Local governments across the Caraga region have gone on high alert as Typhoon Tino-which weather authorities warned could intensify into a super typhoon-moves closer to the country and is expected to affect parts of the Visayas and Northern Mindanao by Monday.
Surigao del Norte Gov. Robert Lyndon Barbers told the Inquirer in a text message that the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) would convene on Sunday afternoon to prepare contingency plans in response to any eventualities should Tino land in their province.
‘We are still on blue alert status, meaning we are on heightened monitoring,’ Barbers said.
In General Luna, Surigao del Norte, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) convened an emergency meeting on Saturday, Nov. 1, to finalize contingency plans and activate the Incident Command System (ICS).
The meeting, presided over by Vice Mayor Romina Rusillon Sajulga instead of Mayor Johnson Sajulga, also aimed to coordinate with barangays, civil society groups, and government agencies to ensure community preparedness and safety for residents, workers, and tourists.
The Philippine Coast Guard Station Surigao del Norte (PCG-SDN) has temporarily suspended all sea travel in the province and surrounding island routes, including to Siargao Island, due to deteriorating sea and weather conditions caused by Typhoon Tino.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has likewise placed all its field offices on full alert, with 558,098 family food packs (FFPs) prepositioned in warehouses nationwide-including 81,989 packs in the Caraga Region-under the ‘Buong Bansa Handa (BBH)’ program.
Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD Disaster Response Management Group said the agency had strengthened its dual supply chain system to speed up relief distribution in coordination with private distributors.
Following the October 31 flash floods in Nasipit, Agusan del Norte, that displaced 97 families in Sitio Sumagayad, Barangay Culit, DSWD-Caraga personnel immediately distributed family food packs and sleeping kits to evacuees taking shelter at the barangay evacuation center.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) Caraga issued a travel advisory urging tourists to avoid island-hopping and water activities beginning Monday as Tino is projected to make landfall by Tuesday, November 4. Tourists were advised to stay updated through the official DOT and channels of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, and contact the agency’s regional hotlines for assistance.
Both the Disaster Response Management Bureau (DRMB) and local disaster councils remain on heightened monitoring during the Undas 2025 observance. Authorities called on the public to stay alert, prepare essential supplies, follow government advisories, and remain calm as weather conditions are expected to worsen over the next 48 hours