ASSESSMENT OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IN SELECTED PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN LUZON, PHILIPPINES
BY : JONATHAN P. GUEVARRA, CARIDAD A. ANCHETA, JASON O. DE LA PENA, ADELWISA R. ORTEGA, AND THERESITA R. LARIOSA
(ACTA MEDICA VOL. 41 NO. 2 JULY-DECEMBER 2007, PAGES 78-84)
ABSTRACT :
OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY DESCRIBED THE STATUS OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS OF SELECTED PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THIS STUDY ALSO DESCRIBED THE SCHOOL'S DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PLAN AND DETERMINED AWARENESS OF KEY SCHOOL PERSONNEL ON DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PROGRAMS (BOTH NATIONAL AND LOCAL) AND DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (DepEd) DISASTER RELATED POLICIES.
METHODOLOGIES: FROM JANUARY TO MARCH 200637 KEY PERSONNEL FROM ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS WERE INTERVIEWED USING AN INTERVIEW GUIDE. A WRITTEN PERMIT WAS SECURED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (DepEd) DIVISION SUPERINTENDENT AND INFORMED CONSENT FORM WAS OBTAINED FROM THE RESPONDENTS PRIOR TO THE INTERVIEW. THE SCHOOL PROFILE AND DATA ON EACH SCHOOL'S DISASTER PREPAREDNESS WERE COLLECTED. THE DATA WAS ANALYZED USING DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS.
RESULTS : OF THE 37 SCHOOLS COVERED IN THE STUDY, MOST (59%) OF THEM CAME FROM THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION AND MOST OF THEM WERE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. THIRTY FIVE SCHOOLS (95%) REPORTED TO HAVE FORMED DISASTER COMMITTEES. HOWEVER, LESS THAN ONE THIRD (30%) OF THE RESPONDENT SCHOOLS HAD DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PLANS. THE MAJORITY (95%) OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS CONDUCTED DRILLS ONCE A YEAR. FIRE AND EARTHQUAKE DRILLS WERE THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF DRILL CONDUCTED IN THESE SCHOOLS. FIFTY-ONE PERCENT (51%) WERE NOT USED AS CENTERS OF EVACUATION DURING THE DISASTERS THAT OCCURRED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. THE MAJORITY (95%) OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL KEY PERSONNEL WERE AWARE OF THE NATIONAL LOCAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS. ALL RESPONDENTS WERE AWARE OF DISASTER-RELATED DepED POLICIES.
CONCLUSIONS : THIS STUDY PROVIDED A GLIMPSE OF THE EFFORTS THAT TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ARE PREPARING IN TIMES OF EMERGENCIES AND DISASTERS. SPECIFIC HAZARDS THAT AFFECT SCHOOLS MAY HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED. EXAMPLES OF THESE ARE "CHEMICAL SPILLS" FOOD POISONING AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE OUTBREAKS. THESES MAY ALSO BE CONSIDERED THE PREPARATION OF THE SCHOOL'S PREPAREDNESS PLANS.
RECOMMENDATIONS : A COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM ON DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IN SCHOOLS (NATURAL AND HEALTH RELATED) IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR SCHOOL OFFICIALS, PERSONNEL AND STUDENTS. SPECIAL EMPHASIS SHOULD BE GIVEN ON HOW TO PREPARE A COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PLAN AND AN ASSESSMENT OF VULNERABILITIES AND RISKS (FOR POSSIBLE EMERGENCIES / DISASTERS) SO THAT THE DRILLS AND TRAINING CAN BE MADE MORE FOCUSED. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THESE SCHOOLS BE RE-ORIENTED ON THE MANAGEMENT OF EVACUATION CAMPS ( FOR SCHOOLS) SINCE THEY SERVE AS EVACUATION CENTERS DURING EMERGENCIES. STUDIES ON COMMON VULNERABILITIES, HAZARD MAPPING FOR SCHOOLS AND KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS ASSESSMENT ON EMERGENCY AND DISASTER PLANNING MAY ALSO BE BENEFICIAL.
(ACTA MEDICA VOL. 41 NO. 2 JULY-DECEMBER 2007, PAGES 78-84)
ABSTRACT :
OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY DESCRIBED THE STATUS OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS OF SELECTED PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THIS STUDY ALSO DESCRIBED THE SCHOOL'S DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PLAN AND DETERMINED AWARENESS OF KEY SCHOOL PERSONNEL ON DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PROGRAMS (BOTH NATIONAL AND LOCAL) AND DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (DepEd) DISASTER RELATED POLICIES.
METHODOLOGIES: FROM JANUARY TO MARCH 200637 KEY PERSONNEL FROM ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS WERE INTERVIEWED USING AN INTERVIEW GUIDE. A WRITTEN PERMIT WAS SECURED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (DepEd) DIVISION SUPERINTENDENT AND INFORMED CONSENT FORM WAS OBTAINED FROM THE RESPONDENTS PRIOR TO THE INTERVIEW. THE SCHOOL PROFILE AND DATA ON EACH SCHOOL'S DISASTER PREPAREDNESS WERE COLLECTED. THE DATA WAS ANALYZED USING DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS.
RESULTS : OF THE 37 SCHOOLS COVERED IN THE STUDY, MOST (59%) OF THEM CAME FROM THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION AND MOST OF THEM WERE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. THIRTY FIVE SCHOOLS (95%) REPORTED TO HAVE FORMED DISASTER COMMITTEES. HOWEVER, LESS THAN ONE THIRD (30%) OF THE RESPONDENT SCHOOLS HAD DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PLANS. THE MAJORITY (95%) OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS CONDUCTED DRILLS ONCE A YEAR. FIRE AND EARTHQUAKE DRILLS WERE THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF DRILL CONDUCTED IN THESE SCHOOLS. FIFTY-ONE PERCENT (51%) WERE NOT USED AS CENTERS OF EVACUATION DURING THE DISASTERS THAT OCCURRED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. THE MAJORITY (95%) OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL KEY PERSONNEL WERE AWARE OF THE NATIONAL LOCAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS. ALL RESPONDENTS WERE AWARE OF DISASTER-RELATED DepED POLICIES.
CONCLUSIONS : THIS STUDY PROVIDED A GLIMPSE OF THE EFFORTS THAT TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ARE PREPARING IN TIMES OF EMERGENCIES AND DISASTERS. SPECIFIC HAZARDS THAT AFFECT SCHOOLS MAY HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED. EXAMPLES OF THESE ARE "CHEMICAL SPILLS" FOOD POISONING AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE OUTBREAKS. THESES MAY ALSO BE CONSIDERED THE PREPARATION OF THE SCHOOL'S PREPAREDNESS PLANS.
RECOMMENDATIONS : A COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM ON DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IN SCHOOLS (NATURAL AND HEALTH RELATED) IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR SCHOOL OFFICIALS, PERSONNEL AND STUDENTS. SPECIAL EMPHASIS SHOULD BE GIVEN ON HOW TO PREPARE A COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PLAN AND AN ASSESSMENT OF VULNERABILITIES AND RISKS (FOR POSSIBLE EMERGENCIES / DISASTERS) SO THAT THE DRILLS AND TRAINING CAN BE MADE MORE FOCUSED. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THESE SCHOOLS BE RE-ORIENTED ON THE MANAGEMENT OF EVACUATION CAMPS ( FOR SCHOOLS) SINCE THEY SERVE AS EVACUATION CENTERS DURING EMERGENCIES. STUDIES ON COMMON VULNERABILITIES, HAZARD MAPPING FOR SCHOOLS AND KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS ASSESSMENT ON EMERGENCY AND DISASTER PLANNING MAY ALSO BE BENEFICIAL.