44 typhoon victims remain missing

Local

AUTHORITIES continue to struggle in accounting for dozens of residents still unlocated after Typhoon Tino, with the number of missing individuals holding at 44 as of Tuesday, Nov. 18.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said the figure has remained unchanged because teams on the ground are having a hard time finding any new leads in heavily affected areas.

PDRRMO chief Dennis Pastor said search teams have scoured coastal zones, riverbanks, and landslide sites in several municipalities but have yet to recover additional victims.

Despite multiple sweeps and the use of specialized units, crews have been unable to detect further signs of those reported missing.

Pastor explained that field personnel have exhausted available methods, including the deployment of K9 units, which are no longer picking up any scent or indication of survivors or remains.

He said responders believe the missing individuals may already be buried beneath the sea, trapped under mudflows, or covered by thick debris in river systems—circumstances that make recovery increasingly unlikely.

He noted that the province has augmented LGUs with personnel and equipment since the early days of the response, but the search areas have yielded no new findings in recent operations.

“Kani siya sa search and retrieval kuan gyud nana gyud na siya sa [local government unit] moexecute ana kita kita moaugment lang ta sa effort to locate,” he said.

He added that local teams have continued scouring riverbanks, coastal sections, and inland routes hit by flash floods and landslides during Tino’s passage.

Pastor said that if the missing individuals remain unlocated despite sustained efforts, the concerned LGUs can move to declare the termination of search and retrieval operations.

Once an LGU chooses to end its operations, the individuals who have not been found may then be certified as missing and presumed dead as a consequence of the disaster.

He emphasized that such steps follow a formal procedure known as the “management of the dead and missing,” a protocol that guides authorities in documenting casualties, issuing official certifications, and coordinating with the families of victims.

The PDRRMO continues to monitor the situation while preparing updated reports for the provincial government and national disaster agencies.

Pastor said coordination lines with municipal and city disaster offices remain active as final decisions on the search status are expected in the coming days.

The Office of the Civil Defense reported on Monday, Nov. 17, that total fatalities nationwide have reached 269.

Cebu recorded the highest number of deaths at 150, reflecting the scale of flooding, landslides, and storm-related incidents across the province.

Negros Occidental followed with 77 fatalities, while 23 deaths were recorded in Negros Oriental. Agusan del Sur reported six fatalities, Capiz three, and Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras, and Bohol each recorded one.

Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Dinagat Island logged two fatalities apiece.

In addition to Cebu’s 44 missing persons, the OCD said 57 individuals remains missing in the province based on its latest national tally, along with 50 in Negros Occidental and six in Negros Oriental.

These figures, the agency noted, are still subject to verification as local governments consolidate their reports and align them with ongoing retrieval operations.(MyTVCebu)