AWARENESS OF LSPU-SC TOWARDS NATURAL DISASTERS SAFETY PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES AND MITIGATION.

This study aimed to determine the awareness of Laguna State Polytechnic University – Siniloan Campus towards natural disasters’ safety precautionary measures and mitigation. The researcher used descriptive research in finding the answers to the problems stated in the study. The study was composed of 384 respondents among the staff, faculty and students of LSPU – SC who experienced the natural disaster. The research instrument used was structured questionnaire checklist to determine the extent of information about the level of awareness of the staff, faculty and students of LSPU-SC towards natural disaster’s safety precautionary measures and mitigation. Upon the interpretation of the gathered data of the study, it was found out that the result of the said study that Laguna State Polytechnic University-Siniloan Campus was aware on the natural disasters safety precautionary measures and mitigation. The researcher recommends the institution to conduct frequent seminars and trainings about the natural disasters in order for the constituents to be more aware and knowledgeable about the things that must be done before, during and after the occurrence of all the natural disasters that will strike either in school or in home.


Research Design
This study was conducted to determine the level of awareness of the staffs, faculties and students of LSPU -Siniloan (Host) Campus towards natural disasters' safety precautionary measures and mitigation. Therefore, the most appropriate research design to use is the descriptive method of research. Descriptive research is concerned with the description of data and characteristics about a population. The main goal of this type is to describe the data, frequencies, similar statistical calculation and characteristics about what is being studied.

Subject of the Study
The respondents of this study are the staff, faculty and students of Laguna State Polytechnic University -Siniloan (Host) Campus who experienced the natural disasters to determine their level of awareness towards the natural disasters safety precautionary measures and mitigation being done in school and at their home.

Sampling Technique
The respondents of this study are determined using stratified random sampling technique.
The researcher purposely utilized the staff, faculty and students of Laguna State Polytechnic University -Siniloan (Host) Campus as respondents of the study.

Data Gathering Instruments
The researcher's main tool in this study is a structured questionnaire-checklist in gathering the research data needed in evaluating, analyzing and interpreting the extent of information about the level of awareness of the staff, faculty and students of LSPU-SC towards natural disasters' safety precautionary measures and mitigation.
The first part of the questionnaire focused on the demographic profile of the student-respondents such as Name, Sex, Age, Address, Civil Status, College, Course & Year and Major and staff and faculty-respondents such as Name, Sex, Age, Address, Civil Status, Job Description and Year/s in Service.
The second part includes other information about the respondents like natural disasters encountered.
Third and fourth part emphasized the level of awareness of the respondents about the natural disasters safety precautionary measures and mitigation practices to be done.

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For the responses, the respondents were given the following 5-point rating scale with the corresponding verbal interpretation. 5  Very much aware  4  Aware  3  Neither Aware nor Unaware  2  Unaware  1 Very much unaware Data Gathering Procedure The respondents were given time and effort to accomplish the questionnaire-checklist distributed to them. Follow up interview were also made for the clarification, strengthening and validation of answers given by the respondents. All data and information were treated, analyzed and interpreted carefully with confidentiality.

Data Processing and Statistical Tools
The data gathered from the respondents through questionnaire-checklist and follow up interview were tabulated and statistically analyzed for interpretation, as follows: Variables Statistical Tools 1. Demographic profile of the respondents Frequency, Percentage and Rank 2. Level of awareness of the respondents towards natural disasters' safety precautionary measures. Chi-square 6. Testing the relationship between the respondents' experience with natural disasters and the level of awareness in natural disasters' safety precautionary measures and mitigation.

Results and Discussion: -
The researcher employed 65 staff and faculty-respondents, male and female are nearly equal, most of them aged from 22-28 that resides mostly at Siniloan, Laguna. Most of the staff respondents are single. There were also 319 student-respondents, female dominates the number, most of them aged from 16-21 that resides mostly at Siniloan, Laguna. Single (in terms of Civil Status) respondents are clearly dominates the number with a difference of 92.48 %. Most of the student-respondents came from College of Agriculture since the said college has a lot of enrolled students but all programs from different colleges have various representatives as respondents.
The table number 1 shows the different natural disasters experienced by the Staff and Faculty-Respondents. These are the commonly experienced natural disasters since the province of Laguna is located near lake area. Flooding is the predominant disaster experienced by the employees of LSPU since Siniloan is very near to the lake. When typhoon strikes and more rain comes in, the lake becomes the catch basin of all areas near to Siniloan like the upland area and even Rizal province.
The table number 2 shows the different natural disasters experienced by the Student-Respondents. Students experienced the same as the employees of LSPU Siniloan for mostly students who enrolled are from nearby towns of "Baybay" area better known as 4th district of Laguna. One of the important factors that might influence the result is the constant participation of the faculty and staff in the earthquake and fire drill. The same way with the students' experience since they also participated in the said activity of the school not to mention that it is also included in the NSTP program implemented of the institution.   The table number 7 shows the relationship between the profile of the Staff and Faculty-Respondents and their level of awareness towards natural disasters safety precautionary measures and mitigation.
It is found out that the age and years in services is highly related with their level of awareness towards the natural disasters safety precautionary measures and mitigation. Though there are young members in the staff respondents, still it is not a factor since there is the presence of orientation and constant participation in fire and earthquake drill provided by competent Bureau of Fire Protection of Siniloan. As the staff and faculty respondent increases their years in service their level of awareness also increases. The table number 10 shows the relationship between the experience of the Student-Respondents with the natural disasters and their level of awareness towards natural disasters safety precautionary measures and mitigation. It is found out that their experience with the typhoon and earthquake are significantly related with their level of awareness towards the natural disasters safety precautionary measures and mitigation.

Conclusions
The researcher therefore concludes that the level of awareness of staff, faculty and students of LSPU-SC are highly recognized based on the natural disasters' safety precautionary measures and mitigation practices. When natural disasters strike, individuals must be knowledgeable on what to do in order to survive. It is very essential nowadays since the onset of climate change, everybody has to be prepared of the different disasters that might come. Knowing the location and the different hazards present in the area, awareness is necessary on how to deal with disasters. While these hazards cannot be prevented from occurring, mitigation planning focuses on reducing the impact of such events when they do occur. Mitigation strategies include actions taken in the form of projects that will substantially reduce or even eliminate repetitive losses due to the occurrence of the same hazard. Safety of our lives is even more important than any other things.

Recommendations
Based from the conclusion formulated, the researcher recommends to the institution to continuously conduct frequent seminars and trainings about the natural disasters in order that the constituents to be more aware and knowledgeable about the things that must be done before, during and after the occurrence of all the natural disasters that will strike either in school and in home.