The La Castellana Public Cemetery in Negros Occidental acted as a natural barrier against cut logs swept by floods from Mount Kanlaon during Typhoon Tino in early November 2025. Local officials credit the cemetery with preventing greater loss of life. Still, 10 people have died and 18 remain missing in the town.
In early November 2025, Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) struck Negros Occidental, unleashing floods that carried cut logs from Mount Kanlaon National Park (MKNP). La Castellana, located at the volcano's foot, lay directly in the path of these destructive waters and timber. However, the La Castellana Public Cemetery in Barangay Robles served as a catchment, trapping logs and mitigating the surge's force.
“Our cemetery saved us,” La Castellana Vice Mayor Alme Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan said in the local dialect. “Probably many have died in our town.” Negros Occidental 5th District Representative Dino Yulo remarked, upon inspecting the site post-typhoon, “Quite unbelievable, but as if the dead helped the living.”
Despite this, 10 deaths and 18 missing persons have been reported in La Castellana as of this writing. Mangilimutan noted that Tino's damage exceeded the ongoing Kanlaon Volcano unrest since June 3, 2024. The volcanic activity caused no fatalities and affected only six barangays, whereas the typhoon impacted all 13, traumatizing residents.
Local officials, including incident manager Remuel Lajo and social welfare development officer Emily Tan, lost their homes, possessions, and pets to the floods. Mayor An̈ejo Nicor is appealing for aid from provincial, national governments, and private donors. Evacuation centers are sheltering 7,320 people.
Neighboring La Carlota City also saw MKNP logs block major roads and damage houses in Barangay Roberto Salas Benedicto. Barangay Chairperson Socrates Martin Guba told media that officials struggle with cleanup amid shortages of food, water, and power. Residents require solar lights and candles, as the Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative cannot predict power restoration; electrical poles are toppled and lines severed. Authorities report rising casualties in La Carlota but provided no specific numbers.