Linking social infrastructure and social capital: Barangay halls and basketball courts as cornerstones of community resilience

Social infrastructure – spaces where social relationships are formed and maintained – plays a vital role in shaping disaster resilience. This study examines how different types of social infrastructure influence the creation and mobilisation of bonding, bridging, and linking social capital in disaster contexts. Drawing on fieldwork observations and 47 interviews with community members and government authorities across eight barangays in Tacloban City in the Philippines, we identify six core functions of social infrastructure: activity, neutrality, co-creation, organising, institutionalisation, and information. These functions underpin mechanisms through which social capital is built and subsequently activated for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. Results show that barangay halls and other community spaces serve as key institutional and informational hubs, enabling communication, coordination, and access to support, especially in low-resource settings. This research offers a conceptual framework for understanding social infrastructure's role in resilience and highlights practical opportunities for targeted investment in inclusive, multi-functional spaces to strengthen community disaster capacity. • Presents a framework linking social infrastructure to disaster resilience • Identifies six core functions of social infrastructure shaping social capital • Links social infrastructure functions to mechanisms of social capital mobilisation • Shows how bonding, bridging, and linking capital are used in the Philippines • Provides guidance for targeted investment in community infrastructure