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This video has previously been used to falsely claim flooding in Pakistan and Germany. Other fact-checking organizations flagged this clip as being manipulated by AI
Claim: Time-lapse video shows floodwaters quickly engulfing homes in Talisay, Cebu.
evaluation: error
Why we fact-checked this: Facebook Reels has already garnered 1.4 million views, 8,900 reactions, 1,500 shares, and 333 comments at the time of writing. This article was posted on November 6th following the onslaught of Typhoon Tino in the Visayas.
The text that appears over the video is:Ganito Cabilis Ang Baha sa Talisay, Cebu (This is the speed of flooding in Talisay, Cebu).”
Reel’s uploader expressed uncertainty about the video’s authenticity, but still posted the clip with the caption “.“I hindi napakahalaga talaga n flood control, dagdagan pan nasisilan kalikasan maramin buhay at kabhayan ang mawawala.”
(Whether or not it’s true, flood control is extremely important. If you add environmental deterioration to that, many lives and livelihoods will be lost.)
While some Facebook users doubted the video’s authenticity, others posted comments lamenting the lack of quality flood control infrastructure and the deterioration of the natural environment.
fact: This video was not shot in Talisay, Cebu. A reverse image search yields a similar photo of a village and river in Germany rather than the Philippines.
The video also shows signs of operation using artificial intelligence tools. The AI detection tool Hive Moderation flagged this video as having a 98.6% chance of containing AI content and manipulation, specifically noting the image at timestamp 0:07, which shows the entire land area in the video being submerged by flooding.
Several international fact-finding organizations also issued warnings, saying the video was used to misrepresent flooding in countries such as Pakistan and Germany.
Pakistan-based organization Soho Fact Check flagged the same video as AI-manipulated. The analysis observed that “the people on the road in the bottom right somehow keep appearing and disappearing.”
“Furthermore, even if the flooding seemingly stops, the remaining buildings will simply sink, the corresponding water level will not change, and they will disappear without any signs of destruction,” it added.
Turkey-based fact-checking group Durruk Payu said the video was created by manipulating images with artificial intelligence using a “morphing” technique that creates a flooding effect. It added that the images shown in the video could be from the Drachenfels hill in Königswinter, Germany.
Tino’s influence: Typhoon Tino passed through parts of the Visayas and Mindanao before leaving the Philippine area of responsibility on November 6, devastating several cities and municipalities, including Talisay in Cebu.
At least 232 people have died and at least 100 are missing, according to the latest information from the National Disaster Management Council on November 11. Cebu reported 150 deaths, the highest death toll due to a typhoon.
Previous fact checks: Rappler has previously fact-checked similar claims about Typhoon.
– Angelie Kay Abelinde/Rappler.com
Angelee Kaye Abelinde is a student journalist based in Naga City and a graduate of Rappler’s Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship 2024.
Please report any suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network to factcheck@rappler.com. Fight misinformation one fact-check at a time.
