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Powering Limasawa after a Super Typhoon
In the small island of Limasawa, Philippines, recovery after Super Typhoon Odette in 2021 was a daunting challenge. The storm tore through the island, destroying homes, and crippling 90% of agriculture, fisheries, and infrastructures. Among the hardest hit was the Limasawa hybrid solar-diesel power plant, leaving many without electricity for months. Far-flung barangays (communities) like San Agustin, faced a prolonged blackout, making daily life even harder. Families resorted to expensive, polluting diesel generators to light their homes.
Luckily, hope arrived from several Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) who donated small solar lamps to families after Typhoon Odette. Among such initiatives is a 200-watt solar charging system set up through the collaboration of local officials, volunteers from Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), and 350 Pacific. This system, installed at the San Agustin barangay hall, now powers the building and serves as a community charging station, allowing residents to charge essential devices for free.
Volunteers called Solar scholars, who are also from climate-vulnerable regions and trained by ICSC, helped assemble the solar charging system and shared their knowledge with Limasawa locals. Now, residents have learned to maintain their own solar energy systems, helping their community recover.
Limasawa’s story shows the power of renewable energy to rebuild and strengthen disaster-hit communities, offering a hopeful path toward climate resilience and energy independence.
Civil society organization, Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), launched the Solar Scholars initiative in 2015 to train and educate community members on how to integrate renewable energy into disaster risk reduction and community development programs.
Super Typhoon Odette crippled Limasawa island in 2021, damaging ninety percent of its agriculture, fisheries, and infrastructures including destroyed houses, uprooted coconut trees, damaged small fishing vessels, and toppled infrastructures (including a seaport, and government buildings.
So Jude Capila Elona, a Solar Scholar and Typhoon Haiyan survivor with a background in electrical engineering, helped assemble a 200-watt charging system to donate to the community (Barangay) of San Agustin, Limasawa, which was the hardest hit area after the Super Typhoon Odette, losing its energy access.
Hope for Barangay San Agustin arrived on a boat that transported the solar charging system that Jude built, from Tacloban City to Limasawa Island, Southern Leyte.
“We can accelerate the energy transition in more islands by building new and far more locally responsive renewable energy systems that are resilient to extreme weather events and which can be maintained by community members themselves, especially women,” said ICSC associate for community resilience Arturo Tahup.
Barangay San Agustin had remained energy-poor for almost two and a half months after Super Typhoon Odette damaged the Limasawa solar-diesel hybrid plant and power lines.
ICSC volunteers, also called RE-Serve volunteers, helped prepare the railings for the solar panels on top of San Agustin Barangay Hall.
RE-serve volunteers mounted the solar panels on top of San Agustin Barangay Hall.
Local San Agustin officials Justiniano Amorin and Melecio Bero helped installed the solar charging system on the wall of the Barangay San Agustin Hall.
ICSC Community Outreach Officer Orland Quesada oriented the officials of Barangay San Agustin, on the solar panel system that was assembled by ICSC’s Solar Scholars and installed by RE-Serve Corps volunteers.
ICSC Innovations Officer Glinly Alvero taught the Barangay San Agustin officials how to properly use and maintain the system. Fourteen barangay officials and workers, including eight women, have now been trained to use and maintain the community solar charging system.
Barangay officials like Secretary Eden Berks happily showcased the charging abilities of the solar station, providing crucial communications for those in need, in the face of power cuts.
Jude Capila Alona, the Solar Scholar was proud the solar charging system she helped assemble. “Over the years, as we faced the same destruction in the face of intense cyclones, we’ve learned a lot and we were able to equip ourselves. It has been a continuous phase of rebuilding. This training has been a light at the end of the tunnel. We can actually give hope to our people,” said 350 Pacific Organizer George Nacewa who is a new Solar Scholar.
“This installed solar charging system is a big help for us as we still didn’t have electricity after Typhoon Odette. Crude oil generators are expensive unlike this PV system which has no expenses. We’re able to save money and protect the environment.”
– Renato Miras, Barangay (community) Captain of San Agustin in Limasawa, December 2022
More about the project
Credits
All photo credits to Kathleen Lei Limayo/350.org. With thanks to ICSC’s Solar Scholars & RE-Serve Corps volunteers, 350 Pacific and the officials of San Agustin, Limasawa.