We thank the author for allowing us to feature this article which was first published in SunStar Cebu under her column Beyond 30 on November 8, 2025. It also appeared on the author’s FB page on the same day.
Anger is the best response to the tragedy of Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Not helplessness, not resignation.
What happened in Barangay Bacayan, Cebu City, during typhoon Tino was not just nature’s fury. It was failure.
I have every reason to be angry. I nearly drowned in the flash floods that turned our subdivision, Villa del Rio, into a river. The water rose with terrifying speed. One moment I was trying to reach higher ground, the next I was swept away, dragged toward a car, and I could feel myself being pulled under.
But my neighbor, Ignacio H. Cabalit Jr., was there. With one arm, he held his dog. With the other, he kept pulling me up. He never let go. Because of him, I found footing again, coughed out the floodwater, and climbed with him, his family and other neighbors to a house’s grills to reach the roof.
When the water subsided, I saw my home’s doors were broken, the walls cracked, the belongings I had built over the years ruined. My car was gone, one of those in the heaps of mangled vehicles. I had cuts in both legs from the ordeal.
It all happened so fast. Victims of flash floods always say that about the suddenness and power of the water. Now I know. You won’t understand it until it’s your turn to fight for life.
My fear turned to anger as SunStar Cebu reported that the flooding in Bacayan was not a surprise. It was failure foretold. About P17.4 billion worth of flood control projects in Metro Cebu failed to do their job, the report said. The walls meant to hold back the water collapsed or were never properly built.
Engineers admitted that development in the mountains was uncontrolled, that the focus had been on building subdivisions.
People like Ignacio risked their lives because government failed to do what it should do. That is, to protect the people.
So yes, the best response is anger. Not acceptance of officials’ apologies. But this anger cannot stay private among the victims. It must become public. It must be loud.
We can rebuild houses and buy new cars and appliances, but we must demand answers.
I will remember Ignacio’s hand gripping mine as I fought the current. That is what courage looks like — one person refusing to let another go. It is time for our leaders to show the same grip.
Until then, I will hold on to this anger. Because it is the only thing that might keep us from drowning again.
Next week: How to express that anger? Signing petitions demanding accountability; shaming those behind the slicing of our mountains. More to come. Suggestions are welcome.
Postscript
From the author’s FB Post, November 11, 2025
I’ve started using the “Angry” reaction on Facebook more often. No more “Haha” to unbelievable statements. Because anger is the force behind the demand for accountability and change.
To everyone who reacted, commented, or shared my column “Anger is the best response,” thank you. I’m still dealing with technology difficulties as my devices all fell into the floodwaters. I may not be able to reply individually, but I deeply appreciate your concern and prayers.
My house companion, Belen, and I are safe, and my wounds are healing well. We were “rescued” from Villa del Rio by my brother Chito and his doctor-son, Patrick, who took care of my medicines, and by Chito’s wife, Dr. Wee, who attended to my wounds and gave injections. They sheltered us for days, and we’ve now moved elsewhere to try to start over. My family, friends, and extended networks have been a big help, giving us clean clothes, even new underwear, that mean a lot and make moving forward possible.
I know how fortunate I am. Many others have nothing left. I carry that awareness with me, and I hope our shared anger turns into the will to demand better.
The header shows an image among many more of the tragic aftermath of the flooding in Villa del Rio (credit: Cebu Digital News).
About the author
MARIA LOURDES “NINI” CABAERO is widely recognized for her transformative role in Philippine media, particularly in regional journalism. She was Editor-in-Chief of SunStar Cebu, the flagship publication of SunStar Publishing Inc., and later became Director for Content of its integrated newsroom. Her leadership helped steer the organization through a digital transformation, making SunStar a model for community-based news platforms in the country.
After retiring in 2021, Cabaero remained active as a columnist for SunStar and a consultant and trainer with the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), particularly through its Women in News program. She also teaches in the master’s program for journalism at the Ateneo de Manila University.
Her academic credentials include a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of the Philippines Diliman and a Master’s Degree in Journalism from the Asian Center for Journalism at Ateneo. She was a Sandra Burton–Nieman Fellow at Harvard University from 2013 to 2014, where she took courses at Harvard Business School, Harvard Kennedy School, and MIT.
In 2020, she was honored as Newsmaker of the Year by Globe Telecom’s Media Excellence Awards for her impactful work and contributions to digital journalism. Her writing continues to reflect a deep engagement with civic issues, media ethics, and the evolving role of journalism in Filipino society. Her family has roots in Camarines Sur.