By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
MANILA (Worthy News) – A powerful tropical storm devastated the central Philippines Friday, leaving at least 10 people dead and more than 433,000 evacuated, but Christians told Worthy News they saw hope and miracles amid the misery.
Tropical Storm Bualoi, locally known as Opong, slammed into Eastern Samar province Thursday night with winds of 110 kilometers per hour (68 miles per hour), toppling trees and power lines, triggering floods, and damaging homes and infrastructure.
Officials confirmed fatalities in Masbate and Biliran provinces, while at least 13 fishermen remained missing.
Despite the devastation, believers shared testimonies of what they viewed as answered prayer. Gloria Tolentino, a Christian public servant and mother of four, said, “We are still having heavy rain but the wind is getting weak now… Thank God that he hear my plea.”I
Merry Joy Osman, a Christian aid worker with a micro-financing group in Cebu City, told Worthy News she had been stranded by the storm but was eventually able to return home safely.
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Bualoi followed closely after Super Typhoon Ragasa, one of the strongest storms in years, which killed at least 28 people in the northern Philippines and Taiwan before hitting China and weakening over Vietnam.
The latest storm also comes as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. faces public outrage over alleged corruption in flood-control and infrastructure projects, which critics say left communities more vulnerable to extreme weather. Marcos has pledged that “nobody will be spared” from ongoing investigations.
For now, clearing operations continue in hard-hit areas as relief workers struggle to reach isolated communities.
Yet for the Philippines’ millions of Christians, the storm has become both a test of faith and a testimony of God’s presence in the midst of disaster.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.