More than a decade has passed since Typhoon Yolanda changed lives forever.
But for many families in Eastern Visayas… the fear never left.
As Typhoon Tino threatens the region, residents once again hurried to seek safety — not just in evacuation centers, but even in hotels, hoping for a secure place to spend the night.
In Tacloban City, panic quietly spread as hotels quickly filled up.
People lined up, bags in hand, searching for any room still available.
Elizabeth Melgazo was one of them.
“We’ve been searching since morning… all fully booked,” she recalled.
“Thankfully, we found one. But others? They weren’t as lucky.”
Those who traveled for urgent matters also struggled.
Like nursing board examinee Robina Silaban, who came all the way from Borongan City.
“We didn’t expect hotels to be fully booked. Even nearby cities are full,” she said, worried about her exam the next day.
At San Jose Central School, families arrived one after another — tired, anxious, and wet from the unending rain.
Lorna Cabatuan knows the danger all too well.
“We get flooded when rain doesn’t stop. Even without a typhoon… water still enters our home.”
Meanwhile, Guiuan, Eastern Samar was placed under red alert.
More than a hundred residents of Barangay Victory Island were moved out for safety.
Rey Gozon of OCD-Eastern Visayas stressed the focus of evacuations:
“We’re prioritizing those in storm surge, flood, and landslide-prone areas —
places that strong winds could easily hit.”
For people in Eastern Visayas, survival has become a familiar routine.
But each storm rekindles painful memories.
This time, they’re clinging to one hope —
that Typhoon Tino will pass, and they’ll all make it home safely.
