The War on Terror: Assessing Awareness and Acceptance on The Anti-Terrorism Act (Ata) of 2020 in Oriental Mindoro, Philippines

The war on terror has been a focal point of global security efforts, with various measures implemented to combat terrorism. This study investigates the awareness and acceptance of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 among the residents of Sitio who have had cases of terrorist attacks in the Municipality of Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro. The study utilized the descriptive-correlational method to systematically describe the relationship among variables. The study reveals that respondents were unaware of the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act and varied on the level of acceptance of its provisions. It further shows a significant relationship between the level of awareness and acceptance and factors such as age, sex, religion, income, and educational attainment. The research recommends collaboration between local leaders, educational institutions, and other civil society organizations to implement an information dissemination plan and other educational programs for anti-terrorism awareness and establish a monitoring and evaluation mechanism to assess the impact of the awareness-raising efforts of the agencies involved.