THE homes have been repaired, and classes have resumed, but the fear of another devastating flood remains for families in Bacayan and Lusaran, Cebu City. Nearly a year after typhoon Tino struck Cebu on Nov. 4, 2025, residents continue to live with the trauma of a disaster that destroyed homes, displaced families and left them uncertain about their safety.
Whenever it rains in Barangay Bacayan, Nelly Bernales cannot sleep. She gathers her family’s belongings and prepares to evacuate. In Lusaran, Marycil Pagalan keeps plastic bags handy to protect whatever belongings her family can carry should they need to flee again.
“I can no longer sleep whenever it rains. I start preparing our things because we do not know what could happen,” Bernales said in Cebuano.
‘Let us save ourselves first’
Bernales moved to Cebu from Leyte more than 20 years ago. Her family had grown accustomed to occasional flooding, but nothing prepared them for the floodwaters that swept through their community on Nov. 4, 2025.
As the water rose, she returned once to retrieve their rice and other belongings but soon realized it was too dangerous.
“Let us save ourselves first. We can no longer save anything else,” she told her husband.
Their home and small store were inundated, leaving the family with almost nothing, not even slippers. They relied on private donors for food and clothing, spent about two months cleaning up and gradually rebuilt their lives through donations and borrowed money.
For their neighbor Jerry Arcillas, one of the most painful memories is hearing desperate cries for help.
His family fled to his father’s two-story house on higher ground. From there, he heard members of the Lindo family, trapped in their own two-story home, calling for rescue as the floodwaters reached the upper floors.
“They kept calling out for help, asking to be rescued, but I was afraid because I also had my own family to keep safe,” he said.
Several houses collapsed and disappeared in the flooding.
Today, Bernales’ children are back in school and the family has regained some stability. But the possibility of another flood continues to shape their daily lives.
Relocating would mean paying rent, adjusting to an unfamiliar community and finding the money to start over. For a family still recovering financially, leaving is no simple decision.
So they stay, ready to evacuate whenever heavy rain threatens. Bernales even knocks on neighbors’ doors to wake them when the rain becomes heavy, determined that no one will be caught unprepared.
“Where would they put us?”
In Barangay Lusaran, families living near the river face a similar predicament: They have rebuilt what they could but remain uncertain about where they can safely live. Residents interviewed for this story said they had yet to be offered a permanent relocation site.
Janneth Jocotmaya recalled how her family escaped the rising floodwaters by crossing a wooden ladder to reach a neighbor’s house, where they sought refuge on the roof.
They spent months at Lusaran Elementary School while their home was cleared of mud and debris. Although they received some construction materials, the family had to shoulder much of the cost of rebuilding.
Despite the danger of another flood, Jocotmaya said they could not simply abandon their home without knowing where they would go.
Pagalan also escaped the floodwaters by climbing to a roof. She said her family was still waiting for a relocation site. “Where would they put us?” she asked.
She appealed to barangay officials to provide transportation when residents are told to evacuate. “If you tell us to evacuate, please bring us a vehicle,” she said.
What recovery still needs
In Bacayan and Lusaran, the return of everyday routines has not erased the dangers residents fear. Homes have been repaired, children have returned to school and families have begun rebuilding their livelihoods. But questions about long-term safety remain unresolved.
Lusaran residents are asking for a permanent relocation site, a clear timeline for flood-control measures, reliable early warnings, evacuation transportation and a designated shelter where families can seek safety.
Addressing these concerns will require more than rebuilding damaged houses. It will require coordinated action among government agencies responsible for housing, flood control, disaster preparedness and emergency response.
For Bernales, Jocotmaya and Pagalan, surviving typhoon Tino was only the beginning of recovery. Nearly a year later, every heavy rainfall still brings the possibility of another evacuation, another loss and another painful beginning.
The floodwaters have long receded. The fear has not. / CAV, ABC
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