Recognizing and celebrating the pivotal roles and leadership of women in humanitarian actions opens up spaces to amplify women’s participation and advance feminist leadership. Oxfam Pilipinas (OPH), and its partners have worked for years now supporting women-led local initiatives to facilitate a prompt and needs-based provision of emergency and recovery assistance to the communities most vulnerable and marginalized individuals.

Corregidor Island

Corregidor (also known as Casolian) is a geographically isolated island village in the Municipality of Dapa, Surigao del Norte. Home to around 150 households, it is located just off the southern coast of Siargao Island. Reaching it requires an hour-long journey by a small boat.

Perched on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, the community of Corregidor Island grapples with the constant threat of rough currents, a peril that often leads to boats capsizing. Cut off from mainland markets, the island’s 150 households need help with scarcity, even for basic Filipino staples like pandesal. Their only lifeline is a daily passenger boat, a precarious reliance that underscores their vulnerability.

Remembering Super Typhoon Odette’s Aftermath

ST Odette (international name Rai) made a devastating landfall in the Philippines on 16 December 2021, with maximum sustained winds of 195 km/h. Corregidor Island, situated along the coast, was one of the areas hardest hit.

A day before its landfall, the local barangay government disseminated an early warning through a bandilyo (community speaker system). While intended to aid the community in preparing, the community members’ disbelief of the extent of Odette’s possible impact hampered the bandilyo’s effectiveness as the members felt that they would endure the strong winds, rainy weather, and rough currents as in the past. The reality of Odette’s impact, however, was far more severe than they could have imagined.

Resident Rechcin Concilles, chair of the village’s youth council and an aspiring teacher on the island to contribute and give back to the community, remembers, “[t]he village council made efforts to prepare; we just disregarded the warning. Some even dismissed it entirely, believing it would not affect us.”

Meanwhile, Mariphel Salgado, a member of a women-led self-help group managing a variety store business and a mother of four, recalled that the last significant typhoon that hit their island was more than thirty decades ago.

As the winds intensified and the rain poured down without pause, residents sprang into action, gathering their essential belongings and searching for safety. Some sought refuge in designated evacuation centers, while others hid in comfort rooms or crossed over fences to seek shelter with their neighbors with sturdier houses.

“We should just be grateful that the typhoon struck during the day when we were all awake and alert. Had it hit during the night, there would have been many casualties,” Rechcin added.

Typhoon Odette’s aftermath showed how people with limited resources fight for survival. The storm destroyed houses, washed out other properties and personal belongings, left little to salvage, and ravaged public infrastructure, including the storage facility containing the municipal government’s prepositioned goods. All of these increased the community’s vulnerability.

Amidst the crisis, bayanihan, or the Filipino spirit of communal unity, prevailed when the community rallied together, helping each other by sharing food, cleaning up the area, and beginning the process towards normalcy.

Learning together, growing stronger together

With the worsening climate crisis, strengthening local humanitarian leadership (LHL) is critical, particularly for women leaders such as Rechcin and Mariphel, who reside in hard-to-reach coastal villages.

To further enhance the community’s capacities and empower women as rescuers and active agents of change, OPH with partner Sentro para sa Ikauunlad ng Katutubong Agham at Teknolohiya, Inc. (SIKAT), enabled by the Feminist LHL Response Grant, conducted training sessions in the aftermath of Odette. These sessions, conducted in partnership with the Philippine Coast Guard, covered Basic Lifesaving Support (BSL) and Water, Safety, Rescue, and Survival Techniques (WASAR).

The BSL training equipped the participants with essential skills, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), administering first aid, and safely transporting an unconscious person, whether in water or land.

The WASAR training was the most rigorous part of the training. For three hours, participants faced the challenge of swimming without a life vest from the open sea to the beach. The training taught them swimming techniques for both solo and group scenarios, with proper rope knot and tying methods helpful in scenarios where an injured or unconscious person needs to be transported on water. They also learned how to operate a rubber boat and send distress signals.

Reflecting on the experience, Rechcin initially felt discouraged upon discovering that there were swimming courses involved. This was triggered by a traumatic experience of the capsizing of a passenger boat she was riding in the past. She said that without the encouragement and support of her friends and fellow community members, she would have gone home.

Through collective empowerment and readiness to learn, she found the courage to fearlessly swim the open sea, her voice echoing with determination, “For the community!”.

Empowering women, ensuring no one is left behind

Motivated by their commitment to helping, Rechcin and Mariphel, along with other women participants, bravely completed the training. It gave them a newfound sense of confidence as they gained vital skills to respond effectively to emergencies. With enthusiasm, they expressed a desire for additional sessions to expand their knowledge and capabilities further.

“It was challenging but worth it. The skills we learned are invaluable; they are not something you can acquire easily. In times of crisis, I will now feel confident knowing I have the necessary expertise. This experience made me realize that as women, we can do it, too; we are capable of so much more than domestic roles,” Mariphel shared.

“I feel proud to be not only a woman but also a designated responder in our village. Most of the time, the assumption is that only men can manage such tasks. I am happy to be one of the participants in the WASAR training, knowing that I am now equipped to assist other people in our community,” Rechcin said.

With inclement weather conditions, they recognized the significance of having lifesaving skills. The training did not only help others but would also be useful in their daily lives.

“I no longer feel anxious when traveling by boat with my children. Rough water currents used to make me feel nervous, especially knowing they could not swim. But now, I feel confident that I know what to do in case something happens,” Mariphel shared.

Mariphel’s husband and children, on the other hand, expressed interest in undergoing WASAR training. Her husband also wanted to learn the techniques she acquired, while her eldest daughter inquired about the next session, eager to participate herself.

“The WASAR training helped me a lot. The things I have learned are not only for my benefit but also for the well-being of my community and family. I am willing to pass on what I have learned to my children and provide assistance to others whenever needed,” Mariphel added.

Amplifying women’s voices through their lived experiences

The community learned a vital lesson from Odette’s aftermath, and that is the significance of having a robust and operational Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee (DRRMC) within their village.

“The DRRMC holds great importance. We need to establish a solid contingency plan. Without it, no amount of preparedness would be enough,” Mariphel said.

As chairperson of the village youth council, Rechcin felt determined to organize training for both the youth and other members of the DRRMC.

“I am now more prepared to assist and serve the community as I have gained additional lifesaving knowledge,” Rechcin remarked.