Finally, I was able to dowload the photos from my digicam (actually, my brother’s digicam!). One internet shop here in Gubat was kind enough to allow me to install the camera’s software as their OS is not “plug and play”. 
Gubat is still in darkness and it has been part of everyone’s routine here to go out to town to charge their cellphones (and anything else that needs charging) in commercial establishments running on generators.
Though some parts of downtown Sorsogon has their electric power back, still majority of the province is back in the dark ages as most lines and posts needed major repair and replacements.
Cellphone charging here ranges from 15-30 PHP per unit on a full charge, depending if have your own charger or not.
Major rebuiiding is currently ongoing on our house, I’ve taken no new photos yet as the digicam has been full for the last two-three weeks.
This was taken a week-and half after milenyo. For more Milenyo photos, click here.
Note: in photo here is the acetylene lamp that my brother improvised made of water and Calcium Carbide (kalburo). A lot brighter, cheaper and stable than kerosone lamp and candles.
October 17th, 2006 at 10:42 pm
It’s good to know you are all is well despite the discomforts, inconveniences, etc. I believe that you are tough and things like these only make you tougher.
It’s the first time I’ve seen the acetylene lamp though i came from a provincial town and frequently stay there too.
can you give more details? “It’s safer and cheaper and more stable” –> Really? What does it smell like? I think I recall that the bamboo cannons smelled acidic.
October 18th, 2006 at 1:26 am
Ah yes, the vaunted Filipino ingenuity!
October 18th, 2006 at 8:14 am
hello jun, u r right typhoons like this make us tougher, in a bicolano’s lifetime I guess di na mabibilang ang bagyong madadaanan. so people are used to starting over again, literally and figuratively.
this acetylene lamp that my brother made is a derivative of the ones that fishermen bring to sea (the ones that look like what the miners use. since the one in the picture is contained, you cannot smell the acidic sulfur that comes out with acetylene gas when water mixes with the carbide.
(the top can contains water with a regulator that allows water to drip regularly in small amounts to the bottom can that conatins the carbide.)
the same principle is applied with bamboo cannons except that it’s open so you can smell the acid.
1/4 kilo of kalburo here is 13 pesos, we consume that for 3 nights (lasting from 6:30 pm to say 4 am).
the set-up above is very crude though, i’m sure it could be improved given better materials. we just make sure that there’s no leak otherwise it be a ticking bomb.
September 17th, 2007 at 7:20 am
[…] [Photo taken last year, post-typhoon milenyo] […]
February 25th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
this is great!, i mean, how can a kalburo can be used to improvised such devise, im curious thou, what do you used in the upper part the, one where the fire comes out?,
February 26th, 2009 at 9:51 am
some tube-like kind of metal.