When Typhoon Bualoi (locally known as Bagyong Opong) tore through Masbate in late September 2025, 29 year old Mariwin Daliwag from Poblacion, Aroroy, held tightly to her two children as powerful winds battered their home. Floodwaters began to rise quickly, forcing her family to evacuate in the middle of the storm.
Mariwin’s husband was away for work, leaving only her and her mother to care for the children. “I think my baby just waited for the storm to finish then I felt my contractions,” Mariwin recalls.
She was nine months pregnant, and the contractions came just a day after the typhoon subsided. But the local lying-in clinic was no longer operational—power lines were down, and the generator had no fuel.
“There was no light, no electricity, the lying-in clinic was not operational,” she says.
Her mother asked for help from her sister’s husband, who drove her to the nearest hospital. Mariwin had to ride on a single motorcycle through debris-filled roads for about 30 minutes. As soon as she arrived at the hospital lobby, she went into labor and gave birth right there. She didn’t make it to the operating room, but thankfully, doctors were there to help her. A few moments later, she safely delivered her baby boy, Sherwin.
Across Masbate, Typhoon Bualoi left over 657,000 people affected, including 142,000 women of reproductive age and more than 11,000 pregnant women like Mariwin. The storm destroyed health facilities, damaged roads, and caused widespread power outages, limiting women’s access to life-saving sexual and reproductive health care.
To support affected families, UNFPA in the Philippines, through the support of Australia in the Philippines, provided life-saving supplies to the province of Masbate. The disaster has left many without access to essential items for personal care and protection.
To help women maintain hygiene, health, and dignity, 1,550 dignity kits and 662 maternity packs were distributed to affected communities, including the municipality of Aroroy. These kits contain essential hygiene and protection items, such as soap, sanitary pads, underwear, toothbrushes, and flashlights, to help women and girls stay clean, safe, and confident even amid prolonged power outages.
For Mariwin, receiving a dignity kit means she can better care for herself and her young kids, while tending to her newborn baby.
“The dignity kit will really help me,” she says. “There's soap, sanitary pads, and other things we can use every day. It will help me take care of my children”
As recovery continues, Mariwin’s story is a reminder of the strength and resilience of women facing crisis—and of the importance of restoring their dignity, safety, and care in the aftermath of disaster.
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By Kisha Beringuela
