Extreme Weather Event–Social Conflict Nexus in the Philippines

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Notes

1 Looting became possible in Tacloban where there was weak governance and breakdown of disaster and risk reduction management systems supposed to be in place as required by law. For instance the Tacloban mayor, who was supposed to head the internal command system in the event of a disaster, was the first one to ‘disappear’ from the disaster scene, claiming that he was also a victim, as much as his constituents were. The widespread confusion among the survivors was exacerbated by this lack of an authority figure to provide guidance to relief volunteers and to the survivors on where to go for help.

2 Other post-disaster researches, however, debunk the inevitability of looting. In other post-disaster contexts like Japan, for example, there was no looting reported.

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Notes on contributors

Laurence L. Delina

LAURENCE DELINA is a Postdoctoral Associate at the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future at Boston University.

Rufa Cagoco-Guiam

RUFA CAGOCO-GUIAM is a retired professor of sociology and anthropology, peace and development studies, and public administration and management at Mindanao State University, General Santos City, Philippines.