CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Philippines is highly vulnerable to natural hazards which can cause human casualties,

damage to properties, effects on infrastructures and economic problems. Aiming to avoid all

of these, safety policies, plans, and programs were implemented by the government around

the world which is generally called the DRR (Disaster Risk Reduction). This is an organized

and step-by-step approach to identify, assess, and reduce the risks brought by disasters. It is

an integral effort in managing disasters by strengthening the capacities of communities

toward the risks and adverse impacts of natural hazards.

The Philippine government is committed to promote and implement measures and

guidelines for DRR. Several approaches were made to address disaster risks and to prepare

people for the risks and threats of natural disasters. In fact, DRR Education was also

integrated in the school curriculum of elementary, secondary, and tertiary levels.

Comprehensive and integrated knowledge building about disaster education is intensified

among students under the K-12 Education Program. For Senior High School, it is integrated

in Earth and Life Science, a core subject offered to all tracks, and to a specialized track

subject called Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction.

Among all disasters, earthquake is the most destructive. It is a sudden, rapid, shaking

of the earth caused by the breaking and shifting of underground rocks. We cannot predict

when and where it will happen. It happens without warning and it causes fires and damage

roads. It also causes building to collapse and heavy items to fall resulting in injuries and
property damage. The occurrence of earthquakes further results to other disasters such as

tsunamis, landslides, and avalanches. This is the reason why schools all over the country are

conducting series of earthquake drills. Shake exercises are extremely important parts of

school preparedness plan because they teach students and teachers how to respond to an

actual earthquake in case it happens while classes are ongoing.

On an article published by Ang Kabakahan, the official Filipino school publication of

Padre Garcia National High School, it has been stated that base on the monitoring tool of

DepEd Batangas, the school is not safe for any disaster. PDOII Francis Macalinag, the head

of the Division DRRM team, gave a cross mark on the indicators safe school site selection,

resilient design and resilient construction. It has been found out in the monitoring that the

school doesn’t have enough space for the conduct of different drills. The school’s high

population also contributed to the problem. Even the result of the student- led school

watching and hazard mapping were not yet included in the school improvement plan.

Padre Garcia National High School joins the country on the conduct of the quarterly

simultaneous earthquake drills. Despite of the continuous effort of the SDRRM committee,

certain problems were still encountered by the school on its conduct of earthquake drills.

Majority of students are not taking the practice seriously. It was also observed that even some

teachers were not able to perform their roles and necessary actions. In addition, a large

portion of stakeholders are not fully- aware about the assigned evacuation areas inside the

campus due to lack of signage. Most of the time, administrators call for the repetition of an

earthquake drill due to the failure of the first one. These show a need to know and evaluate

the earthquake readiness level of students in Padre Garcia National High School.
 PGNHS is composed of 2,950 students and 111 teaching and non- teaching staffs who

are having their daily stay inside the school. Some students are occupying the second, third,

and fourth floors of their buildings so going down on the ground floor during emergencies is

very challenging. Specialized earthquake warning alarms are not available inside the school,

especially in Junior High School buildings. With these, if students are not equipped with

initial knowledge about disaster preparedness, their lives would be at sake whenever disasters

come.

With the presented information, the researchers would like to know the current

earthquake preparedness level of students in Padre Garcia National High School. They also

want to evaluate the usefulness, durability and efficiency of the school diorama showing

designated evacuation areas as well as its impact in increasing the earthquake preparedness

level of students. With the results of this study, the school is expected to formulate different

related strategies to increase the school disaster preparedness and to strengthen the conduct of

earthquake drills.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to design a diorama of the school showing the designated evacuation

areas during the occurrence of an earthquake.

Specifically, this seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What is the earthquake preparedness level of Grade 11 students?

2. What are the challenges met in strengthening students’ earthquake preparedness?

3. How do students assess the manifestation of the following attributes of the school

diorama showing designated evacuation areas in terms of:

2.2 durability

2.3 efficiency

4. What is the earthquake preparedness level of Grade 11 students after using the

diorama of the school showing designated evacuation areas?

5. Is there a significant difference between the earthquake preparedness level of

students with and without the use of the school diorama showing designated

evacuation areas?

Scope and Delimitation

The focus of the study is to evaluate the earthquake preparedness level of Grade 11

students in Padre Garcia National High School for the school year 2019-2020. The

researchers will also identify the different challenges met in strengthening students’

earthquake preparedness. In addition, they will also assess the students’ perception on the

school diorama showing designated evacuation areas in terms of usefulness, durability and

efficiency. Furthermore, they will also determine the earthquake preparedness level of Grade

11 students after using the said diorama. Lastly, they will investigate the significant

difference between the earthquake preparedness level of students with and without the use of

the school diorama showing designated evacuation areas.

The study does not cover the preparedness level of students when it comes to other

disasters like fires, floods, landslides and others. Also, the researchers will only investigate

211 randomly selected Grade 11 students in Padre Garcia National High School.

Significance of the Study

level of Grade 11 students in Padre Garcia National High School. Furthermore, the results of

the study may be deemed important to the following:

School. This study may serve as an eye- opener for the school to find out the current need of

the institution when it comes to earthquake preparedness. Moreover, this may help to conduct

successful earthquake drills that will strengthen the government’s mandate when it comes to

school civil defence. The result of this study may also be a basis of the school on formulating

different related strategies and programs that may increase the earthquake preparedness level

of students and teachers.

Teachers. This study may help them to recognize their roles during the conduct of shake

drills as well as the way how they will handle their students during earthquake. It may also

encourage them to provide students with classroom tasks and activities related to earthquake

preparedness. Furthermore, they may use their knowledge on disaster preparedness whenever

they want to pursue higher level of educational attainment.

Students. This study may help them to be aware and well- educated when it comes to

earthquake preparedness. In addition, they may realize the importance of taking earthquake

drills seriously and they may effectively execute their knowledge and apply it into action.

They may also become advocates of earthquake awareness. With the knowledge that they

will learn, it may urge them to educate their family members and to extend the practice of

earthquake preparedness within their homes.

Future Researchers. This study may help the future researchers who may also get interested

on studying the same topic. The results of this study may serve as their basis and additional
literature for their future investigations. It may also provide information for future

researchers as they go through different steps and actions towards a more reliable conclusion

which can be utilized for the continuation and improvements of this study.