Palace: Govt' to probe quarrying, unregulated development after massive Cebu floods
Residents return to what remains of their homes after Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) caused devastation in communities along the Mananga River in Talisay City, Cebu province, central Philippines, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Hernandez)
Quarrying, deforestation, and other alleged unregulated developments, which were blamed for the massive flooding in Cebu during the onslaught of Typhoon Tino, will be looked into by the government, Malacañang said.
Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said if these factors are being cited as the culprit behind the floods, this must be investigated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
"Kung ganyan po ang nakikita, dapat lamang po din tingnan ito ng pamunuan ng DENR kung ano ang nagaganap at kung ito ba ay hindi lamang dahil sa kalamidad, hindi lamang ito act of God kung hindi may kinalaman ang mga pagpapabaya ng mga tao at ang pang-aabuso sa ating natural resources o sa ating kalikasan. (If that’s what is being observed, then it is only right for the leadership of the DENR to look into what’s happening and determine whether this was caused not only by a natural disaster or an act of God, but also by human negligence and the abuse of our natural resources or environment)," Castro said in a Palace briefing on Thursday, Nov. 6.
"So, talaga pong magkakaroon din po ng imbestigasyon dito (So, there will indeed be an investigation into this)," she added.
Considering the situation, the Palace official said, there is no need for the President to issue any orders "because the DENR already knows what the President wants and what his directives are in dealing with this kind of calamity."
However, there is currently no information on whether the President and the DENR leadership have discussed conducting an investigation, Castro also said.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), in many areas, the rainfall exceeded the 20-year return period, meaning there is only a five percent, or 1-in-20, chance of such extreme rain occurring in any given year.
The Office of the Civil Defense has disclosed that at least 114 people were reported dead following the onslaught of Typhoon Tino.