https://share.google/9ibZADyKXh6HxTDl9
Just when we thought life in Cebu would finally be calm again, Bagyong Tino came. It was a strong typhoon under Signal No. 4 that hit many areas in Cebu. People who were still trying to recover from the strong earthquake thought they could start again, but now, they have to face another challenge. Life can really be unpredictable, but Cebuanos continue to stay strong and hopeful through it all.
Hello everyone, it's me again @lorene08 back again with another blog. In today’s blog, I’ll be sharing another devastating calamity that we have faced once again. People were scared because, as they said, it was a strong typhoon. Many were afraid that it might be like Bagyong Odette or even Bagyong Yolanda, which both caused heavy damage in the past. Even though people were still scared to go back inside their houses because of the aftershocks from the recent earthquake, we had no choice but to return to our humble homes and hope for safety.
November 3,2025
As of the news update before November 3, the typhoon was expected to land in the Philippines (including some areas in Cebu) by November 4, 2025. But it arrived earlier than what was announced. Early in the morning of November 3, the sky turned gray, and the rain started to pour heavily. That day, my grandmother told me to keep the camping tent we placed outside the house and to fix or put away the things we used while sleeping outdoors.
By the afternoon, almost evening, the strong winds began. To be honest, I’m not really scared of heavy rain, but strong winds truly frighten me—especially because they remind me of the super typhoon Yolanda way back in 2013.
Before that day came, many people were advised to evacuate to safer places and to stay away from tall trees since the winds were expected to be very strong. So my family decided to cut some parts of the mango tree near our house—not the whole tree, but the big branches close to our small cottage.
That night, around 9 pm, the wind became so strong. The rain wasn’t that heavy anymore, maybe because it was being blown away by the strong winds. By around 10 pm, the electricity went out, and the whole place was in total darkness. I couldn’t sleep well that night. I was scared again, and my mind was full of negative thoughts. The thought that there was a strong typhoon outside, we were inside our house with no electricity—it was so dark, and we didn’t know if another aftershock might happen. Around 2 am, I woke up crying because I couldn’t sleep. I could hear the trapal (waterproof sheet cover) outside flapping loudly in the wind, the roof in our kitchen making noise as it shook, and other loud sounds from things falling behind our house. It was a night full of fear and worry that I’ll never forget.
But we thanked God that nothing bad happened to us that night. By morning, November 4, 2025, I woke up late because I didn’t get much sleep the night before. I probably only fell asleep around 3 or 4 a.m.
When I woke up, the wind was no longer strong, but there was still a light rain. When I went outside, the whole front yard was covered with tree branches, leaves, and a lot of plastic bottles that had been blown around by the strong wind. After eating breakfast, I was also told to help clean, especially in the backyard—it was super messy.
As usual, we had no electricity for about two to three days, and we also didn’t have water—specifically the kind we use for washing, not the drinkable one hehe. Good thing our powerbanks were fully charged, though we really had to use them wisely, only charging our phones when the battery was completely drained. During the night, I helped my grandmother and papa collect water so we could use it for washing dishes, taking a bath, and other household chores. Boredom really hit me during those days, especially since there was no internet.
Thankfully, a few days after the typhoon, our neighbor bought a generator, so we were finally able to charge our phones and powerbanks. But not long after—on the second day after they bought it—the electricity came back! HAHAHAHA! I was so happy that time.
By November 6, 2025, the sun finally appeared. It suddenly became extremely hot because there was literally no wind at all. Thankfully, the electricity also came back that day. It was scorching—so hot that it felt like you could get a heat stroke. The heat that day honestly reminded me of the time when Typhoon Yolanda happened
Though the electricity was already restored, not all places had power yet, and some areas still didn’t have a strong signal. On the same day the electricity came back, my cousin and I decided to go to our town just to connect to a piso WiFi—HAHAHA! We traveled a not-so-far distance just to get some internet, lol. I really missed the social media world that time! That night, Papa and I went back to the town again since there was still no internet at home. Maybe around one to two days after that, the signal at our house finally started to get stronger.
Before ending my blog, here’s a little
reflection of my life after all of these challenges I/we faced as of now.
After everything that happened, I realized how important it is to stay strong no matter what. The storm may have taken our sleep, our peace, our things, and even our homes, but it never took away our hope. We still helped each other, smiled, and tried to make things better even in small ways.
This experience taught me to be more thankful for the simple things, and most importantly, to be thankful that our loved ones are safe. It also reminded me that no matter how hard life gets, there will always be a new day waiting for us.
Always remember, we may face these kinds of things, but we must not lose hope. God is here—He will guide us, protect us, and help us rise again no matter how many storms come our way.
Cebuanos may go through a lot, but we always find a way to stand up again—strong, hopeful, and grateful.
Thank you for reading my blog. Keep safe❤️🩹