Home is worth fighting for.

In the heart of Batasan Island, Bohol, Annie's wooden stilt house epitomises the islanders' unwavering connection to their home. It has stood for 53 years.

Annie, sleepless in the island's early hours, confronts rising waters — a daily struggle to protect their homes. She treasures her island home and refuses to relocate. It has nurtured generations—a sanctuary against the encroaching uncertainties of a changing world.

Annie passionately pleads for climate polluters to cease the environmental destruction of her sanctuary. She points to the suffering inflicted on communities like hers that are caught in the crossfires of climate change. Her unwavering commitment mirrors the courage of islanders, who stand steadfast even against the unrelenting tides of injustice.

In the onslaught of Typhoon Odette’s storm surge, Annie's father raced to their house, urgently telling them to evacuate. They loved their home, but their survival should be the priority. Annie stood in awe, watching the swift rise of water levels on her island, leaving her with no choice but to focus on rescuing her family.

Annie joined the legal action because she wants to protect her community from the effects of the climate crisis.

Before Typhoon Odette, Trixy’s life was good. She and her family had built their own house. They could even buy a boat and start a business from their savings. Fishing became their primary source of income and Trixy’s husband quit his job to prioritise their own business.

Then the typhoon hit. Trixy had to swim 50 metres through rising waters from her collapsing house to a safer one with her mother, father, husband, brother, and her two children (5 and 10). Debris raced around them, bruising her leg and cutting her mothers’ - she needed five stitches. Trixy’s home was destroyed, and her clothes were all gone. For five days, she wore the same clothes she had worn when Odette hit her.

Trixy and her family were left with nothing and were forced to start over. Despite their difficulties, Trixy and her husband worked hard to rebuild their lives. They took a loan from a microfinance group to get back on their feet and even sold precious jewellery to sustain their lives. After a while, they managed to rebuild their house but could no longer afford a boat to continue their business.

Thanks to their resilience, life goes on - but Trixy remembers how scared she was for her life and her children’s lives during the storm and remains afraid of something similar coming again.

Trixy joined the legal action when she was invited to a meeting by one of her neighbours. She was curious about what it entailed and, during the meeting, quickly understood that it was about fighting for justice. She decided to join because she felt there was nothing to lose – even as a small community and ordinary people, these oil and gas companies might just notice them if they united and acted together. She believes that even if the case doesn’t succeed, she is doing her bestto make a difference.

Hazel has called Inanuran her home with her husband and child since 2016. Before the typhoon, they sold an abundance of fish. Now, populations have dwindled so much that they measure their catches in grams, where once they measured them in kilos.

Hazel evacuated to the mainland during the Typhoon. When she returned home, her house had been washed away into the sea. Their belongings were gone, and their food supplies were destroyed by seawater. Hazel and her husband lived in a tent for six months until disaster relief efforts helped them build a house on another part of the island.

In its aftermath, amid the wreckage, trauma lingers. Hazel feels terror whenever she hears wind and rain and starts escorting her child to school daily.

In her heart, a question echoes, grappling with the island's risks: a lifetime on its shores or a safer relocation to the mainland? Relocation could offer safety, but fishing roots resist farming on unfamiliar land. Her connection to her home weighs heavily on her. The future, and especially her child’s, remains Hazel's worry.

In Hazel's recollection of Typhoon Odette, the mangroves, or "bakhaw," stand out alongside memories of her family and home. These mangroves act as a vital shield against storm surges and typhoons, providing sanctuary for small crabs and fish. A wave of sorrow washed over her when she returned from the evacuation centre. She beheld the devastating aftermath—broken and uprooted mangroves scattered across the landscape, their once-protective presence now reduced to splinters. Almost none remained standing - a heartrending reminder of the typhoon's impact on the natural safeguards of her island.

Hazel understood that people should be held accountable for the climate crisis and what is happening to her and her family’s lives. But at first, she was sceptical about the legal action. How could they win against a giant corporation? Doesn’t the Filipino judicial system take 20-30 years to achieve justice? However, she was re-energised upon learning that the case will take place against Shell in the UK courts.

Arnold is a fisherman from Bilangbilangan, Bohol. He represents the vast challenges facing coastal communities amidst the climate crisis. Worried about tidal flooding and typhoons, Arnold grapples with the dilemma of staying in his ancestral home versus the risks and benefits of relocation.

Arnold's attachment to Bilangbilangan is rooted in a profound connection to the island's marine resources and the sustenance they have provided his community for generations. Despite the dangers, Arnold, like many, remains resilient. He is tethered to a way of life that, though increasingly dangerous, connects him to his community's history and identity in the face of an uncertain, climate-altered future.

When Typhoon Odette hit, Arnold didn’t think it would be that big of a deal. But then waves crashed over him, nearly pulling him out to sea. Luckily, he managed to cling on to part of a broken building. Arnold’s house, which he had inherited, was completely destroyed in the typhoon. He and his fifteen-year-old son sheltered in debris. It took them six months to build a proper house.  Arnold lost his fishing equipment, boat battery, and fishing rods. He was terrified and remains terrified of another storm.

Arnold joined the case because he hoped it would allow his children to live safer lives and that they could benefit from his dedication to the cause.