By CESAR JOLITO III

Typhoon “Tino” has left a trail of devastation across the Negros Island Region (NIR), cutting off communication lines and power supply in several areas and exposing critical weaknesses in the region’s disaster response network.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in NIR, led by Regional Director Donato Sermeno III, conducted on-site assessments in Central Negros to gauge the extent of the damage on Saturday, November 8.

“The situation was dire. Many families could not call for help because they had no signal, no power and no way to reach authorities,” the OCD reported.

With communication lines still down in several municipalities, the OCD-NIR has partnered with the Department of Information and Communications Technology to deploy temporary satellite internet connectivity.

This will serve as a critical bridge for disaster response, allowing local government units (LGUs) to send real-time updates and coordinate relief operations.

In the aftermath, large portions of Negros Occidental — the province hit hardest — were plunged into darkness.

Power, telecommunications and internet services were knocked out, crippling emergency operations centers and making coordination between LGUs extremely difficult.

In Pontevedra town, responders found fallen trees blocking roads, residents trapped in their homes, and communities still without electricity days after “Tino’s” onslaught on November 4.

Search and rescue units braved floodwaters in Don Salvador Benedicto’s Barangay Carmen, and Pontevedra to retrieve stranded residents.

What made the impact of Typhoon “Tino” particularly alarming was how it struck areas long considered safe from severe flooding.

Communities that had never before experienced high water found themselves submerged, while supposedly secure zones turned perilous overnight./CJ, WDJ