BACOLOD CITY — The estimated cost of damage caused by Typhoon Tino to infrastructure and agriculture in Negros Occidental has escalated sharply, officially nearing the P2 billion mark as provincial authorities finalize post-disaster assessments. The super typhoon, which made landfall in the Visayas region in November 2025, unleashed torrential rainfall and destructive winds that devastated major road networks, public buildings, and the province’s crucial sugar industry.
The provincial government’s latest reports indicate that total losses have surged to P1.98 billion from earlier, more conservative initial figures. The devastation has been concentrated across the province’s two main sectors:
Infrastructure and Transport Catastrophe
Damage to public infrastructure accounts for the largest share of the destruction, totaling approximately P1.39 billion. This figure primarily covers widespread damage to roads and bridges, critical transport links essential for commerce and aid delivery that were either destroyed or rendered impassable. Furthermore, education facilities sustained significant damage estimated at P172.84 million, impacting numerous schools and disrupting the start of the academic year. The destruction was so severe that over 48,000 houses in the province were damaged, with nearly 7,000 homes considered totally destroyed by the flash floods and strong winds, leading to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Negrenses.
Severe Blow to Agriculture and Sugar Industry
Negros Occidental’s economy, heavily reliant on its produce, took a staggering hit. Initial losses to crops and livestock reached an estimated P294.91 million, a figure that grew rapidly as the extent of the damage became clear. The fishery industry also reported significant losses nearing P125.67 million.
Compounding the agricultural toll, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) reported separately that the broader Visayas sugar industry, centered heavily in Negros, sustained estimated losses of over P1.2 billion across 53,000 hectares of farms. This single-industry loss, which affected more than 16,000 farmers, is one of the most devastating the sector has seen in two decades, with harvest-ready sugarcane fields flattened or submerged in floodwaters. The SRA anticipates a conservative drop of at least 500,000 bags of raw sugar in production, a critical setback for the country’s top sugar-producing region.
In response to the mounting casualties, which tragically climbed to 67 in the province, and the extensive economic destruction, the local government units declared a state of calamity to expedite the release of emergency resources and focus efforts on mass recovery and rebuilding across the hardest-hit central and southern towns.
With additional report: philstar.com
