Filipino youths call for better education, training on disaster risk reduction — poll

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines needs to improve access to information and education, as well as provide more training and skill-building opportunities in disaster risk reduction (DRR) to boost youth participation, a United Nations poll revealed.

Following the devastation caused by Typhoon Carina (with international name Gaemi), which claimed at least 40 lives in July 2024, UNICEF conducted a U-Report poll via SMS to gauge Filipino youth engagement in DRR efforts.

According to the poll, one in three Filipino youths believe better access to information on DRR is needed, while 26% stated that developing their skills further is a key requirement for greater involvement.  

The U-Report gathered responses from 657 participants, most of whom are aged 20 to 24 years and 15 to 19 years.

Respondents were asked six questions regarding the impact of disasters, their involvement in disaster preparedness activities, challenges hindering their participation and their views on what is needed to increase engagement in DRR.

The finding also stems from the Filipino youths’ perspective of the biggest challenge they face.

The poll saw that one in four young Filipinos cited the lack of information and knowledge (26%) and opportunities to participate (25%) as the two biggest challenges that hinder them from engaging in DRR activities.

While most age groups have shown that these two are the top obstacles they face, some age groups have another perspective. 

For youth in the oldest age group (35 years and older), the primary challenge is limited opportunities for participation, cited by 50% of respondents, rather than a lack of information which only 17% of them indicated as their greatest concern. The challenge that a third of the oldest age group cited is how activities are not open to everyone. 

Meanwhile, a third of respondents aged 31 to 34 years said that the lack of support from adults is their biggest challenge alongside the lack of information. 

In contrast, for the youngest age group (0 to 14 years), 35% view school responsibilities as their primary obstacle, while 24% cite a lack of information as a barrier to participating in DRR activities.   

More than half or 55%