Natural disasters and land grabs: the politics of their intersection in the Philippines following super typhoon Haiyan

ABSTRACT

This article explores how climate change and disasters can change the trajectory of land grabs and how humanitarian principles, instruments and climate change mitigation strategies are used to justify large-scale land deals in the wake of a disaster. Focusing on a small island in the Philippines devastated by the 2013 typhoon Haiyan and the community’s history of agrarian land conflict, the article demonstrates how this complex interplay camouflages the power dynamics between the dominant elite and peasants, obscures the line between land grab and provisions for human security and has the potential to abruptly change spatial, institutional and political land arrangements in poor communities on a global scale.

RÉSUMÉ

Cet article explore comment le changement climatique et les catastrophes naturelles peuvent changer la trajectoire de l’accaparement des terres et comment les principes et instruments humanitaires, ainsi que les stratégies d’adaptation aux changements climatiques, sont utilisés pour justifier les transactions foncières à grande échelle à la suite d’une catastrophe. Se basant sur une île des Philippines dévastée par le typhon Haiyan de 2013 et sur le conflit agraire qui a marqué la communauté, cet article montre comment cette interaction complexe camoufle une dynamique du pouvoir entre l’élite dominante et les paysans, obscurcit la frontière entre l’accaparement de terres et les dispositions pour la sécurité humaine et a le potentiel de changer brusquement les arrangements fonciers spatiaux, institutionnels et politiques dans les communautés pauvres sur une échelle mondiale.

KEYWORDS:

• Land grabs
• disaster
• climate change
• small islands
• Philippines

Notes on contributor

Angelina Uson holds a graduate degree in development studies (International Institute of Social Studies). Her interests include land rights, disasters, indigenous peoples and climate change.

Notes

1. BSP exchange rate (29 August 2014) for the Philippine Peso (PHP): EUR1 = PHP57.53 (http://www.bsp.gov.ph/).

2. Personal interview with the representative of the local elite family in Iloilo Province on 23 July 2014 (hereafter local elite interview).

3. Ayala Corp., a top private holding company, boasts a market capital worth of USD7.9 billion (Forbes 2014). Established in 1834, it is the oldest and largest Philippine business conglomerate, with business portfolio in real estate, financial services, telecommunications, water services, electronics, manufacturing services and business process outsourcing, among others. In 1998–2013, it invested nearly USD11 billion across these business sectors, bringing its net value asset in the USA and Asia to USD211 million. It also has multiple businesses in China, Mexico, the USA and Europe (Ayala Corporation 2013).

4. Personal interview with the official at the Ayala Corp. office on 19 August 2014 (hereafter Ayala interview).

5. Personal interview with a high ranking official in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on 7 August 2014 (hereafter DENR interview).

6. Personal interview with Danny Carranza at the RIGHTS Network office on 12 August 2014 (hereafter Carranza interview).

7. Personal interview with an official of the Municipal Assessor’s Office on 21 July 2014.

8. These Notices are issued for CARP-covered private agricultural lands, informing the landowner of the size and location of the land being acquired. Once the Notice has been served to the landowners, DAR initiates the land acquisition and distribution process.

9. Local elite interview.

10. The writ of amparo “is a remedy available to any person whose right to life, liberty and security is violated or threatened with violation by an unlawful act or omission of a public official or employee, or of a private individual or entity” (Philippines Supreme Court 2007).

11. Ayala interview.

12. Ibid.

13. Personal interview with relocatees in Jolog village on 27 July 2014 (hereafter Jolog relocatees interview).

14. Personal interview with community members of Alipata on 24 July and Buaya and San Fernando on 25 July 2014.

15. Jolog relocatees interview.

16. Personal interview with community members of Alipata and of Buaya and San Fernando on 24 and 25 July 2014, respectively.

17. OPARR is the coordinating body assigned to put together an overall strategic vision, coordinate, monitor and evaluate rehabilitation plans and programmes of the national and local states for typhoon Haiyan.

18. Personal interview with a communications official of OPARR on 6 August 2014 (hereafter OPARR interview).

19. Personal interview with the climate change expert at the OPARR office on 18 August 2014.

20. Ayala interview.

21. Personal interview with an official of the Municipal Planning and Development Office on 21 July 2014.

22. OPARR interview.