From Combatant to Neighbor: Trust, Participation, and Identity Reconstruction Among Former Rebels in Philippine Resettlement Communities

Housing provides former rebels with a place to live, but sustainable reintegration depends on whether they are accepted as members of their new communities. This study explored how former rebels resettled in government housing sites develop trust with their neighbors, participate in community life, reconstruct their identities, and contribute to community cohesion. Employing a qualitative phenomenological design, the study involved twenty purposively selected former rebels residing in two government resettlement communities in Region X, Northern Mindanao, Philippines. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews, field observations, and documentary analysis and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Sample adequacy was established through information power, while thematic saturation was reached when no new codes or themes emerged during the final interviews across both sites. Findings indicate that trust develops gradually through repeated positive interactions characterized by respect, humility, and behavioral consistency but remains vulnerable to alcohol-related conflict, low community participation, and persistent stigma. Community participation emerged as the principal mechanism connecting interpersonal trust with collective identity and social cohesion, while leadership opportunities facilitated identity reconstruction from former combatant to active community member. Nevertheless, social stigma continued to hinder complete acceptance despite participants' commitment to civilian life. The study concludes that successful reintegration extends beyond housing provision and requires sustained investments in participatory governance, psychosocial support, livelihood development, and anti-stigma interventions. The findings contribute to reintegration scholarship by demonstrating the interconnected roles of trust, participation, identity reconstruction, and community cohesion within government-assisted post-conflict resettlement.

former rebels, community cohesion, trust-building, identity reconstruction

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