MANILA, Philippines - Typhoon Basyang which hit the country earlier this week took a lot of people by surprise. The winds were stronger than expected, causing a blackout in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon. Some areas also did not have water.

That's why aside from preparing food, medicines, and a first-aid kit, it's also important to have some gadgets that can help people get through calamities.

According to the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), the top must-have gadget is the flashlight.

Aside from the ordinary flashlight, there is the all-in-one rechargeable device with flashlight, built-in AM/FM radio, electric fan and electric outlet for charging a cellphone.

Also available in the market is a self-charging light that one just winds up to charge--no batteries or external charging needed. It has LED lights and an AM/FM radio too.

A household will also need a Swiss knife or multi-tool Leberman to keep handy in case of emergencies.

For those who may want to charge their laptops, they may get a power inverter and a 220-volt outlet from a car's cigarette lighter socket.

It's also important to have a portable water filter in case the household runs out of clean drinking water.

"Walang sukatan sa investment na ito para sa inyong seguridad kaysa magsisi pa kayo," said Gwendolyn Pang, secretary-general of the PNRC.

The PNRC added it's best to invest in disaster preparedness rather than to panic and regret it in the middle of a calamity. -- Report from TJ Manotoc, ABS-CBN News