From Resistance to Community Gratitude: The Case of the Leyte Tide Embankment Project, Philippines

Coastal communities in the Philippines remain highly vulnerable to climate-induced hazards, as demonstrated by the devastation of Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in 2013. In Leyte, one of the worst-affected provinces, the state-led construction of the tide embankment became a focal point of post-disaster rehabilitation. This study explored how survivors living along the embankment interpreted and reinterpreted its meaning over time, tracing a shift from resistance to conditional gratitude. Drawing on key informant interviews conducted from September to December 2024 with fisherfolk, small business owners, and community leaders in Tacloban and the surrounding municipalities, the study identified early sources of resistance: limited information, lack of consultation, scientific disconnect, and fears of displacement and livelihood loss. Initially perceived as an exclusionary structure imposed without community input, the embankment later gained legitimacy as it reduced flooding, restored confidence, and signaled state recognition. However, gratitude remained rooted in tangible improvements to safety and livelihoods. The findings demonstrate that disaster infrastructures are not neutral technical solutions but evolving social and political objects. They gain legitimacy through lived experience, as communities reinterpret them within narratives of safety, recovery, and resilience. This study contributes to the debate on disaster governance by showing how infrastructures embody infrastructural citizenship and the politics of resilience, where trust is earned rather than given. Policy implications highlight the need for inclusive consultation, accessible risk communication, and livelihood-sensitive planning to ensure that protective infrastructures are both effective and socially legitimate.