DEPED ORDER NO. 37, S. 2015: ITS IMPACT ON THE WELFARE OF THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY IN SELECTED PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN THE PROVINCE OF QUEZON

This research study aimed to ascertain the impact of the creation of the Department of Education Order No. 37, s. 2015 technically known as The Comprehensive Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in Basic Education Framework on the welfare of the school community. The study made use of the descriptive quantitative method of research to secure salient facts and institute wellfounded conclusions. It was conducted in selected public secondary schools of Quezon Province. Simple random sampling was used in the selection of the respondents in disaster prone areas which are low-lying, near bodies of water where flooding due to typhoon and heavy rainfall exists, uphill and prone to landslides due to earthquake, typhoon and the like. Results revealed that the programs and activities relative to disaster risk reduction and management, namely prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery and rehabilitation aligned with DepEd Order No. 37, s. 2015 were effectively implemented in the selected public secondary schools in Quezon Province during disaster and post-disaster period. This effective implementation enabled the development of knowledge and skills in the school community and empowered the students, teachers, non-teaching personnel and other stakeholders in managing the risks of the calamitous events in the future. Meanwhile, some minor problems were identified in the cycle of disaster risk reduction and management. As a result of the study, a unified action plan was proposed to ensure the effective implementation of DepEd Order No. 37, s. 2015.