Justice according to whom? Divergent perspectives and provocations on disaster justice in the Philippines

Disaster justice is an emerging research frontier in disaster risk reduction (DRR) praxis. Its central tenets recognise that disasters can expose, magnify, and deepen existing injustices in society which may lead to further injustices. Thus, DRR stakeholders are encouraged to embed & mainstream justice considerations in their policies and programs. Yet, some critical questions remain: How is disaster justice “actually” and “differentially” conceptualised and applied, or not, on the ground? What are its parallels and contrasts, and whose perspectives are advanced or muted in disaster governance? Anchored on a grounded theory approach, I answer these questions using primary data obtained from four focus groups (n- 44) and 51 key informants over a ten-month fieldwork in Eastern Visayas, Philippines- a region devastated by super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. Using empirical examples on their long-term recovery, I discuss contrasting perspectives and provocations from internally displaced persons, policymakers, government workers, and humanitarian practitioners on what (in)justice entails, and how these divergent ideas are adopted, or not, in disaster governance. Ultimately, this study answers to the call of critical scholars in “rethinking disaster studies” by foregrounding disaster justice based on locally and culturally grounded perspectives of disaster-affected communities themselves.