An Assessment of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Tasks of the Barangay (Village) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committees of the River Basin Communities in Southern Philippines

Abstract

Climate-related hazards are phenomena that demand all governments to be at all times on high alert. Governments should undertake measures that would eliminate or at least mitigate their impact to protect their constituents. This study utilized three researcher-made data gathering tools. Results revealed that the tasks of the Barangay (Village) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committees (BDRRMCs) in the river basin communities on disaster prevention and mitigation were partially accomplished. As a whole, the performance of the BDRRMCs is generally satisfactory (3.65). This is broken down into formation of structures and systems (satisfactory = 3.62) and institutionalization of policies and plans (satisfactory = 3.65).The findings further revealed the highly significant impact of the following BDRRMC performances: Punong Barangays’ (Heads of Villages) educational attainment and years in the service and the community’s experience in floods. The FGD responses indicated that the TRB barangays have major issues and concerns considering the implementation of DRR tasks: putting up of the DRRM structures and systems, communication, commitment of the Barangay officers, and limited budget. There is a cogent need for all government offices handling the DRRM functions to provide appropriate attention at the Barangay level for the proper implementation of the DRRM Plan.KeywordsCommunityDisaster preventionMitigationClimate-related hazards