This study focused on strengthening the natural disaster preparedness of public elementary school teachers in Agoncillo Sub-Office. The scope of the study was the profile of public elementary school teachers and the extent of natural disaster preparedness manifested among the respondents in relation to knowledge and awareness, communication and coordination protocols, and classroom and facility preparedness. The study used the quantitative and descriptive method of research with a questionnaire via Google Forms. The research respondents were 118 public elementary school teachers in Agoncillo Sub-Office, Congressional District 3, Division of Batangas.
The findings revealed a significant relationship between the extent of natural disaster preparedness and the respondents’ age group and the number of seminars or trainings they had attended, indicating that these factors influence preparedness levels. The respondents’ gender group, highest educational attainment, and years of teaching have no significant relationship with the extent of natural disaster preparedness.
Based on the results, the study recommended that the School Administrators should provide professional development opportunities by offering more DRRM-related seminars and workshops, especially for teachers with less training, to balance the varying levels of preparedness among all teachers. Teachers should actively participate in disaster preparedness activities and regularly engage in peer-sharing sessions to enhance practical knowledge and awareness. The DRRM Focal Persons and Training Providers may prioritize and tailor training programs based on the needs of the teachers, since these factors significantly impact disaster preparedness. Encourage differentiated learning approaches to accommodate varying knowledge levels. The Local Government Units (LGUs) and Emergency Response Agencies may collaborate more closely with schools by supporting the implementation of the proposed action plan and providing resources, technical assistance, and joint drills to improve school-based emergency systems, especially in the areas of material resource provision and inclusive evacuation procedures.
Key Words: Natural disaster preparedness, Communication, Coordination, Facility, Technical assistance, Joint drills