Implementation of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in Flood-Prone Areas in Camarines Sur: Basis for Policy Recommendations

The study determined the Level of Implementation of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) in Flood-Prone Areas in Camarines Sur, Philippines. Specifically, the study focused on the level of implementation and problems encountered in four thematic areas of DRRM, namely: Prevention and Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Rehabilitation and Recovery. The Descriptive-Evaluative Inferential Method was used in the study. A five-point Likert scale questionnaire was used in gathering the data. The reliability of the questionnaire was determined by means of Kuder Richardson Formula. The same was validated by academic experts well-versed in the topic and disaster management practitioners. Purposive or selective sampling was used in choosing the MDRRMC while convenience sampling was the sampling technique used for community residents. One hundred twenty-one (121) members of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and three hundred (300) residents in flood-prone areas in Camarines Sur, Philippines were the respondents of the study. The population represented by the 300 respondents were household members specifically, the head of the family. Frequency count, percentage, rank, weighted mean, and Wilcoxon Mann Whitney U-Test were the statistical tools used in the study. Findings revealed that DRRM Programs were implemented in flood-prone areas in Camarines Sur namely, Milaor, San Fernando, Libmanan, Sipocot, Camaligan, Canaman, Magarao, Buhi, Nabua and Iriga City. Conversely, some of the problems encountered by the respondents on four thematic areas rated as “Serious†were: lack of community drills, inadequate disaster facilities and equipment, poor implementation of laws, absence of Standard Operation Manual, inadequate community warning system, lack of disaster response vehicles, and the reluctance of residents to pre-emptively evacuate.