5 dead as storm Opong slams eastern Philippines: Dawn videos reveal devastation

Manila: Severe tropical storm Opong (international code: Bualoi) has left a trail of destruction to homes and business establishments, with felled trees and flattened structures dominating the landscape.

Dawn and morning-after videos taken by residents of eastern Philippine islands show scenes of toppled electric posts.

Power outages were reported in Samar, Masbate and Sorsogon provinces, leaving millions without electricity.

Severe Tropical Storm Opong, made landfall in Palanas, Masbate, at 4 a.m. on September 26, 2025, with sustained winds of 95 km/h and gusts up to 115 km/h, marking its second landfall after hitting Eastern Samar as a typhoon late Thursday evening.

Footage from Carla E. Cenarillos' Facebook reel captures the storm's fury: a rain-lashed balcony overlooking a churning bay in Masbate, where waves crash violently against a jagged seawall, sending foam spraying skyward like explosive geysers.

The video's audio is dominated by thunderous booms of surf and urgent pleas for protection, with palm trees bending double and leaves shredding like confetti in the gale.

Ground-level shots show roofs being ripped apart, trees and streetlamps felled, amid howling winds that whip debris into a blinding vortex.

As soon as the strong winds tapered off, emergency responders swung into action to help residents and secure toppled electric posts.

Beyond Masbate, Opong's impact rippled to Iloilo's Sicogon Island, where rescuers tallied dozens of damaged homes and fallen billboards, with storm surges reaching 2 meters inundating coastal villages.

Typhoon Ragasa, which hit the country's north, has also wreaked havoc in country's north last week.

Over 1,600 passengers remained stranded at Bicol ports due to 3-meter swells grounding ferries, and PAGASA warns of lingering monsoon rains enhancing the habagat, with moderate flooding risks persisting in Metro Manila and Southern Luzon through Sunday.

At least five fatalities are confirmed — two from landslides in Samar, three from drowning in flash floods — with evacuation centres now sheltering 20,000 displaced souls.

President Marcos Jr. pledged P1 billion in immediate relief, urging unity as recovery efforts begin, with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) deploying aid convoys laden with rice, water purifiers, and tarps.

The storm, expected to re-intensify over the West Philippine Sea en route to Vietnam, tested the resilience of affected communities, with Masbate's faithful gathering in prayer circles as a testament to survival amid nature's caprice.