Level of awareness and practices of the barangay officials towards disaster risk reduction and management in San Vicente, Palawan, Philippines

Barangay officials have a significant role in local disaster management in the Philippines, where natural hazards such as typhoons frequently occur. This study assessed the level of awareness and practices of barangay officials towards disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM). A descriptive-correlational research design was employed using a structured questionnaire. Gathered data from a total of 75 barangay officials in San Vicente, Palawan were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation tests. The results found that most of the respondents are male 53%, with ages between 39-48 years old, have attained college level education, a long-term resident of San Vicente, and had more than six years in government service. The respondents have identified typhoons, flooding, and landslides as the most common disasters experienced within the municipality. Results also revealed that the barangay officials showed high awareness particularly in search and rescue operations, their roles in DRRM, and designated evacuation centers. They also showed regular participation in DRRM activities, specifically training on first aid, search and rescue, and disaster management and information dissemination. However, they identified lack of training, lack of funds, and low community participation as the primary challenges to DRRM implementation. Moreover, results showed that there was no significant correlation between demographic profile and awareness, but disaster experience and DRRM practices did. These findings suggest that prior disaster experiences increase awareness, which in turn increases DRRM involvement. Though, barangay-level DRRM implementation necessitate institutional, financial, and participatory improvements.