Held by hope: Two stories of survival during Typhoon Tino
Held by hope: Two stories of survival during Typhoon Tino
Razell, 33, and their family friend Kyle, 14, live in Barangay Cabadiangan, Compostela, Cebu with their families. When Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) struck their community, they never imagined that the nearby watercourse would overflow so quickly, washing away homes in the community, destroying most of their belongings, and jeopardizing lives.
The 3rd of November, 2025 is a night they will remember for the rest of their lives. Razell and Kyle recall their experiences of that night, and how they struggled to save themselves and the people they care about. Through their stories, Razell and Kyle offer two perspectives on the same life-threatening event, capturing fear, resilience, and survival in the face of unimaginable danger.
Razell’s fight to keep her family alive
In photo: Razell shares her story with Action Against Hunger staff from the night Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) struck her community. Photo by Martina Vercoli for Action Against Hunger.
COMPOSTELA, CEBU – Razell, 33, lives in Barangay Cabadiangan with her two daughters. In the height of Typhoon Tino’s storm surge, her youngest daughter, Scarlett, was quickly swept away by the floodwaters while trying to reach a shelter located in an elevated area of their community. Razell managed to take refuge on a neighbor’s roof. From there, she watched in fear as Kyle, a 14-year-old family friend, bravely risked his own life to save her daughter.
Razell lives with her two daughters in their home in the municipality of Compostela, Cebu. The family usually manages on their own, as Razell’s husband works as a seafarer and spends most of the year away from home, sending money to support the family. Alongside caring for her household, Razell works remotely as a virtual assistant and earns additional income by baking cakes on commission. When Typhoon Tino struck, her husband was working outside Cebu and was not there when the disaster occurred.
In the early hours of the morning, Razell was alone with her daughters when their lives were suddenly put at risk by the tragedy that was about to happen.
The night Typhoon Tino struck
It was around 2 in the morning on the 4th of November 2025 when Typhoon Tino started tearing through their community, Razell recalls. She and her daughters were asleep when strong winds and heavy rain woke them suddenly. “My eldest daughter began crying and shaking in fear, calling out for her father,” Razell recalls. The family was unable to go back to sleep as the storm intensified.
When floodwater began seeping into their home, they tried to lift their belongings onto cabinets and drawers, hoping the water would not rise any higher. But the nearby river quickly overflowed, and the water continued to climb at an alarming pace.
Realizing the danger was becoming real, Razell decided to evacuate immediately. She took her daughters and rushed to the nearby house of her sister, Roxane, hoping it would be safer. They reached Roxane’s house before help arrived, but the floodwaters followed them faster than expected. Within two hours, the water surged even higher, swallowing the house and turning the surrounding area into a powerful, fast-moving current.
As conditions worsened, Kyle, a 14-year-old family friend who lived in a higher part of the community, arrived with Razell’s cousin to help evacuate those trapped in the house. Kyle immediately stepped in to help everyone get out. He first assisted Razell’s eldest daughter and Roxane, helping them move toward an uphill area where the water was less dangerous.
Scarlett, Razell’s younger daughter, was still inside Roxane’s house with her mother, waiting for her turn to be brought to safety. Seeing how dangerous the situation had become, Razell insisted that her cousin and Kyle focus entirely on getting Scarlett out first, even if it meant leaving her behind.
As Kyle and the cousin attempted to bring Scarlett to the safer area, a powerful surge of floodwater struck without warning. In a matter of seconds, they were violently separated. Razell was no longer with them when it happened. She later saw her cousin clinging to a coconut tree, fighting to save his own life, while Kyle and Scarlett were swept away by the rushing water and disappeared into the darkness.
“At that moment, I didn’t care about the house or my belongings, even though many pivotal things were in there,” Razell shares. “My life and my daughters’ lives were more important.”
In photo: Razell and her daughter Scarlett share their stories with Action Against Hunger staff from the night Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) struck their community. Photo by Martina Vercoli for Action Against Hunger.
By around 5 a.m., Razell managed to climb onto the roof of a neighboring house. From there, she witnessed people desperately clinging to coconut trees as floodwaters raged below. “At first, I thought it was strange,” she says. “I asked myself, are people going to get coconuts now? Then I realized they were clinging to survive. I was shocked.”
n photo: personal belongings soaked in mud next to Razell’s sister’s house in the aftermath of Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi). Photo by Martina Vercoli for Action Against Hunger.
In the darkness, she caught sight of Kyle and Scarlett again, struggling in the water. “When I opened my eyes, I saw Kyle and Scarlett, and they were sinking,” she recalls. Believing she was witnessing their final moments, Razell prayed relentlessly. “I thought they were dead. I thought they were gone.”
The wind continued to strengthen, bamboo trees were uprooted, and debris crashed into houses. Standing on the roof, Razell feared it might collapse beneath her. Between 6 and 9 a.m., the floodwaters slowly began to recede. The wind weakened, but the cold was unbearable. “I kept praying out loud even though I had no voice,” she says.
When she saw residents moving around with ropes to rescue survivors, hope returned. “I thought, someone made it alive,” Razell recalls. “I prayed that the survivor would be my daughter.”
When she finally learned that Scarlett had survived, she could hardly believe it. After being swept away, Scarlett had been lifted onto a pomelo tree by Kyle, where she stayed until help arrived. “In that moment, I felt the biggest joy a parent could ever feel,” Razell says. “It was truly a miracle.”
During the chaos of that night, Razell also saw her older brother, Rodel, as his house began to collapse. “I saw him fall into the floodwaters and disappear,” she remembers. Thankfully, he managed to climb onto a large tree and survive. After the ordeal, all family members were accounted for.
In photo: Action Against Hunger staff walks with Razell towards what now remains of her house destroyed by Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) Their old house in Compostela, Cebu, now a pile of debris covered in a blue tarp. Photo by Martina Vercoli for Action Against Hunger.
Life after the storm and the road to recovery
In the days following the disaster, the challenges continued for Razell and her family. From an emotional point of view, the trauma of the event was still present, according to Razell. Scarlett, her youngest daughter, did not speak for several days after what happened.
Their home had been completely washed away; they had no clean and dry clothes. According to Razell, the loss of undergarments, made it especially difficult for the women in the community to manage their menstrual needs: “Since we no longer had any underwear, we had to attach the disposable pads directly to the only dry pair of trousers we had left.” Nevertheless, despite the initial difficulties, she recalls volunteers distributing disposable pads days after Typhoon Tino struck.
“Immediately after the typhoon, we badly needed water and dry clothes. That was the priority for my family… My house was destroyed. Everything I had spent my money on [for income], like my baking tools and my laptop, was gone.”
To seek support, she decided then to go with her daughters to her husband’s family house in Compostela, and they were provided with dry clothes and safe water. “Immediately after the typhoon, we badly needed water and dry clothes. That was the priority for my family.”
“My house was destroyed. Everything I had spent my money on, like my baking tools and my laptop, was gone,” she said, expressing particular sadness over the loss of these belongings since before the typhoon, which were a means to gain income.
With financial help from friends and family, she managed to have her laptop repaired, a crucial tool for her work. “Today, one month after the typhoon, is my first day working again after what has happened.”
With the cash assistance received from Action Against Hunger, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), Razell was able to buy groceries, spices, fruits, meat, and replace lost essential items such as shoes, clothes, and underwear. “We were able to buy something nutritious and get a varied diet instead of instant noodles, which had started to irritate our mouths,” she says. She shared everything she bought with her entire family, even though for weeks, she admits: “We struggled with appetite loss due to the trauma of what we had endured.”
In photo: Razell walks into what remains of her house destroyed by Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) in Barangay Cabadiangan, Compostela, Cebu. Photo by Martina Vercoli for Action Against Hunger.
In photo: Razell and her daughter Scarlett beside their home comfort room destroyed by Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) in Barangay Cabadiangan, Compostela, Cebu. Photo by Martina Vercoli for Action Against Hunger.
With the support received from friends and organizations such as Action Against Hunger, Razell was able to recover from what she and her family had to endure that night.
“I am aware that without this support, my family’s recovery would have been slower and more difficult.”
In photo: Razell and her daughters share their stories with Action Against Hunger staff from the night Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) struck their community. Photo by Martina Vercoli for Action Against Hunger.
Looking ahead, Razell hopes to rebuild her home and return to a sense of normalcy. Currently, she and her daughter’s are staying with her sister, Roxanne. She plans to purchase materials to reconstruct their house and continue providing nutritious food for her daughters as they slowly heal from the devastation caused by Typhoon Tino.
A young life saves another: Kyle’s story of courage
In photo: Kyle in front of his house in Barangay Cabadiangan, Compostela, Cebu. Photo by Martina Vercoli for Action Against Hunger.
Kyle, a 14-year-old Grade 8 student, lives with his family of nine in the elevated part of Barangay Cabadiangan, Compostela, Cebu. His family has long shared a close bond with Razell’s family. On the night Typhoon Tino struck, Kyle was in a relatively safe area, away from the rising floodwaters. Even so, he made the conscious decision to go back down to help others, choosing to put their safety above his own.
Kyle’s household is composed of nine members, including six sisters and his parents. His father works in construction on an on-call basis to support the family, facing several challenges in providing a stable monthly income, while his mother takes care of the home. They live in a house situated in an elevated part of their community. Normally, his daily life as a 14-year-old grade 8 student is quite simple. He spends most of his time at school, where he serves as a class representative, and playing basketball with his friends, his favorite sport.
In photo: The uphill path to the Kyle family house in Barangay Cabadiangan, Compostela, Cebu. Photo by Martina Vercoli for Action Against Hunger.
When the floodwaters began to rise that night, Kyle’s first instinct was to check on his own family. They live in the uphill part of the barangay, and after making sure they were safe, Kyle headed back downhill. He wanted to check on their motorcycle, but when he reached it, he saw it was already floating in the floodwater.
Realizing how serious the situation had become, Kyle went straight to the nearby house of Roxane, Razell’s sister, where several family members had gathered. The water was rising fast. Without hesitation, Kyle began helping people evacuate. He assisted Roxane and Razell’s eldest daughter through the floodwaters and brought them to higher ground near his home.
After escorting them to safety, Kyle went back again. The water was already at neck level, and the ground was slippery and muddy. He saw Razell’s cousin struggling to move with Scarlett, Razell’s younger daughter.
In photo: Razell and Kyle share their stories with Action Against Hunger staff about the night Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) struck their community. The discussion takes place near Kyle’s uphill house, where he evacuated the people, he managed to save. Photo by Martina Vercoli for Action Against Hunger.
Conditions were extremely dangerous, but Kyle did not turn back.
While they were struggling to move uphill because of the slippery and muddy ground, a strong surge of water struck them and violently separated them from the rest of the group. Scarlett was quickly swept away by the strong current.
“He truly risked his own life. He never left Scarlett alone. I thought my daughter was already gone, but he saved her life.” – Razell
Kyle did not hesitate. He immediately swam after her and managed to reach her in the rushing water. For a moment, they climbed onto a damaged piggery structure, but it collapsed and was carried away, pulling them back under. “It was very hard to stay afloat because the water current was so strong,” Kyle recalls.
Still holding Scarlett tightly, Kyle reached a coconut tree and clung to it as the floodwaters continued to surge. In his mind, there was only one thought: “I will secure Scarlett’s life even if I will die.”
Kyle then lifted Scarlett onto a nearby pomelo tree to keep her safe. Afraid the branches would break if they both climbed at once, he stayed below at first, holding onto a floating tree trunk. Eventually, he found support and climbed up beside her. They remained there together as the water slowly began to subside. “I remember the water being very cold,” Kyle mentioned. “With our clothes soaked, we were freezing.”
In photo: Kyle points to the pomelo tree he climbed and lifted Scarlett onto to save her life when Typhoon Tino struck their community in Barangay Cabadiangan, Compostela, Cebu. Photo by Pive Flor Tabique for Action Against Hunger.
When the floodwaters finally receded, their families and neighbors searched for a rope and were able to rescue them.
Later, Razell described Kyle as a real-life hero. “I can’t imagine burying my own daughter,” she said. “He truly risked his own life. He never left Scarlett alone. I thought my daughter was already gone, but he saved her life.”
Challenges and recovery after Typhoon Tino
More than a month later, Kyle shares that he still experiences trauma from heavy rain and remains constantly afraid that the same terrifying night could happen again. At such a young age, it was the first time he had ever experienced anything like that, let alone saved lives.
Kyle returned to school two weeks after the typhoon. Among his classmates, he was the only one who experienced such extreme flooding, as most had pre-emptively evacuated. His family had not evacuated ahead of the typhoon, believing they were safe because their house was in an uphill area and expecting only strong winds.
In photo: Kyle in front of his house in Barangay Cabadiangan, Compostela, Cebu. Photo by Martina Vercoli for Action Against Hunger.
In the aftermath, volunteers distributed food to affected families, and neighbors shared what little they had. The solidarity within the community helped them survive the difficult days that followed.
“I would be happy to do any job that allows me to save people’s lives during emergencies.” – Kyle
Despite this, Kyle’s family continues to face challenges since their house has no proper bathroom, and the roof was badly damaged by the typhoon’s strong winds.
To assist in their recovery, Kyle’s family received cash assistance from Action Against Hunger, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). They plan to use the support to repair their roof, buy nutritious food such as meat and fruits, and replace essential items, including clothes and shoes lost during the disaster.
Looking ahead, Kyle hopes to move beyond the trauma and return to what he loves most: going to school and playing basketball. “I would like to become a professional basketball player on the Philippine national team,” he says. “That is my dream. Or I would be happy to do any job that allows me to save people’s lives during emergencies.”
Despite the fear and trauma left by that night, Kyle continues to move forward with quiet determination. Supported by his family, his community, and the assistance they received after the typhoon, he is slowly reclaiming a sense of normalcy.
In photo: Kyle shares his experience during the night he and others almost lost their lives to Typhoon Tino. Photo by Martina Vercoli for Action Against Hunger.
What happened during Typhoon Tino will always be part of his story, but it does not define his future. For him, the path ahead is one of healing, learning, and holding on to the same courage that led him to protect another life when it mattered most.
Written and Photos by: Martina Vercoli
Edited by: Joyce Sandajan
Contributor: Pive Flor Tabique
