An Investigation of the Reality of Community-Building in Post-Yolanda Relocation Areas in Tacloban City, Philippines

Elizabeth Maly (Tohoku University)

On November 8, 2013, Super Typhoon Yolanda caused destruction across the Philippines. In low-lying coastal areas of Tacloban City, many informal settlers without official land rights suffered devastation. Tacloban City’s two-part approach to disaster recovery focused on 1) relocating people away from coastal no-build (later no-dwell) zones to 2) new houses provided through support from government and non-government organizations (NGOs) in North Tacloban, 10-20km from the city center and former communities.

This research aims to gain a deeper understanding of the situation of new communities forming in resettlement sites. Using a Community Asset Based approach, we are investigating living environment factors, including social services, connections with neighbors, livelihood, education, infrastructure, and site and housing design. One focus of inquiry is the potential of elementary schools within or near new resettlement sites to function as a community asset. The four relocation sites in Tacloban North selected for the first phase of this study include those with houses provided by the National Housing Authority (NHA) and by NGOs; and those near or including existing or newly established schools.

Based on semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with key community stakeholders, triangulated with data from questionnaire surveys of local residents conducted in Feb. 2019, this collaborative research evaluates the impact of relocation on residents in North Tacloban five years after Yolanda. Initial findings support the hypothesis that schools within resettlement sites are seen as an asset by community members; various activities/events demonstrate active participation of parents in the school community and involvement of teachers and administrators in the lives of students and the resettlement communities. This research is expected to lead to future Participatory Action Research in collaboration with the Research and Extension program of Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU).