Safety and Security of Secondary Schools as Evacuation Center in Libmanan South District

Abstract

This study evaluates the safety and security profiles of public secondary schools used as temporary evacuation centers during natural disasters in the Libmanan South District of Camarines Sur, Philippines. Utilizing a descriptive-evaluative qualitative and developmental research design, the investigation assesses four purposively selected institutions categorized by enrollment scale: San Isidro National High School (mega), Mambulo Nuevo National High School (big), Eduardo V. Agomaa National High School (medium), and Bagadion High School (small). Standardized evaluative checklists based on the 2010 Department of Education (DepEd) Educational Facilities Manual and the Code of Sanitation of the Philippines (P.D. 856) were administered to a research cohort of 227 respondents, comprising school administrators, teachers, non-teaching personnel, and municipal disaster risk management experts. The empirical findings reveal that while school sites, campus security, and building safety parameters are evaluated as "Highly Qualified" with means exceeding 3.59, sanitary facilities represent a critical systemic bottleneck, achieving only a basic "Qualified" rating of 3.32. The primary facilitating factors identified include localized community planning, structured early warning systems, and well-defined educational continuity protocols. Conversely, the primary limiting factors are acute funding deficits and post-displacement facility degradation. To address these challenges, the study proposes a developmental safety and security plan designed to enhance structural resilience and protect educational continuity.