You are on page 1of 29

1

Maryhill College, Inc.


“Phenomenological Study on the Importance of Awareness on Natural Disasters

among the Selected Citizens of Dalahican, Lucena City”

A Research Paper

Presented to

Ms. Jane Nelse S. Parago

In Partial Fulfillment

For the Practical Research 1

Presented by:

Ambong, Ella Marie M.

Cristobal, Lauren Jules T.

Abulencia, Earl Jimuel E.

Grade 11- (Piety)


2

Maryhill College, Inc.


CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM

The Problem Introduction

A natural disaster is an act of nature of such magnitude to create a catastrophic

situation in which the day to day pattern of life is suddenly disrupted and people are

plunged into helplessness and suffering, resulting to a need of food, clothing, shelter,

medical and nursing care, and protection against unfavorable environmental calamities.

Disaster preparedness refers to being ready and prepare for all the possible disasters. It

can be the best way to reduce the effects of calamities. The Philippines is on top of the

list of the countries in the world in terms of the occurrence of natural disasters. In 2013,in

modern meteorological records, the deadliest storm was typhoon Yolanda or also known

as Haiyan which became the strongest land fall tropical cyclone ever recorded as it

crossed the Visayas in central Philippines on November 7-8,2013.Natural hazards like

this and such hurricanes, earthquake, winter, weather and floods cause significant risk to

health and environment. Everyone must be aware on natural hazards and their

consequences to human life. The key to reducing loss of life, personal injuries, and

damage from natural disasters is widespread public awareness and education. People

should know in advance what specific preparations to make before and after the disaster

for their safety. This study was conducted in order to spread all the gathered information

of the researchers as a contribution for the sake of every individual in this society. The
3

Maryhill College, Inc.


main objective of this study is to make every people aware about how is being prepared

about natural disaster would help everyone.


4

Maryhill College, Inc.


Statement of the Problem

This study aims to know the importance of awareness in natural disasters among the

selected citizens of Barangay Dalahican, Lucena City.

1. How does being prepared during natural disasters can lessen fatalities?

2. How can the citizens of Dalahican, Lucena City expand their knowledge about the

readiness and awareness during and after the natural disasters?

3. Are the citizens of Dalahican, Lucena City prepared and ready when disaster accured

in their community?
5

Maryhill College, Inc.


Theoretical Framework

According to The Theory of Planned Behavior and Disaster Preparedness, disaster is

“a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving

widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which

exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources”

Although the categories and causes of disasters may differ, their impacts are common;

therefore, a disaster plan should address disaster impacts. Disaster preparedness is

defined as actions that ensure resources necessary to carry out an effective response are

available before a disaster. Disaster preparedness are preparations and adjustments such

as storing food and water, preparing a household emergency plan, preparing an

emergency kit, and other activities that reduce risk or injury and damage. Actually,

disaster preparedness is a health protective behavior, so the behavioral approaches have

taken center stage as a means of it. Even though hundreds of thousands of lives were

affected without warning by disasters yearly, most people do not concern themselves by

preparing until disaster strikes. Therefore, it has become obvious that a more broad-based

effort of behavioral change is required.

Effective interventions to promote disaster preparedness require a thorough

understanding of the factors that influence performance or nonperformance of disaster

preparedness behaviors (DPB). According to many studies conducted on disaster

preparedness, several factors affecting preparedness include: critical awareness, risk

perception, preparedness perception, self-efficacy, collective efficacy , locus of control,


6

Maryhill College, Inc.


fatalism, anxiety, previous disaster experience, societal norms, sense of community,

community participation and empowerment, optimistic and normalization biases, social

trust, perceived responsibility, responsibility towards others, coping style and available

resources. Several theoretical frameworks can be employed in attempts to deal with

behaviors that reduce the risk of natural disasters including: Protection Motivation

Theory(PMT), Person Relative to Event Theory (PrE), Protective Action Decision Model

(PADM), Social-Cognitive Preparation Model and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB).

To date, there has been no study of people using the TPB to explain variability in DPB.

The application of a model that explained a significant amount of variance in intentions

and behavior would assist in helping develop interventions to disaster risk reduction.
7

Maryhill College, Inc.


Conceptual Framework

The Importance The researchers This research


of gathered the will inform
Phenomenologica needed data benificiaries
l Study of the through an about the cause
Importance of interview with the and effects of
Awareness on respondents. the natural
Natural Disaster disaster. In the
among the human life and
selected Citizens provide tips on
of Dalahican, how to be
Lucena City in prepared when
Natural Disasters. there is a
calamity.

Figure 1.

This framework used to illustrate the expectations of the researcher upon the

conducted study. This framework is composed of plans of the researchers regarding to the

study.
8

Maryhill College, Inc.


Significance of the Study

The outcome of the study is to know importance of awareness on natural disasters

among the selected citizens of barangay Dalahican, Lucena City. It is hoped that the

readers may gain something from the findings of this study. This research will help the

following:

The Barangay Administrators, because the findings of the study will help them to

enriched the knowledge of their citizens on the awareness in natural disasters to prevent

fatalities and casualties.

The Citizens, that they may be able to enhance their knowledge in terms of being

prepared during the occurrence of disasters.

The Students, that they may gain knowledge and raise their awareness when

natural disasters occurred in their community.

Future Researchers, that they may possibly benefit from the current study which

can help them to have findings about the importance of awareness in natural disasters.
9

Maryhill College, Inc.


Scope and Delimitation

This study focuses on the importance of awareness of people about the natural

disasters. It will provide an important information on how to deal with such hazards and

about why people should be aware about it. Moreoever, this study will be helpful for

anyone because it could be the basis of people to survive in disasters. The study will be

conducted in Dalahican, Lucena City. The said place perfectly fits for this research

because the geographical location of Dalahican is prone to disasters especially in floods

and typhoon. The researchers will conduct the study in order to give important

information and how awareness about disasters will help them recover from the

destructions and damages that occurred.


10

Maryhill College, Inc.


Definition of Terms

This study contains certain key concept and constructs. The words are briefly

introduced to allow the readers to make sense of what is presented in the previous

chapter.

Catastrophic- it is involving or causing sudden great damage or suffering.

Disaster Preparedness- it is refer to measures taken to prepare for and reduce the

effects of disasters.

Disrupted-it means to interrupt something like event, activity or process by causing a

disturbance or problem.

Fatalities- it is an occurence of death by accident, in war, or from disease.

Interventions- it is the act of inserting one thing between others.

Meteorological- it is relating to the branch of science concerned with the processes

and phenomena of the atmosphere, especially as means of forecasting the weather.

Self-efficacy-it is about how individual can execute courses of action required to deal

with prospective situations.


11

Maryhill College, Inc.


CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND RELATED STUDIES

This chapter presents the related literature and studies after the in depth search

done by the researchers, to fully understand the research.

Review of Related Literature

According to Halligan (2019), there isn’t a state in the union that is immune to

nature’s fury—thunderstorms, blizzards, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, heat waves,

wildfires, ice storms, earthquakes. Then there are chemical spills, train derailments and

acts of terrorism. Even smaller incidents such as gas leaks and minor flooding can keep

you away from your animals for extended periods of time. No one is impervious to the

possibility of being affected, but the key to survival in any disaster situation—whether

natural or manmade—is to know your enemy and be prepared for yourself, your family,

and any animals in your care.

Disaster preparation entails thinking about the worst-case scenario and figuring out

beforehand how you’re going to handle it. It’s smaller emergencies that are more likely to

occur, but if you’re prepared for the worst, you’ll be ready to handle anything. Look at

your own environment and see what type of disaster is most likely to happen. And bear in

mind that sometimes the aftermath is worse than the disaster itself. In the wake of a

catastrophic event, emergency systems, all lines of communication, public systems, and
12

Maryhill College, Inc.


resources are disrupted or overburdened, and you may become isolated as inevitable

turmoil results. Pets that are left to fend for themselves often die a miserable death due to

predation, disease, starvation, and dehydration.

Now is the time to ask your local emergency management agency about your

state’s disaster preparedness plan. Familiarizing yourself with your community’s disaster

plan is an important safeguard for you and your pets. Many communities in disaster-

prone areas have pre-designated locations like state fairgrounds, racetracks, shelters,

stadiums, or veterinary hospitals for emergency housing of animals if a crisis arises.

Once you know which plans you need to have in place, writing Standard Operating

Procedures (SOPs) is essential. Your SOPs should include an evacuation plan, as well as

plans specific to the types of disasters that have previously occurred in your area. Make

sure everyone understands their own role in the SOP and be sure to include protocols for

how to contact all of your foster homes and have a contingency plan if you can’t reach

them.

If you are affiliated with a rescue group, here are some additional disaster

preparedness tips:

* Try to partner with a shelter or boarding facility about 100 miles away, preferably

inland, that would be less likely to be impacted by the disaster and could provide

temporary placement for your animals.


13

Maryhill College, Inc.


* Have leashes, crates, and carriers ready so that you’re not running around when

the winds start howling, trying to find means of transport.

* Keep a copy of all your records either online or on a flash drive that’s backed up

on a regular basis and kept in a safe, yet easily accessible location.

* Make sure all animals have proper vaccines in case they need to be boarded.

* Always keep a current updated contact sheet of your colleagues with the most

current phone numbers and emails and list who’s in charge of what.

* Take a basic incident command course. These online courses from FEMA are free

and will enable rescues to understand the commands coming from the state or county

level. Plus you’ll gain insight into the basic structure of disaster plan implementation.

* Getting involved with others in your community is important, too. Talk to other

animal welfare organizations and find out what their plans look like.

* Practice evacuation and emergency sheltering drills with your local animal

shelter.

Here are some steps all families can take to prepare for disaster:

* Have a readily accessible evacuation kit.


14

Maryhill College, Inc.


* Crate-train all your pets as much as possible. This is very helpful if they must be

boarded or stay in an emergency shelter.

* Have clean drinking water, canned goods and extra cash on hand.

* Keep all vehicles in good running condition with full tanks of gas.

Planning may seem unnecessary, but it’s absolutely essential in ensuring the safety

and survival of your pet and any other dependent. And remember, if you must evacuate,

leave early and take all pets. Expect the unexpected and stay calm. During times of

disaster, rescue groups especially will have to live up to their names.

Luz (2017) wrote “Why disaster preparedness is important” who recently attended the

UN Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction conference in Cancun with a delegation

led by Undersecretary Rick Jalad, director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and

Management Council. The message was pretty clear: The world (and the Philippines in

particular) has made great strides in disaster preparedness, and the investment has paid

off in terms of lives saved. But economic and asset loss have yet to be contained because

of the lack of relevant programs. Lives are saved, but people remain victims of and

impoverished by disaster.

In September 2009, Tropical Storm “Ondoy” (international name: Ketsana) hit

Metro Manila and neighboring provinces. Over a month’s worth of rainfall fell in just 12

hours, leaving more than 700 people dead and some 450,000 displaced. Damage was
15

Maryhill College, Inc.


recorded at $1.09 billion. The absence of a warning system caught people flatfooted and

unaware of the floods that ensued.

In November 2013, Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) barreled

into central eastern Philippines, making landfall in the provinces of Samar and Leyte. It

was the strongest storm worldwide to ever make landfall in the recorded history of storm-

tracking, with winds reaching 315 kilometers per hour and a storm surge of 4.6-7.0

meters (14-21 feet). Yolanda left 6,340 casualties and 1,058 missing and almost $3.0

billion in damage. Forecasts were made and typhoon warnings issued early. But because

the people either ignored the warnings or didn’t take them seriously, the loss of life and

damage were unprecedented because of the general lack of preparedness.

One of team’s strategic decisions was to establish an Emergency Operations Center

(EOC), which was envisioned to provide storm-tracking information as well as a map of

hazard risks such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and floods. By overlaying this data

against maps indicating population and key facilities like airports, ports, roads, utilities,

and other important infrastructure, they plan to mobilize disaster preparedness efforts

well before typhoons hit.

According to Grosfield (2018), natural disasters – such as hurricanes, cyclones,

earthquakes, mudslides, floods, wildfires, volcanic eruptions and weather events like

extreme droughts and monsoons – are likely increasing in frequency due to climate
16

Maryhill College, Inc.


change. These events bring with them a host of issues, including humanitarian, public

health, environmental and infrastructural problems. Climate change and accompanying

natural disasters have created a large migrant population, called climate refugees or

environmental migrants. These people can be been forced out of their homes by an

abrupt natural disaster, like a tsunami, or a slower-moving natural disaster, like a

relentless drought. In any case, the area where they formerly lived is no longer

habitable for one reason or another, or the standard of living has dropped so drastically

that the uncertain future of migration looks more promising.

During and after events like hurricanes and floods, standing water can be a

breeding ground for pathogenic bacteria and disease vectors like mosquitoes. In cases

where transportation capabilities and infrastructure are damaged, survivors of natural

disasters can be cut off from life-saving medications for both acute and chronic

conditions, and be isolated from rescue and emergency healthcare services.

Natural disasters, from tsunamis to wildfires, can cause wide-ranging and long-

term consequences for ecosystems: releasing pollution and waste, or simply

demolishing habitats.

One of the most immediate and economically devastating concerns with natural

disasters is the damage to both public and private infrastructure. These events can

cause billions of dollars in damages, and not all governments are equipped to fund the

process of post-disaster cleanup and rebuilding.


17

Maryhill College, Inc.


Further, many private homeowners do not have property insurance, and certain

natural disasters fall outside of the scope of insurance coverage; this means that in the

wake of a disaster, people can end up losing all of their assets with no opportunity for

restitution.

Natural disasters can have long-term negative consequences beyond the

immediate loss of life and demolition of infrastructure. Often, an area impacted by a

natural disaster will show scars of the event for years to come.

According to Onyango and Uwase (2017), natural disasters have a significant

impact on the public health and well-being of populations affected. Negative health

impacts can be direct (e.g., injuries) or indirect (e.g., malnutrition and increase in

infectious diseases). In the aftermaths of a natural disaster, these health issues are

compounded by the damage done to health systems, water and sanitation infrastructure,

and the displacement of communities affected. Displacement is quite common after major

natural disasters due to increased homelessness. In 2014, the Center for Research on the

Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) estimated that 1 298 848 people were left homeless

due to natural disasters. In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, majority of displaced

populations live in temporary crowded shelters with little to no access to water and food

especially during the first few days. Such living conditions are ideal for the spread of

infectious diseases increasing morbidity and mortality among the displaced populations.

There are many infectious diseases known to spread in such crowded environments
18

Maryhill College, Inc.


including diarrheal diseases, measles, bacterial meningitis, acute respiratory diseases,

malaria and dengue fever, and tetanus, among others. Consequently, to respond to a

natural disaster, public health workers have to treat injuries that require immediate

medical attention while also implementing systems to prevent and reduce the spread of

infectious diseases.

Natural disasters also cause a huge economic burden. From 2000 to 2009, natural

disasters caused $891 billion in damage worldwide (Kellet and Sparks, 2012). The high

cost of natural disasters is attributed to their destruction of expensive and essential

infrastructure (e.g., roads and buildings). In terms of health and economic losses, low-

income countries are disproportionately affected by natural disasters. Even though high-

income countries have higher industrial damage when natural disasters occur, the

proportion of losses in relation to the gross national product demonstrates a higher

financial burden for low-income countries (McDermott et al., 2011). This increases

foreign aid dependency for low-income countries since they need additional funding for

reconstruction and economic recovery efforts. These challenges illustrate the need to link

emergency disaster response efforts to long-term development projects to sustain

recovery.

According to Wingard and Brändlin (2013), on the article that they wrote that

states Philippines: A country prone to natural disasters. Typhoon Haiyan is one of the

deadliest natural disasters ever to hit the Philippines. But it’s far from the only one -
19

Maryhill College, Inc.


the Southeast Asian country is located in an area that has been struck by a number of

major storms. The Philippines has suffered from an inexhaustible number of deadly

typhoons, earthquakes, volcano eruptions and other natural disasters. This is due to its

location along the Ring of Fire, or typhoon belt – a large Pacific Ocean region where

many of Earth’s volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. Annually, approximately

80 typhoons develop above tropical waters, of which 19 enter the Philippine region

and six to nine make landfall, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center

(JTWC).

The Philippines is in fact the country most exposed to tropical storms in the world.

Violent tropical storms, such as the latest Haiyan typhoon, can generate 10 times as much

energy as the Hiroshima atomic bomb.


20

Maryhill College, Inc.


Related Studies

Community-based disaster preparedness incorporates the concept of building on

and using local knowledge and resources in order to improve a population’s capacity to

withstand the impact of disasters. As first responders to a disaster (i.e., search and rescue

teams and the provision of emergency treatment and relief), communities need to be

equipped to manage with the consequences of small, medium and large scale natural

hazards when they strike.

The work of the Red Cross and Red Crescent at the community level is paramount

in addressing and being able to respond to vulnerabilities at the most direct level.

Community preparedness activities should include an analysis of risks, vulnerability and

capacities (VCA). Early warning systems should be accessible and understood by local

communities, who can then act on warnings. Public awareness and public education

campaigns, organization and training of community response teams, and the development

and testing of community response plans through simulations are all actions that

empower communities in the face of disasters.

To effectively support community level programming and scale up activities

National Societies’ capacities must also reinforced. This includes strengthening the

capacities of National Societies in disaster preparedness and post-disaster response,

determining the role and mandate of the National Society in national disaster plans, and

establishing regional networks of National Societies that can support each other in times

of disaster. National Society capacities can be further reinforced through the


21

Maryhill College, Inc.


establishment of National Disaster Preparedness and Response Mechanism. These

include: self-assessment process (WPNS), standard operating procedures, response and

contingency plans, drills and simulations, logistics pre-agreement, volunteer disaster

response teams, among others

In recent decades, numerous studies have been focused on assessing individuals’

levels of preparedness for natural hazards, and the factors that promote the adoption of

preparedness measures [15–17]. In the literature, there are different theoretical

frameworks to conceptualize the adoption of preparedness measures to face natural

hazards, where the Protective Action Decision Model [16, 18] and the Social-Cognitive

Model [19, 20] are the most cited models. The first model recognizes that preparation is a

behavior dependent on risk perception, previous experience and some demographic

characteristics, among other variables. The social cognitive model focuses on the role of

motivational factors on the decision to adopt preparedness actions, including awareness

of the threat, anxiety, self-efficacy, and sense of community among others. Both models

can help describe and understand the preparedness, however, for the purposes of the

present study we incorporate elements of the Protective Action Decision Model, mainly

in aspects related to the relation between sociodemographic factors and preparedness

levels. This model also recognizes the role of experience that is relevant for this particular

study considering that the communities that were studied had experienced both events.
22

Maryhill College, Inc.


In recent years, most of the published disaster health literature concerns urban

communities within high-income or developed countries. However, global disaster

epidemiological patterns show that Asia has the highest frequency of natural disaster

occurrences in floods, cyclones and earthquakes.1 In Asia, with the exception of the 2011

Great East Japan Earthquake, the majority of these large-scale disasters (the 2004 South

Indian Ocean Tsunami, the 2005 Pakistan Kashmir Earthquake, the 2008 China Sichuan

(Wenchuan) Earthquake, the 2013 Typhoon Haiyan and the 2015 Nepal earthquake)

mostly affected rural communities in developing countries. Among the Asian countries,

China has the highest cumulative number of natural disasters over the past decade. In

2016 alone, it experienced 34 natural disasters, four of which ranked in the top 10 largest

disasters worldwide in 2016.2 The year 2016–17 also saw Vietnam experience its worst

drought in 90 years; a torrential monsoon in Bangladesh, India and Nepal, which killed

over 900 people; and a 6.7 magnitude earthquake in the Philippines that impacted over

53 000 people.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6413858/

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0214249

https://www.preparecenter.org/topics/disaster-preparedness
23

Maryhill College, Inc.

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This chapter clearly defines the research methods used to conduct the study. The

researchers explain how the necessary data information to address the research objectives

and questions collective, presented and analyzed. Reasons and justifications for the

research design, research locale, respondents of the study, research instrument and data

gathering procedure. Research Design In order to gathered the important informations for

this study, the researchers conducted an interview among the selected citizen of Barangay

Dalahican, Lucena City. Through the interview, the respondents helped the researchers to

find what are the coping mechanisms in order to survive when the natural disaster strikes

and to contribute to everyone the knowledge about how awareness about natural disaster

would help them for better life.

Research Locale

The study was conducted in Dalahican, Lucena City. The researchers chose this

community due to its geographical position, the researchers believe that it is the perfect

place to conduct their study because their geographical position is located beside the

ocean that makes them vulnerable in hydrometeorological disasters.


24

Maryhill College, Inc.


Respondents of the Study

The main respondents of the study are the selected citizens of Dalahican, Lucena City.

The researchers focused on the respondent's familiarity about the different types of

calamities and how ready the citizens are, which could be helpful in order to make this

study useful and reliable source of information about the particular topic.

Research Instrument

The instrument used was researcher-made questions for the interview. The draft of the

questions for the interview was drawn out based on the researchers' readings, previous

studies, professional literature, and published and unpublished theses relevant to the

study.

Data Gathering Procedure

The first step before going to the testing proper is to make a request letter. Upon

approval, the reasearchers retrieved the request letter. The Principal, as well as the subject

teacher were selected in the administration. In adminitering the interview, the researchers

used the time after school hours to avoid distraction during the class hours. The

respondents given enough time to answer properly all the questions of the interviewer.
25

Maryhill College, Inc.


CHAPTER IV

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This chapter presents the gathered data, the results of the analysis done and

interpretation of findings. This study aims to determine how to lessen the casualties,

fatalities and damage by being aware and prepared of people before and during the

natural disasters. Purok 4 Ibaba Barangay Dalahican, Lucena City is prone to different

types of natural disaater because of its location which is near to sea that's why they are

more tend to experience floods and typhoon and became the location in conducting the

present study. All the questions from the interview became an instrument to definite all

the possible answers about the problem that the study aims to know. All respondents

answered the questions based on their experiences. Based on the people's response, being

aware and prepared for natural disaster is an important factor not only for the community

but also for the lives of everyone. Being prepared and aware is the number on way to

avoid severe effects of catastrophe that may hit the hometown. According to Hiligan

(2019) , in November 2013, supertyphoon ‘Yolanda’ barreled into central eastern

Philippines, making landfall in the provinces of Samar and Leyte. It was the strongest

storm worldwide to ever make landfall in the recorded history of stormtracking, with

winds reaching 315 kilometers per hour and a storm surge of 4.6-7.0 meters (14-21 feet).

Yolanda left 6,340 casualties and 1,058 missing and almost $3.0 billion in damage.

Forecasts were made and typhoon warnings issued early. But because the peoplw either
26

Maryhill College, Inc.


ignored the warnings or didn’t take them seriously, the loss of life and damage were

unprecedented because of the general lack of preparedness.This just a proof that being

aware and ready is a tremendous help for people to avoid having dead people, and

damaged properties such as livelihoods and households. But also having a discipline for

the community is also an effective way, by simply dumping garbage to right place can

help a lot because it would lessen the floods and the waste would not block the water

stream. Unity and cooperation of everyone are the keys to achieve and gain positive

results, because based on one of the researchers' respondents when they had a cooperation

and teamwork they were able to recover quickly and effectively from the impact of the

disaster. The respondents also stated that they have a good barangay management because

the officials are always doing their job very well and provide information on what to do

when there's upcoming disaster. They also provide basic human needs such as medicine

and food after the disaster. Purok 4 Ibaba Barangay Dalahican, Lucena City is close to

catastrophic but the researchers found out that the people there have the right knowledge

and ways to survive from it because of their proper adherence to warnings and reminders

of barangay officials that would lead to safe, prepare and aware community.
27

Maryhill College, Inc.


CHAPTER V

SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the summary, conclusions, implications, findings and

recommendations. This renders the entire study more comprehensible, understandable,

and justifiable to concern individuals, readers, and future researchers.

Summary of Findings

The main purpose of this research is to know the importance of awareness during or

before a natural disasters and calamities. The researchers also want to know on how being

prepared can lessen casualties and fatalities during natural disasters. The researchers

chose Brgy. Dalahican Purok IV Ibaba, Lucena City because the researchers know that

this barangay is prone to natural disasters and calamities due to its geographical location.

The researchers were able to gather data and information by conducting an interview

among the residents of the said Barangay. The researchers found out that based on the

gathered data, being prepared before and during natural disaster plays a major role on

how the disaster aftermaths will be. Majority of the respondents have already experienced

a catastrophic typhoon in their area. Most of them were prepared and followed the

barangay officials precautions before the typhoon hit them that is why it somehow lessen

the damage to propeeties and serious casualties, but according to other respondents some

of their fellow residents did not obey the barangay officials precautions that resulted in

the loss of property and livelihoods of its residence. Despite of all good preparedness and

alertness of the barangay, according to the respondents the barangay must improve their
28

Maryhill College, Inc.


performance during the times of disasters to achieve zero casualties and damage to

properties.Overall, being prepared before a disaster hit your area and having unity of its

people during the disaster or calamities can greatly affect the aftermaths of a disaster.

Conclusion

Before this research ends, the researchers want to give a glimpse about the importance

of being prepared before and during a disaster and on how it plays a major role on

lessening fatalities, casualties, and damage to property. The researchers learned that if

there is no preparation before and during a disaster, the result of it would be fatal and can

affect the livelihood of its community. No one can stop a raging disaster but being

prepared and alert can lessen its impacts. That is why readiness and preparedness must be

prioritized by each individual together with the help of the Local Government Units by

giving early precautionary warnings to maintain the safety of their residents to achieve

zero casualties no matter how powerful the natural disaster is. The researchers conclude

that the local authorities of Barangay Dalahican must launch annual seminar and program

on how to combat natural disaster on its residents to help their residence gain more

knowledge on how to cope with natural disasters and calamities.

Recommendations

To the local government authorities, they should do their responsibilities in keeping

the residents safe during and before a natural disaster occurs especially in giving

precautionary warnings to their residents before a calamity or natural disasters hit. They

must also enhance their visibility within their territory for them to respond quickly. They
29

Maryhill College, Inc.


also need to build sea walls to serve as a barrier between the sea and the shorelines. This

method will hep protect areas of human habitation, conservation and leisure activities

from the action of tides, waves, or tsunamis. Flooding is one of the most common

problems when a typhoon hits an area that is why it is necessary to build a massive

spillways and regular cleaning of sewage systems to avoid flooding. Barangay Dalahican

is prone to flooding because if the sea level rises it can reach land areas that will surely

damage many properties. To the residents, they should enhance their knowledge in terms

of on how to cope within natural disasters that will help their survival chance. To the

future researchers, they must improve their knowledge and be innovative to enrich the

studies about the importance of being prepared before a natural disaster occurs, because

the purpose of this study is to help the community and our fellow countrymen.

You might also like