The critical role of communities in post-disaster recovery and reconstruction processes is a staple of the existing literature on the subject; yet, there remains an ongoing debate on what the best practices may be for involving the community in post-disaster processes. This paper introduces into the discussion lessons learned from experiences on community participation in recovery and reconstruction projects and programmes in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. Typhoon Haiyan affected a total of 14 million people, destroyed 1.1 million homes and resulted in the displacement of 4 million people. The experience of these communities highlights the positive effects of community involvement in post-disaster processes towards long-term social and economic resiliency in the area. Of particular note were the reduction of recovery and reconstruction time as well as costs incurred on the state, and other partners.This paper suggests that Governments should embrace communities as equal partners in the post-disaster recovery, and that partnerships are crucial for successful planning and recovery. This paper suggests a set of guidelines for community participation in post-disaster processes that are in line with recently adopted United Nations development agendas, including the New Urban Agenda.

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