
Global response
Many countries offered help, and social media spread the hashtag #PrayForPhilippines — a call for solidarity with those who lost their homes and loved ones.
