The After Effect: Lived Experiences of Typhoon Yolanda Survivors

Natural calamities cause massive affliction among affected communities. As a result, most survivors have to rely on their coping mechanisms and deal with their losses and consequent emotional grief. Taking November 8, 2013, super typhoon Haiyan, which was known as “Yolanda” locally, as an example, this study aims to report findings from within a phenomenological study designed to investigate the lived experiences of Yolanda survivors in Tacloban City. This study is based on the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, which recognises the role of self in interpretation and utilises hermeneutic phenomenology, which is concerned with understanding texts. In-depth interviews with survivors were conducted, and their responses were audio-recorded and transcribed. Five emergent themes were identified: (1) unperturbed and used, (2) emotion-focused outcomes, (3) divine faith, (4) ways of coping, and (5) resilience. In the process, the participants did not only survive but established a new sense of purpose and their renewed awareness in life was awakened. Future studies may investigate different types of coping assistance at various points in the recovery process, and additional research is needed to elucidate how different types of religious involvement may intercede the effects of a natural disaster.