By Marjuice Destinado

CEBU – Typhoon Tino may have submerged Cebu in floodwater, but youth leaders say what truly drowned the province was a long, unbroken tide of corruption and profit-driven development that left Cebuanos defenseless.

This was the central message of Kabataan Kontra Korapsyon (KKK) during an online press conference on Saturday, November 15, 2025 where they condemned the systemic failures exposed by Typhoon Tino’s devastation.

“What drowned Cebu was not just rain, it was the flood of corruption, of negligence, of a government that has long abandoned its duty to the people,” said KKK Convenor Maui Cruz.

Representing Alibyo Cebu–Ayuda Network — a coalition of workers, urban poor communities, farmers, students, teachers, and health workers providing mutual aid during disasters — community kitchen head Liza Faye Pingco shared the conditions facing flood survivors in Cebu. 

Pingco said families were struggling with a lack of food and clean water, inconsistent clearing operations, and evacuation centers that were dirty, lacked proper sanitation, and were overcrowded beyond capacity.

“There was no certainty of food, and no assurance that their basic needs would be met,” Pingco said, noting that NGOs and private agencies had been providing more reliable assistance than government agencies.

Pingco added that many evacuees were even forced to leave evacuation centers once classes resumed, even though they had no homes to return to and no cash assistance to rebuild.

She also cited what happened in Bacayan, Cebu City, where residents rushed to put up makeshift shelters just two or three days after the typhoon because they feared losing their space. Police later demolished these makeshift shelters, leaving families with no alternatives and no way to secure their place again.

According to Pingco, government relief goods were inconsistent in quality, and survivors received no clear guidance on what to do next or where they could settle. 

Environmental neglect 

Ernestina Butawan, education coordinator of Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines (YACAP) Visayas, stressed that Typhoon Tino revealed how corruption and poorly planned development can worsen the effects of disasters. 

She specifically criticized Slater Young and his Monterrazas de Cebu project, a hillside residential development in Barangay Guadalupe. She said the flooding was worsened not only by faulty flood-control systems but also by construction that altered the natural terrain and prioritized profit over people.

Following Typhoon Tino, Young faced renewed public criticism over Monterrazas, with many residents and critics blaming the project for aggravating the floods. 

Locals reported that flooding in Guadalupe has been a recurring problem since construction began. Experts warned that without proper flood mitigation, the development could seriously endanger low-lying neighboring communities, putting already vulnerable residents at greater risk.

“In the name of investment, the government sells off our environment. In the name of progress, it sells off our people,” Cruz said. “And when disaster strikes, they turn a blind eye to the suffering.”

Call for academic leniency

Representing the student sector, UP Cebu Student Council Chairperson Jorosh Diamola highlighted the compounded struggles of students after Typhoon Tino. Many waded through floodwaters, lost their homes, or experienced displacement, leaving them with mental and emotional distress and little time to recover. 

Their main demand, he said, is clear: “Implement a no-fail policy and academic leniency. No one should have to choose between their well-being, recovering from disaster, and meeting academic requirements.”

The press conference also addressed the silencing of student voices. Student advocates confirmed reports that students from Southwestern University had been threatened with suspension and failing grades after organizing a rally to call attention to their struggles following Typhoon Tino. 

Throughout the session, youth groups made it clear that their concerns go beyond temporary relief. They called for government accountability, transparency, and people-centered recovery, insisting that officials address systemic failures that have left communities vulnerable. (RTS, RVO)