THE UNIVERSITY of Mindanao–Institute of Popular Opinion(UM-IPO) conducted an online survey from April 8 – 21, 2025, targeting 1,200 Dabaweños from the three districts of the City to know their perception on the readiness of Davao City towards the impact of climate change.
Three questions were asked to cover concerns such as the readiness of Davao City towards any specific disaster, the readiness of its disaster response team, its effectiveness in its disaster communication and coordination, its adequacy in its evacuation centers, and its general readiness. The survey was conducted in lieu of the relevant recent incidents happening in other parts of the country – events which could potentially occur in Davao City as well.
Since the survey was done online via sponsored ads on three Meta platforms (Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram), IPO relied heavily on online, pre-defined, targeted social media users, such as Dabawenyos, who met the inclusion criteria and are targeted for contact within the defined geographical radius.
Respondents were defined to be at least 18 years old, have valid/active email addresses, and are bona fide residents of Davao City. The survey was done at a 95% confidence level and a 3% margin of error.
In terms of specific disaster readiness, Davao City is perceived to be most ready for earthquakes, with 46.3% of respondents stating the City is “very ready” and another 43.3% saying it is “somewhat ready.” High confidence was also noted for flood and typhoon preparedness, with 40.3% and 44.8% of respondents, respectively, rating the City as “very ready.”
However, readiness perceptions declined for threats such as volcanic activity and drought/ heat waves, where only 26.9% and 29.9% viewed the City as “very ready,” respectively. This suggests a perceived vulnerability in the face of less frequent but potentially devastating events.
In terms of operational capacity, the disaster response team is viewed positively, particularly in terms of human resources, where 61.2% believe the City has a “very ready” workforce capable of quick response. Equipment availability and transport vehicles were also rated favorably, with over 44% of respondents indicating high levels of readiness.
Additionally, 64.2% of respondents believe that overall, the City`s disaster response team is “very ready” for any major disaster, reflecting public confidence in institutional disaster preparedness.
The effectiveness of communication and coordination between the disaster response team and the community received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with 64.2% rating it as “very effective.” Evacuation centers also scored well, with nearly 60% of respondents considering them adequately prepared to handle displaced populations.
Generally, 64.2% of the respondents expressed strong confidence in Davao City`s disaster response team, rating it as “very ready,” while 34.3% felt it is “somewhat ready,” and only a marginal of 1.5% believed the City is not ready for any major disaster.
As to who is/are expected to take immediate response and attention to their needs in times of disasters, 37.53% of the respondents expected that the first to take immediate action are the barangay officials, followed by the Local Chief Executive, as reflected from the 28.23% response rate. 22.56% of the respondents believed that 911 shall take the immediate response, 8.25% of the respondents believed that city officials shall also take immediate response, followed by DSWD (3.43%) and other agencies (0.56%).
The results above serve as both validation of the City`s existing efforts and a call for strategic investments in lesser-prioritized risks to ensure comprehensive resilience.
