Connections, Trust and Social Capital in Disaster: A study on the 2013 Typhoon Haiyan affected residents in Leyte, Philippines

Abstract

Based on the survey data from 190 affected residents from Typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines, we explored (1) how the disaster changed the people's social connections, and (2) how their trusts in various social actors contribute to their response to the disaster. Comparing the identified engagements before, during and after the disaster, we found (1) contact with their family, neighbor and relatives, are consistently present throughout the three phases of the disaster; (2) these changes were possible due to fatality and disappearances, the presence of emergent groups, change of residence, and perception of the disaster as a shared experience; and (3) there is stronger trust in their connections with relatives after the disaster. We concluded that the disaster impacts the interactions and contact with the different social actors in their network.