Abstract
This study focused the effectiveness of the existing School’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management Program (SDRRMP) in increasing students’ awareness and participation in natural disaster prevention and mitigation through their perception on natural disasters, awareness and participation on disaster prevention and mitigation. The study was a descriptive correlational design, and a survey questionnaire was the main instrument used in the gathering of data. Mean, Standard Deviation and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient were used in treating the statistical data. The researcher conducted the study at Hondagua National High School in Lopez, Quezon, with Grade 9 students of academic year 2022-2023 as the respondents.The results reveal that there is a low significant relationship of SDRRMP dimensions with that of students’ awareness of SDRRMP objectives, and participation in disaster prevention and mitigation. The results also reveal that students have moderate perception on the types of natural disaster, moderate awareness of the SDRRMP objectives and moderate participation on the SDRRMP activities. In the light of the findings, the following recommendations are given: by involving students in disaster preparedness planning, encouraging community participation, providing accessible information, providing teacher training and collaborating with local emergency management agencies. By doing so, individuals and communities may be better equipped to mitigate the impact of disasters, and disaster management agencies may potentially improve the disaster adaptation skills of individuals, which may help reduce the impact of disasters in communities.
