A RECENT survey conducted by the Institute of Popular Opinion (IPO) of the University of Mindanao revealed that 41.2 percent of Dabawenyos believe that Davao City is adequately prepared for disasters based on the city government's disaster preparedness efforts during recent calamities.
The survey, conducted from January 25 to February 10, 2024, involved 1,190 respondents from the three political districts of Davao City. Among these respondents, 35.2 percent rated the city's preparedness as moderately satisfactory.
Regarding the Local Government Unit's (LGU) performance during disasters, 75.6 percent of Dabawenyos expressed satisfaction with the city's disaster management public information services, and 68.1 percent were satisfied with the evacuation plan. Additionally, 66.4 percent were satisfied with organized relief operations, 68.1 percent with health services, 66.4 percent with law enforcement, and 63.9 percent with post-disaster services.
When asked about the assistance provided by the LGU during disasters, respondents mentioned food relief, health support, evacuation services, and the ability of barangays to initiate financial claims aid and post-disaster rehabilitation projects.
However, approximately 37 percent suggested that the government should offer mental health support for traumatized victims, information about resources to compensate for losses, livelihood initiatives, and a more effective barangay disaster mitigation plan.
In terms of barangay preparedness, 52.1 percent considered their communities moderately prepared, while 21 percent assessed their barangay's preparedness as either prepared or very well prepared.
Regarding the support received for personal preparedness, 52.9 percent reported availing integrated emergency response services, such as local emergency offices, first responders, law enforcement authorities, and coordinated evacuation operations, including collaboration with disaster response organizations during disasters.
Of the respondents, 50 percent reported experiencing a recent disaster, and 21 percent experienced one between a year to five years ago.
Specifically, 37.6 percent experienced flooding, and 37.8 percent experienced earthquakes.
Overall, 95.6 percent encountered one or more disasters, including landslides, earthquakes, flash floods, and fires, either once or repeatedly, while only 4.4 percent had never experienced any of these.
The IPO survey aimed to determine the readiness and experiences of Dabawenyos regarding disaster response and related services provided by the LGU of Davao. It adhered to scientific predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria with a sampling set at a 95 percent confidence level and a 2.5 percent margin of error. RGP
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