Philippine E-Journals

Health Safety Awareness and Behavior of Informal Settlers in Davao City

Losellyn Gayol | Vanessa Janzen Alburo | Liezl Niña Lismoras

 

Abstract:

Informal settlers reside in high-risk areas like shorelines and riverbanks, under bridges and near transmission lines, in garbage dumps and in other dangerous places that make them vulnerable to health and environmental problems. This study aimed to determine the health safety awareness among informal settlers within the four Barangays in Davao City: Agdao, Bankerohan, Sandawa, and Boulevard; utilizing quantitative research design, specifically correlation study. The respondents of this study were 200 purposively chosen informal settlers in Davao City specifically 50 residents in each of the study site. The findings of the study revealed that no significant difference exists on the health safety awareness of the respondents in dealing with their dilemmas regardless of their area of location. It implies that although the respondents have high level of health safety awareness, it does not affect their level of behavior since they still prefer to stay despite the dilemma. However, they differ in dealing with the dilemmas when they are grouped according to the areas of location. This means that they prefer to stay there because of convenience, more specifically in Sandawa because of its accessibility and proximity to the downtown area.