7 November 2025
It was Monday when Typhoon Tino entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). The first province it hit was ours - Samar, in the Visayas region. From a lower typhoon signal, it was raised to the maximum level, signal no. 4. We endured the heavy rain and strong winds that intensified throughout the night, leaving some of us sleepless. We were grateful when it finally exited our province on Tuesday morning, though it still left us with light rain, gusty winds, and a gloomy sky.
The aftermath showed fallen trees and some partially damaged homes. We were thankful that the river didn’t continue to rise, otherwise, we would’ve been flooded. Meanwhile, in some places like Cebu and Negros, the water rose and caused massive devastation. Homes were destroyed, and there were even casualties. It feels like there’s no end to the disasters and calamities our country faces. I just hope and pray that this will stop soon and that the year ends on a good note.
How’s life when there’s no electricity, Wi-Fi or network signal?
Part of the aftermath was a power outage and loss of internet connection. Only solar lamps brightened the roads. The internet has become a big part of our daily lives. It keeps us connected with family far away and helps us stay updated with typhoon news and local information.
It was really frustrating when not only the Wi-Fi was down, but also the mobile network. Even though we had mobile data as backup, it was useless since the cell sites weren’t working. Electricity was restored Tuesday morning, but not the internet or signal.
That’s a huge challenge for those who work from home. And for someone like me who also needs to be online, it was seriously stressful.
How’s life without it? Honestly, just boring. No Facebook, no YouTube, and no Hive. We ended up watching random movies on HBO because there was nothing else to do. At night, we would go to a Piso Wi-Fi spot that, surprisingly, had a signal when ours didn’t. You just insert a coin into the machine to connect, three hours for only five pesos, which is way cheaper than the ₱20–₱35 per hour at an internet café. The only downside is there’s no decent place to sit, so we ended up hanging out by the roadside the whole time, lol.
By Wednesday, the weather got better. It was as if there hadn’t been a typhoon at all because the heat came back right away. We reopened our shop after four days of being closed. Blessings poured in as we got early orders, but we had to do a bit of cleaning and fixing first. Since we hadn’t opened for days, dust piled up in the corners, and ants turned the place into their little hideout, probably because of the sweet ingredients we kept inside.
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Look at the moon. It's so big and bright. As if no devastation had happened.
The next day, Thursday, we focused on serving customers, taking orders, and keeping the shop tidy. I actually enjoyed it. Sometimes, we really do need to disconnect from the online world and appreciate the simple things around us, the real world is more important, after all.
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Classes were resumed, and the scouting day for primary students was held.
By Friday morning, I finally decided to install a new internet connection since the old one still wasn’t working. I chose a better provider this time, with higher Mbps and a more stable signal. The internet is essential nowadays, it’s our main tool for communication, work, and keeping up with the news.
We can now connect our new internet to our TV, which is better for a family movie marathon.
Speaking of news, another typhoon is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility soon. They said it’s even stronger than the last one. All we can do now is pray and prepare for whatever’s coming.
After everything that happened, I realized that even without power or internet, life still goes on. The typhoon may have brought fear and discomfort, but it also reminded us to slow down, appreciate what we have, and stay strong no matter what.
In the end, it’s not just about surviving the storm. It’s about finding gratitude and hope after it passes.
Thanks for your time.
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Jane is a Filipina wanderer in a foreign land who finds comfort in nature and freedom in writing. She loves watching raw picturesque landscapes, listening to the symphony of nature, breathing in drops of sunshine, walking through scenic trails and cityscapes, tasting new culinary flavors, capturing pretty little things, venturing into hidden gems, and dancing with the flow of life.
Her new experiences, adventures, challenges, lessons, small successes, and joys are colorful paints that fill up her canvas of life. She hopes to see it beautifully painted while she can.
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