Burdened Survival: Rural Filipino Women’s Lived Experiences of Resilience, Gendered Vulnerabilities, and Governance Failure During COVID-19

Abstract

Jerski Jarzen Cajuigan Duria*, Revelyn Q. Ignacio, Rian Carlo C. Nimenzo, Katherine L. Santiago and Robert V. Bolisay

The COVID-19 pandemic was not a universal experience but a crisis that disproportionately burdened rural women. While resilience has often been framed as empowerment, this study reframes it as burdened survival shaped by governance failure and social inequality. A qualitative phenomenological design was employed, with in-depth interviews conducted among eight rural women. Data were analyzed thematically to capture their lived experiences and coping strategies during the pandemic. Six major themes emerged: (1) economic struggles and pre-existing vulnerabilities, (2) diskarte as a gendered coping mechanism, (3) perceived failures of state governance, (4) community resilience and the spirit of bayanihan, (5) reproductive health and teenage pregnancies, and (6) psychosocial wellbeing under strain. Participants emphasized that their strategies were not empowering choices but compelled responses to survive amid institutional neglect. While bayanihan and community pantries offered temporary relief, they could not replace systemic support. The study highlights resilience as burdened survival rather than empowerment, challenging dominant resilience discourses. It underscores the critical role of gender-responsive governance, sustained reproductive health services, recognition of unpaid care work, and psychosocial support in crisis response. Strengthening community solidarity while holding the state accountable is essential to avoid normalizing grassroots coping as a substitute for systemic welfare. By foregrounding the intersection of gendered vulnerability, governance failure, and community resilience, this study contributes to global debates on resilience and rural development in the Global South.

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