Maritime Security Awareness and Community Resilience in Contested Coastal Environments

Abstract

This study was anchored on the growing need to understand maritime security from the standpoint of coastal communities living near contested waters. It determined the level of maritime security awareness and community resilience in contested coastal environments, with emphasis on how local people understood maritime risks, safety advisories, rights and responsibilities at sea, reporting channels, and community-based response procedures. The study used a community-centered predictive correlational design with a contextual descriptive component. Data were gathered from coastal community respondents in selected areas of Palawan through a validated and reliability-tested survey questionnaire. The instrument obtained an overall Cronbach’s alpha of 0.94, indicating excellent internal consistency. Weighted mean, standard deviation, Spearman’s rho correlation, and bootstrapped multiple regression were used to analyze the data. Results showed that maritime security awareness was high, although knowledge of reporting and assistance channels and familiarity with response procedures remained moderate. Community resilience was also high, with social cooperation as the strongest area, while livelihood continuity, adaptive capacity, and preparedness for maritime-related disruptions needed further strengthening. A significant strong positive relationship was found between maritime security awareness and community resilience. Regression results further revealed that awareness of maritime risks, understanding of safety advisories, and awareness of rights and responsibilities at sea significantly predicted community resilience. The findings indicate that informed communities are better positioned to cope with maritime uncertainty, but awareness must be supported by clear reporting systems, practical preparedness mechanisms, and livelihood assistance.