Women Who Empower
By Sanafe Marcelo
In the small island community of Sulu-an in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, there is only eight hours of electricity that the island can use each day. The lights go out once the clock strikes midnight, and the community must wait until four in the afternoon to use them again. The lack of access to electricity affects many aspects of their daily lives, from household routines, livelihood, to education and healthcare. Yet during our visit, what stood out to me was not the limitation, but the women we met who refuse to let their circumstances hinder them, and are leading community-based initiatives to improve and empower not just their homes, but the island and community they belong to.
As we celebrate Women’s Month, meeting these women felt especially meaningful to me. Their stories highlight how the women here, at the frontlines of their communities, are shaping the future of sustainable energy. Trained as Solar Iskolars, they’ve not just learned how to assemble, repair, and maintain solar technologies that bring light to their island, but also how to advance and advocate for access to better, cost-efficient, and sustainable energy.
From supporting the fisherfolks’ livelihoods, to ensuring that health centers remain powered and operational, they are helping strengthen the island’s resilience and nurturing the community along with it.
One of the women I met was Rosario Arlalejo, 40, a trained Solar Iskolar and wife of a fisherman. When she told me how she helped her husband and his fishing crew assemble a solar photovoltaic (PV) system for their fishing boat for light and radio communication, I heard in her voice how proud she is.
As radio communication is an important safeguard during emergencies and changing weather conditions. Rosario also shared one previous incident where a fisherman whose boat broke down in the middle of the sea was able to call for help through radio communication and was rescued. For Rosario, helping bring this technology to fishing boats means contributing directly to the safety and security of the island’s fishing community.
At the community health center, I met Joselyn Naing, 42, who works as a health worker and is also a Solar Iskolar. She is responsible for maintaining the health center’s solar charging system. Standing inside the health center, I imagined how difficult it would be to provide medical services without reliable electricity. With dependable solar power, the health center can continue serving the community even when grid electricity is unavailable, ensuring that essential health services remain accessible.
Jocelyn also showed us her assembled solar lights from scratch, applying the skills she gained through her training as Solar Iskolar. These solar lights provide households with much-needed illumination during the early hours of the morning. For many mothers like Jocelyn, this means being able to attend to household responsibilities and care for their families even before sunrise.
Another inspiring woman I met was Alma Latina, 37, president of Sulong Sulu-an, a women-led people organization in Sulu-an. Listening to her, I could feel how passionately she was about her role, and as this community leadership is driving efforts to strengthen local livelihoods. She is leading an initiative to establish the island’s first ice plant, an initiative that could benefit the local fishing community. For fishers, access to ice is critical. Without proper storage, fish must be sold quickly, often limiting income opportunities. They travel for two hours from Sulu-an Island to mainland Guiuan just to buy ice to preserve their catch.
Alma’s leadership reflects how community-driven initiatives can strengthen local livelihoods while opening opportunities for sustainable energy solutions.
I also met Teacher Flor Baduria, 49, who is serving as an educator while advocating for better electricity on the island. Beyond teaching in the classroom, she also leads a community organization advocating for more stable electricity on the island.
Together with the community, she helps facilitate communication with the local electric cooperative to push for a more reliable energy supply. Her efforts highlight the role of community leadership in ensuring that remote areas are not left behind in the transition toward inclusive and sustainable energy access.
Talking to her, I felt how deeply she cared about the island’s future, especially for the younger generation.
Throughout our time in Sulu-an, I kept thinking how fortunate I was to meet these women and the impact they are making on the community. It is because, across the island, these women are showing that renewable energy solutions can grow from within communities themselves, helping expand access to sustainable energy while strengthening safety, livelihoods, and essential services.
They are Solar Iskolars, leaders, and educators. Each role they carry contributes more than themselves.
Their work reminds us that empowering women with knowledge, skills, and opportunities does more than change individual lives. It helps power entire communities toward a more resilient and sustainable future.