Philippine E-Journals

Tete-A-Tete with Children on Disasters: Disaster in the Eyes of Elementary Students of Baang, Hungduan, Ifugao, Philippines

Gilmore G. Solidum | Jea Giezl Solidum | Rose Ann V. Chua | Martin Rey Edrick C. Santos | Geoffrey Jules Solidum | Judilynn N. Solidum

 

Abstract:

Children of our generation and that of the next will have to endure the disproportionate share of the impacts of disasters. The vulnerable groups - marginalized and those belonging to the indigenous sector - are more susceptible still. The children of Baang, Hungduan, Ifugao, are mostly marginalized owing to their family’s limited source of livelihood. This study was conducted to evaluate the view of the children of Baang, Hungduan, Ifugao on disasters. Following a qualitative research design, thirty-six (36) grades 4 to 6 students were gathered for a focused-group discussion and individual interviews regarding their concept and understanding of disasters. Participants were initially requested to illustrate/ draw their view of disaster and their illustrations served as springboard for the discussion on disaster. The focused-group discussion and interviews were transcribed verbatim. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted to derive themes from subthemes which were derived from contents of the illustrations, the focused-group discussion and the individual interviews. Trough inductive thematic analysis of the drawn pictures, focused-group discussion and individual interviews, fourteen (14) subthemes were identified. From these subthemes, five (5) themes were derived. The concept and understanding of the participants regarding disaster are affected by their geographic location and lived experiences. There are a few aspects though which are quite far from their experiences. Such could have been influenced by media. We need to educate the young if we want them to appropriately deal with and manage disasters.