Women light the way for all

Relatives visit the tomb of a loved one killed by Super Typhoon Haiyan at a mass grave for victims following the eighth anniversary of the November 8, 2013 disaster which left more than 7,300 people dead or missing, in Tacloban City, central Philippines, on November 13, 2021. (Photo by Imelda Magbutay / AFP)

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 9.75m of slippery soil and limestone to take refuge inside the Tinabanan Cave, known for providing shelter since colonial times.