Coastal Flooding Resilience in Sitio Kagang and Sitio Tapusok of Barangay Utod: Integrating Local Worldviews and Futures Thinking for Adaptive Management

This study examines how sustainability worldviews shape residents' understanding of coastal flooding and their preferred management responses in Sitio Kagang and Sitio Tapusok, Barangay Utod, Baybay City, Philippines. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, we surveyed 99 coastal residents (87.6% of households), conducted 8 focus group discussions with residents using causal mapping, and consulted 9 expert key informants through individual interviews and a focus group discussion with environmental scientists. Survey responses classified 90 residents (90.9%) into three worldview orientations: hybrid (n = 50), primary ecocentric (n = 27), and primary anthropocentric (n = 13). Residents across all groups agreed that poor waste management (M = 4.60), upland deforestation (M = 4.58), and climate change (M = 4.51) drive flooding, with no significant group differences. Groups differed, however, on whether inadequate drainage (p = .014) or mangrove destruction (p = .042) is the primary cause. Support for stronger seawalls (M = 4.58), upstream reforestation (M = 4.41), mangrove restoration (M = 4.37), and combined engineered and ecosystem solutions (M = 4.10) did not differ by worldview. The sharpest divide concerned knowledge: anthropocentric residents rejected the idea that local knowledge is as valuable as scientific knowledge (M = 1.85), while hybrid and ecocentric residents endorsed it (M = 4.06 and 4.30; p < .001). Of three management scenarios, residents rated integrated adaptive management highest (M = 4.56; 89.9% agreeing), consistent with scenario discussions and expert interviews favoring a combination of structural protection, ecosystem restoration, and participatory governance. The findings suggest that worldview diversity need not block agreement on flood measures, but that resilience planning in these communities must also address whose knowledge counts in decision-making.