Assessment of Sorsogon Province Capacity, Awareness and Challenges in Crisis Management

This study focused on the assessment of Sorsogon Province Capacity, Awareness, and Challenges on Crisis Management for Fiscal Year 2022 – 2023. There were thirty (30) respondents in this study, which included selected Sorsogon Provincial Government Department Heads, heads of National Government Agencies and chairpersons of Civil Society Organizations who are members of the Sorsogon Peace and Order Council and Crisis Management Committee. A descriptive method was used. In analyzing the capacity of the Sorsogon Provincial government unit, the researcher used a questionnaire, reviewed documents, and conducted unstructured interviews to verify data and provide coherent interpretations. This segment was intended only for the Sorsogon Provincial Department Heads. The researcher employed the qualitative research design in describing and summarizing gathered data. On the assessment of the level of capacity of PLGU offices, a documentary analysis and unstructured interview were used. The researcher analyzed data through a qualitative research design. Moreover, in analyzing the awareness and challenges faced by all the respondents of this study, the researcher used a two-part questionnaire and analyzed data through a qualitative and quantitative research design. The statistical methods used in interpreting the data gathered were the 4-point scale, weighted mean, frequency count, and ranking. The results revealed that there were varied capacities within Provincial Government offices relevant to their line of work. Strengths were found in human resource training and tools through their Incident Command System. Management tools and plans, like communication manuals were also present. Budget allocations were adequate, specifically for agriculture and health sectors. However, challenges were found in cyber-attack emergency readiness and lack of a formal Crisis Management Plan. Not having this plan, the legislative support for crisis-related policies were partial, in spite of the existing ordinances on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management. Thus, there is also a lack of funding for crisis management activities. However, the respondents expressed their strong awareness on the current capacities of the provincial government in terms of the five components of crisis management: Predict, Prevent, Prepare, Perform, and Post-Action and Assessment. With this, the respondents found challenges in crisis prediction, situation analysis, budget limitations, insufficient crisis-related training, and underprovided crisis recovery efforts. This emphasized the need for a functional crisis management committee and a crisis management plan. Recommendations were to include enhancement on crisis-related training, formulation of a Crisis Management Plan, improvement of inter-agency collaborations, and increase in public awareness to strengthen the preparedness on crisis management in the province of Sorsogon.