Claim: Aerial video footage shows the damage caused by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine in the Bicol region.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: The video bearing the claim has gained 96,000 views and 183 comments as of writing.
Text on the video reads: “Grabe talaga ang baha sa buong Kabicolan. Nakakaiyak pagmasdan. Bangon Bicolandia! (The flood is really bad in the whole of Bicol. Watching this makes me cry. Rise up, Bicolandia!)”
Similar videos purportedly showing heavily flooded areas in Bicol are also circulating on various social media platforms.
The facts: The video was taken in Brazil, not in Bicol.
A reverse image search shows that one of the buildings seen in the video is the Gremio Arena, a stadium in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
The video documents flooding in Brazil in May 2024 following heavy rains in the state of Rio Grande do Sul that killed at least 85 people and affected thousands. The news was widely shared by local Brazilian media outlets at the time.
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Kristine updates: Bicol was one of the regions hardest hit by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, which brought heavy rains and flooding in Luzon and affected over 4.2 million people or 986,974 families.
A total of 8,432 houses were damaged, while 19 local government units have declared a state of calamity, including the provincial governments of Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, and Sorsogon.
In response, several organizations have launched donation drives on social media to help those affected.
Debunked: Rappler has debunked several false claims related to the storm:
- FACT CHECK: 2022 photo misrepresented as flood in Bicol due to Kristine
- FACT CHECK: Hindi super typhoon ang bagyong Kristine
- FACT CHECK: Pictures show OVP relief efforts in 2023, not Kristine aftermath
– James Patrick Cruz/Rappler.com
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