In the southern Philippines, human-induced disasters, such as terrorist attacks, have caused unprecedented damage to the economic, social, and political life of the attacked and nearby areas. More gruesome is the direct impacts to human life and wellbeing. This study focuses on the 2017 Marawi armed siege, the longest urban battle in the Philippines. The 154-day siege took a heavy toll, including 1,132 deaths among militants, soldiers, police, and civilians, and caused the displacement of some 400,000 local inhabitants. The city is in total ruins leaving its economic center as “Ground 0.” The aftermath of the siege demands major interventions to address physical and economic damages, but more importantly, to ameliorate the human impacts caused by the brutalities of war. The displaced peoples need to recover from health impacts – psychological trauma, as well as social, environmental, and cultural. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) 2015-2030 states that DRR requires society-wide engagement. Everyone, regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, religion, or socio-economic position, should be involved in thinking, planning, and deciding about DRR. Studies on youth participation in disaster recovery are still scarce.

This current research aims to help fill this gap and to contribute to providing the much-needed evidence base for the formulation and implementation of future policies to enable and improve youth participation in post-disaster initiatives in the Philippines.

Initial findings reveal that the following are crucial factors for youth mobilization: (1.) avenues for volunteering, (2.) access to adequate resources and support including information, funds, manpower, and social capital, (3.) opportunities for the youth to participate in the form of events or activities, (4.) legal mandate for youth participation in local, national, and international policies and frameworks. The study also looked at barriers or challenges to youth participation and their motivations.