Disaster Preparedness in Public Schools of Pinamalayan Districts: Basis for Comprehensive Risk Management Plan
Keywords:
Disaster Risk Reduction, School Preparedness, Teacher Awareness, Community Resilience, Capacity BuildingAbstract
Disaster is an unforeseen event that significantly disrupts community or societal functioning, resulting in human, material, economic, or environmental losses, often surpassing the community's capacity to recover or cope with its own resources.
Findings indicate deficiencies in basic equipment and facilities within certain schools, hindering the implementation of disaster risk reduction management protocols. In terms of Teachers' Awareness in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Measures, educators demonstrate a moderate grasp of Community Risk Management, institutional collaboration, and integrating disaster education into the curriculum. While their understanding of communication systems and emergency response drills is satisfactory, there's a notable lack of awareness regarding capacity-building initiatives.
Schools' preparedness levels for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Measures highlight shortcomings in response, recovery, rehabilitation, and mitigation efforts. Although policy adherence and monitoring mechanisms are effective, resource allocation and community engagement aspects require improvement. While stakeholders express satisfaction with program effectiveness and inclusivity, there's dissatisfaction with communication transparency.
Significant correlations exist between school profiles and the extent of preparedness in disaster risk management measures, the degree of implementation of risk reduction programs, and overall stakeholder satisfaction. Moreover, statistically significant relationships are observed between school preparedness, implementation of risk reduction measures, and stakeholder satisfaction.
In light of these findings, the importance of a comprehensive risk management plan is underscored for identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks to safeguard assets, reputation, and long-term sustainability in Pinamalayan Districts.
Recommendations to enhance disaster risk reduction measures include prioritizing targeted awareness programs for teachers, focusing on capacity building initiatives, and ensuring comprehensive professional development. Additionally, efforts should concentrate on building resilience at all levels within the educational system, facilitated by proactive involvement from the Department of Education.
Furthermore, integrating disaster education into the curriculum, providing financial support for poverty alleviation and employment creation programs, and encouraging research and innovation are vital. These measures aim to bolster disaster risk reduction efforts and contribute to building a more resilient society.
Implementing these recommendations will enable schools and relevant institutions to play a significant role in enhancing disaster risk reduction efforts and fostering resilience within communities.