Networks of recovery: Remittances, social capital and post-disaster recovery in Tacloban City, Philippines

Abstract

People exposed to natural hazards, especially those in weak states, depend on their social networks to survive. But in the face of disasters, such as Typhoon Haiyan that struck the Philippines in 2013, a household's local network is equally affected, and the household have needs to seek help from outside ties. After Typhoon Haiyan, migrants rose as a major source of assistance for post-disaster recovery. This study asks how does social capital and the types of social capital ties households affect remittance-receiving after disasters? Drawing from 72 interviews and 72 participant-aided sociograms with households in three heavily damaged communities in Tacloban City, this study found that middle income households have significantly more access and ability to receive remittances than lower income households. The study provides empirical support for more categories of social capital that are significant in post-disaster contexts: bonding ties that bridge space and bonding ties that link. Ultimately, access to social capital and the ability to mobilize remittances and other assistances from social ties impact a households' ability to recover after disasters.