Disaster Induced Resettlement: Multi-stakeholder Interactions and Decision Making Following Tropical Storm Washi in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines

The Tropical Storm Washi (locally known as Sendong) hit the major cities in the region of Northern Mindanao in Southern Philippines between December 16th and 17th, 2011. The flash floods brought by Washi resulted in a massive and unprecedented destruction of urban areas, causing, only in Cagayan de Oro, the displacement of 228,576 persons that represents almost 40% of the total city population, 5,801 houses were totally destroyed and 12,635 were partially damaged. Approximately 85% of the affected households were informal settlers of highly vulnerable and marginal areas located near the river banks. As a result, the post-disaster housing recovery projects focused on the resettlement of these communities as a priority for permanent housing.In the following month of the disaster, the government announced an ambitious resettlement project to build more than 8,500 houses in safer locations. The project implies a complex process in which each stakeholder has specific roles, responsibilities, and approaches. Therefore, the success of the project depends on a large extent of the relationships among stakeholders, leadership and the decisions taken independently by each stakeholder who in turn is affected by other stakeholders’ decisions.This research examines the coordination mechanisms, criteria for decision making and the complex interactions among the different stakeholders involved in the housing reconstruction in Cagayan de Oro in the aftermath of Washi for a better understanding of the process which is needed for an effective management of the resettlement projects.