BACOLOD City — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived in Negros Occidental on Saturday, November 15, to visit families affected by Typhoon “Tino” and inspect some of the areas severely damaged by the calamity.
The President first visited the Jose Pepito Montilla Garcia Sr. National High School (JPMGS NHS) in Barangay 1, Moises Padilla, where floodwaters had submerged most classrooms at the height of the typhoon.
Moises Padilla Public Schools District Supervisor Gideon Panganiban and JPMGS NHS Principal Mary Grace Ynion turned emotional as they recounted their experiences during and after the typhoon, including the extent of damage to their school.
“Para sa amin dito sa DepEd Moises Padilla, napakasuwerte namin. Sa akin, bihira lang ‘yung Presidente ng bansa na makapunta sa lugar na ganito,” Panganiban said.
“I never imagined na makikita ko po si PBBM sa ganitong sitwasyon. Blessed po kami kasi makikita po namin siya,” Ynion added.
JPMGS NHS has 1,257 enrolled students this school year. With classrooms rendered unusable, students and teachers have shifted to alternative delivery modes to ensure the continuity of learning, according to a press statement posted on the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) social media page.
From the school, the President proceeded to Barangay Poblacion to visit affected residents and assess the damaged houses.
He later visited evacuees at La Castellana Elementary School (LCES) in La Castellana town to check on their condition. According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), 307 families—comprising 1,117 individuals—are currently taking shelter at the LCES evacuation site, the PCO said.
The President also inspected the heavily damaged Bungahin Steel Bridge in Barangay Robles, La Castellana. The bridge collapsed during Typhoon “Tino,” cutting off access between the upland barangays and the town proper.
Following the inspection tour, President Marcos convened a situation briefing at the La Castellana Municipal Hall with officials from the Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), DSWD, and local government officials.
Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona told the media that based on partial assessments, more than 53,000 hectares of sugarcane were damaged, affecting nearly 17,000 farmers. The industry also suffered a minimum loss of 500,000 bags of raw sugar and about 9,000 tons of molasses—amounting to an estimated P1.265 billion—excluding damage to farm properties, equipment, and sugar mills.
To date, President Marcos has allocated P95 million in assistance for the recovery of Negros Occidental towns hardest hit by Typhoon “Tino.” Of this amount, P50 million is allotted for the province, P10 million each for La Carlota City and the municipalities of La Castellana and Moises Padilla, and P5 million each for Binalbagan, Isabela, and Hinigaran./PN
