14/11/2025
🚤 TEEN FLOOD HERO SAVES 50 IN CEBU DELUGE 🌧️💥
A 15-year-old boy from Liloan didn’t just survive Typhoon Tino — he became its bravest fighter.
Jayboy Magdadaro, a quiet 9th grader with a skimboarder’s balance and a heart way bigger than the storm, spent an entire day hauling terrified neighbors to safety as floodwaters swallowed homes up to their roofs.
🌊 “I wasn’t afraid — I just wanted to help.”
That’s how Jayboy explained the moment he grabbed a tiny wooden boat and a lifebuoy, then hurled himself back into the churning brown water that had nearly killed him hours earlier.
He saved more than 50 people — kids, pregnant women, and the elderly — refusing cash, refusing rest, refusing to walk away.
🏗️ Big Numbers
200+ mm of rain dumped in just 24 hours
1 million barrels of water estimated to have flooded Cebu
108 dead, 1,365 injured, 44 missing across the province
34 deaths in Liloan alone
50+ lives pulled from the water by Jayboy
🚣 A Teen With a Boat vs. a Killer Typhoon
When the Cotcot River exploded over its banks, floodwaters surged so high they nearly grazed the second floor of Jayboy’s sister’s home.
His uncle ferried their family to safety — but exhaustion forced him to abandon the rescue gear.
Jayboy didn’t hesitate.
He rowed survivors four at a time.
He let the current drag him back using a lifebuoy so he could reach others.
He carried a child on his shoulder while the water rose to his neck.
He saw bodies float past him — and kept going anyway.
“It’s terrifying up there,” his grandmother Luciana said. “But he saved my grandchildren. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
🎖️ Hero Status Unlocked
Once word got out, Cebu lit up with praise.
Jayboy received:
A new phone
Clothes, slippers, groceries
A brand-new bicycle
Offers of full scholarships — including a P3,000 monthly allowance
Free medical care
Support from public officials and everyday Cebuanos alike
“I cried when I hugged him,” said Mabolo Barangay Chairman Daniel Francis Arguedo. “He’s an inspiration to everyone.”
Jayboy dreams of studying criminology and becoming a police officer. After Typhoon Tino, few would doubt he’s built for the job.
🔥 What’s Next?
Even after rescuing 50 people, Jayboy spent the next day helping neighbors clean their mud-filled homes — all while dealing with a toothache so painful it made him cry.
A hero’s work, apparently, doesn’t wait for the dentist.
🧾 The Bottom Line
A small boat, a lifebuoy, and a fearless 15-year-old did what entire systems couldn’t: keep dozens alive when the water rose and hope sank.
In a disaster scarred by leadership controversies, Jayboy showed Cebu what true service looks like.
📚 Quick Backstory
Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) pummeled Cebu with extreme rainfall, triggering deadly flash floods, landslides, and river overflow.
Cebuanos still carry trauma from Typhoon Odette (Rai) in 2021, which devastated the region.
The disaster sparked outrage after several Cebu mayors — including Liloan’s — were abroad during the storm.
Villa Lara and Jubay in Liloan sit near the Cotcot River, an area notoriously vulnerable to rapid flooding.
Jayboy’s family works in local government and community service, shaping the values that guided his actions during the storm.
