COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES AND DISASTER RISK REDUCTION MANAGEMENT

Abstract

This study was entitled Communication Strategies Utilized by the Local Government Unit in Cabanatuan City on Disaster Risk Reduction Management. This study was designed and conducted to determine the communication strategies preferred, utilized, and considered accessible/available by the respondents. It was conducted at Barangay Bagong Sikat, Calawanagan, Isla, San Josef Sur, and Sumacab Norte, Cabanatuan City, the Philippines using a survey research design. The samples were chosen randomly. The majority and most active group of the respondents are female, married, employed, and predominantly Roman Catholic. The most preferred communication strategies by the respondents are opinion leaders, meetings, seminars, and SMS/text messages while infomercial is the least preferred communication strategy. Meanwhile, the most utilized communication strategy is television. The most available and accessible communication strategies are the opinion leaders or the barangay officials because they are said to be available most of the time especially during a disaster. In this study, the hypothesis states that there is no statistical relationship between the socio-demographic profile of the respondents such as age, occupation, religion, and civil status and the communication strategies preferred, utilized, and made available and accessible by the respondents is rejected. However, the hypothesis which states that there is no significant relationship between the occupation and the opinion leader and seminar as communication strategy as well as the civil status and house to house as a communication strategy is accepted.