MARABUT, Philippines — When Haiyan, one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded, smashed into the central Philippines in 2013, the town of Marabut in Eastern Visayas region suffered zero casualties.
More than 1,000 residents scrambled up 32 feet (9.75 m) of slippery soil and limestone to take refuge inside the Tinabanan Cave, known for providing shelter since colonial times.
Lorna dela Pena, 66, was alone when the supertyphoon landed on Nov. 8, killing more than 6,000 people nationwide and forcing about 4 million from their homes.
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She remembered how everything was “washed out” by the storm, but despite being “lost in a daze,” she managed to evacuate.
“There still weren’t stairs to comfortably climb up to the cave. My grandfather’s dream was for it to have stairs,” she said, noting they were finally put in after the Haiyan disaster.
While serving hot porridge to evacuees, dela Pena grasped how important local organizations are to helping communities become more resilient to fiercer weather, as the planet warms.
“It’s stronger when more people unite to help. What one can’t do is possible when everyone unites,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Following that experience, she worked with others in Marabut to build up women’s groups focused on different issues.
Now they take the lead in organizing workshops on organic farming, hold discussions on violence against women, and educate and encourage other women to adopt renewable energy.
Azucena Bagunas, 47, and dela Pena are among “solar scholars” trained by the Philippines-based Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, or ICSC, an international nonprofit that promotes low-carbon development and climate resilience.
In an effort to prepare better for disasters after Typhoon Haiyan, known locally as Yolanda, the women learned to operate portable solar-powered generators called TekPaks, which they use during evacuations.
Life-saving technology
The TekPaks light up the dark Tinabanan cave, making it easier to count the number of people seeking shelter there, and charge mobile devices to keep communication lines open.
For Bagunas, the most memorable use of the technology was when it helped save a life.
“We were able to use this TekPak to power a nebulizer when someone had an asthma attack,” she recalled.
Bagunas and dela Pena share their knowledge by teaching other women to operate TekPaks and making them aware of the benefits of renewable energy.
Now, whenever a storm is coming, women in Marabut ensure their solar-powered equipment is charged so they are ready to move their communities to safety.
Bagunas said harnessing solar energy was also cheaper than relying on coal-fired electricity from the grid.</…….