THERMOS | PHILIPPINES

VIRGILIA BASAR

Amid the ruins of Super Typhoon Rai (local name: Odette), Virgilia clings to a simple thermos, a witness to the island community’s strength.

Virgilia, a 54-year-old resident of Batasan Island, Tubigon, Bohol, shares her fair share of struggles in the face of climate change.

She moved to the island in 2013 for her husband’s fishing livelihood. Ten years later, she faced the wrath of Super Typhoon Rai (local name: Odette) wreaking havoc in Bohol and around the Philippines. Refusing evacuation, they sought refuge in a sturdier house, but faced desperate moments when others needed rescue. Miraculously surviving, Virgilia saw the devastation, prayed for mercy and found peace in her family’s safety.

Yet, with the looming threat of rising sea levels, she grapples with the dilemma of staying for livelihood or relocating for safety. Despite challenges, her unwavering trust and love for her island community anchor her, while calling for corporations to be held accountable in addressing the worsening climate crisis.

Object of Memory

Virgilia clings to a tangible symbol of survival amid the wreckage brought by Super Typhoon Odette. In the midst of chaos, she salvaged a modest thermos, clutching it tightly alongside her grandchild. This everyday object, now weathered and scarred, encapsulates the harrowing night when the typhoon’s fury tested the island’s spirit.

Virgilia finds solace in this thermos—a testament to endurance, hope, and the human ability to weather storms. As the threats of rising seas persist, the thermos remains a silent witness, embodying the fragility of human existence and the resilience they muster in the face of an unpredictable climate.