TACKLING ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS IN THE PANABO CITY, PHILIPPINES:
THROUGH THE LENS OF PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS
Marissa A. Fabro¹, Patrize Ladra², Jane Hua M. Lao³, Roela Kathrena R. Embrado⁴
Sarah Mae Y. Jala⁵ & Miah Gutierrez Demeterio⁶
1 Student, Department of Business Administration Education, UM Panabo College,
Panabo City, Philippines
2 Faculty, Department of Teachers Education, UM Panabo College, Panabo City,
Philippines
Email address: marissafabro15@gmail.com
INTRODUCTION
The Philippines is a country prone to various natural disasters. Among these, flooding
stands out as a significant recurring problem (Climate Change Knowledge Portal,
2021). The crisis in Panabo City locations has climate patterns and socioeconomic
factors that contribute to the frequency and severity of flooding events. This issue will
delve into the problem situation of flooding in the Philippines. It Is known that humans
depend on natural systems, there appears to be confusion regarding how to balance
ecosystem health, environmental integrity, and human well-being. It seems that these
three elements are incompatible with one another. In this article, we address the
growing environmental challenges facing the world by talking about the axioms of the
environment and humanity and drawing lessons from them (Inman E. & Inman P.,
2023). Floods have long been an ongoing problem in the Philippines, posing
substantial obstacles to the country’s growth and safety. The country’s unique
geographical features, tropical climate, and susceptibility to typhoons and monsoons
make it prone to frequent and disastrous flooding. In this essay, we will look at the
flooding problem in the Philippines, including its origins, and consequences, and
evaluate how to address it. This human urge to reflect on the state of nature and the
role of humanity is manifest in the new concept of the Anthropocene. Originally, human
rights and environmental crises entered the public sphere as separate themes but in
the 1970s, Markku Oksanen (Kurata et al., 2023).
According to Eunice Novio (2022). There is an increasing frequency of tropical storms
and typhoons that are causing havoc in the Philippines; yet, certain groups of people
are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change than others. Even if the global
climate crisis is a human rights issue. Though the climate crisis is a human rights issue,
a whole of government approach is still needed to address ongoing problems left
behind by limited relief packages, slow responses from authorities, and excessive
waste. The Philippines is also battling the pandemic. It brings more problems to the
environment than ever before due to tons of garbage from masks, plastic test kits,
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and other related medical equipment without
any sound plans on disposal. During the lockdown in 2020, there were stories of wild
animals roaming the city, and of noise pollution reduced as well as air pollution.
Currently, the entire world is dealing with a number of environmental catastrophes that
have caused significant harm to humanity. Environmental crisis management is critical
for dealing with environmental crises. Many scholars have undertaken substantial
research on environmental crisis management, but the knowledge map is unknown.
As a result, studying the spatial structure of environmental crisis management not only
aids in understanding the specific distribution of the research paradigm of
environmental crisis management, but also in identifying the relevant issues (Dai et
al., 2020). Environmental education (EE) teaches us about the built and natural
habitats, fostering a sense of connection with the world. EE brings attention to
problems affecting the environment that we all depend on and suggests solutions for
maintaining and enhancing it (PLT, 2019).
To demonstrate how humanity can maintain and protect their natural resources,
environmental awareness is crucial. In addition to encouraging recycling to cut down
on landfill waste, education can help people use fewer plastics and consume less
water (Mccaw & Sullivan, 2023). The significance of studying the relationship between
floods and environmental rights stems from the interdependence of environmental
laws, regulations, and resources. On the one hand, disregarding and breaching
environmental and natural resource protection rules and regulations might lead to the
occurrence of this disaster. Flooding, on the other hand, can cause environmental
damage (Mashhadi, 2023).
The researchers based the discussions on certain theories in order to support this
study. Among others, the German sociologist Joseph Huber established the Theory of
Ecological Modernization (1992). Institutional reform in contemporary civilization is
desperately needed to prevent harm to the natural resource subsistence base, if not
completely eliminate it. Divergent opinions exist among environmental sociologists
over whether institutional features are principally to blame for the environmental
catastrophe. Examples include the industrial or capitalistic nature of it as well as the
intricate, tightly controlled technological structure of contemporary civilization. In order
to examine the necessary institutional changes needed to bring human interaction with
the subsistence base under rational ecological control, the theory must be significantly
altered and expanded upon in multiple ways (Spaargaren & Mol, 1992).
As the second theory of this study, E.M. Roger established the Diffusion of Innovation
(DOI) Theory. The first social science theory dates back to Rogers’ 1962 work. The
term “diffusion” was first used in communication to describe how an idea or product
gradually acquires traction and permeates a particular community or social structure.
Diffusion ultimately leads to people adopting a new concept, behavior, or product as a
part of their social structure. In adopting a new behavior pattern, an individual gives up
their old way of doing things. Perceiving the idea or conduct as novel or inventive is
crucial for adoption. Diffusion can occur because of this. This theory has been used
successfully in many fields including communication, agriculture, public health,
criminal justice, social work, and marketing (Dr. Leif Singer, 2022). In accordance with
the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, disaster-resilient societies are the
norm to strive toward in order to enhance any society’s ability to function. These
societies are equipped to anticipate and protect themselves in the event of natural
disasters. Floods are one of the most dangerous natural disasters for humans, even
with the notable advancements in emergency preparedness, forecasting, and
mitigation efforts. The development of flood-prone areas and the escalation of
catastrophic events due to climate change have made flood management a critical
societal concern that is becoming more urgent. Due to the aforementioned limitations,
it appears that educational campaigns, instructing people on what to do in the event
of a flood, and advising them to stay away from dangerous situations like driving
through floodwater or swimming in a flooded river are the most effective ways to
increase people’s resilience to floods (Olga et al., 2019).
This study addresses a critical gap in the existing literature by focusing on a specific
Professional Teachers at Panabo City and their unique perspective with Environmental
Crisis. Academically, it addresses a notable gap in the existing literature by specifically
investigating the impact of environmental crisis on the working performance of a
distinct group—Professional Teachers at Panabo City. Existing studies may lack this
level of granularity, and the study’s urgency is underscored by the pervasive
environmental crisis among professionals teachers and the evolving landscape of
education, particularly in the post-pandemic era. Undoubtedly, teachers play a crucial
role in promoting their students’ environmental citizenship, particularly their
knowledge, attitudes, values, beliefs and actions towards the environment. It is
therefore essential to determine how current and prospective teachers perceive the
environment crisis. The findings have the potential to inform educational strategies and
policies tailored to this specific demographic, offering insights into optimizing the
integration of teaching for academic success. The study may guide teachers,
educators, administrators, and future researchers in fostering a balanced approach to
environment issues, ultimately benefiting the overall professional development of
teachers, who are crucial contributors to societal progress.
This study holds significant importance both within the academic context and in
broader social value. The overall goal of the current study Is to explore teachers’
perceptions of environmental crisis. This overarching goal is distributed and further
elaborated and is guided by three primary research questions: (1) What are the lived
experiences of professional teachers towards the environmental crisis in Panabo City?
It investigates the influence of environmental crisis, particularly those associated with
calamities, on the working performance of Professional Teachers. (2) How did they
cope with their struggles with the environmental crisis? The second question delves
into the coping mechanism, and the performance outcomes of these teachers. (3)
What are the insights and realizations of the respondents? It explores the perception
of professional teachers to the environmental crisis, aiming to understand how varying
levels of engagement may impact teachers’ teaching outcomes. The findings from this
study are anticipated to offer timely insights, guiding the development of informed
strategies to handle environmental crisis for academic success in this specific
academic context.
METHOD
The researchers utilized a qualitative approach using phenomenological design in
conducting this study. According to Alhazmi & Kaufmann (2022). A theoretical tool for
educational research, the qualitative approach of phenomenology enables researchers
to work with a variety of complex phenomena, including different facets of the human
social experience, and can be applied in a flexible way. The researchers used the indepth interview (IDI) to collect the information that is included in the study. In-depth
interviews are described by Kvale & Brinkmann (2009). It is considered as a research
conversations. An in-depth interview has its own set of traditions and standards, unlike
a conversation with a buddy, a legal interrogation, a therapy session, or a professional
debate.
Research Respondents and Informants Selection and Sampling Procedure:
Qualitative phase. The researchers employed purposive sampling to choose the study’s
participants. The reason for purposive sampling is the better matching of the sample to
the aims and objectives of the research, thus improving the rigour of the study and
trustworthiness of the data and results. Four aspects to this concept have previously
been described: credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability (Campbell et
al., 2020). In addition, This sort of sampling is commonly employed in qualitative
research since it allows the researcher to focus on certain areas of interest and collect
detailed data on those issues. Purposive sampling is used in research investigations to
pick a specified set of people or units for study. This strategy is helpful when the
researcher has a clear understanding of the features or attributes they want to explore
and wants to choose a sample that reflects those characteristics (Dovetail Editorial
Team, 2023). Moreover, this study was conducted in Panabo City, Philippines; this place
was selected to determine the efficiency of the study of tackling environmental crises
through the lens of professional teachers. This study was been implemented on the
students of UM Panabo College.
Research Instrument:
The researchers gathered information through in-depth interviews (IDIs). The
researchers produced an interview guide and questionnaire for the six participants to
fill out. The school’s research experts verified and analyzed the interview guide
questions to ensure their accuracy and relevancy. An in-depth interview is an openended, discovery-oriented technique for gathering thorough information about a topic
from a stakeholder. In-depth interviews are a qualitative research method that aims to
elicit a respondent’s point of view, experiences, feelings, and viewpoints (Rutledge &
Hogg, 2020). The interview guide questionnaire included a list of high-level topics and
questions. The researchers recorded individuals’ responses to general questions using
this method.
Data Analysis: Thematic analysis was used to examine the data in this research study.
Thematic analysis is a method for examining qualitative data. It usually refers to a
collection of texts, such as an interview or transcripts. The researcher attentively studies
the data to uncover common themes, which are subjects, concepts, and patterns of
meaning that appear again. There are several techniques to conducting thematic
analysis, but the most typical one involves six steps: familiarization, coding, generating
themes, reviewing themes, defining and labeling themes, and writing up. This technique
can also help you avoid confirmation bias when developing your analysis (Caulfield,
2019). Thematic analysis provides valuable insights into people’s experiences,
perspectives, and ideas, enabling academics to generate new ideas based on data.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The following part begins with a table that summarizes the study findings and moves
on to comments based on those findings. The table’s contents have undergone
analysis, classification, and arrangement based on many themes. All of the data
collected from informants was categorized based on the different groups to which they
belonged.
Table 1
What are the lived experiences of professional teachers towards the
environmental crisis in Panabo City
Theme


Core Ideas
Sudden Crisis
Classroom
having
temperature
Noise and Pollution
Sudden Suspension
Environmental Crisis is caused by
mans work



Throwing trash anywhere
Burning Fossil fuel
Deforestation
Move Forward

The responsibility to teach and set a
side the crisis.
A chance for a new beginning and a
chance to revealed
Give students a new knowledge
A motivation
Challenging in the teaching
of the students





heat
Table 2
How did they cope with their struggles with the environmental crisis
Theme
The use of teachnology
Share awareness
Adjust from the situation
Core Ideas
 Watch documentary videos that will
make the students aware and open
minded.
 Online learning through Quipper
 Creating Group Chat (GC) to
update students
 Teach students about proper
segregation
 Give them reflection paper
regarding what happen during the
crisis
 Give them a video presentation and
will explain what is happening.
 Programs to prevents those harmful
situation during environmental
crisis.
 Focus on the new beginning
research to prevent those harmful
situation.
 Be mindful
Table 3
What are the insights and realizations of you as an LPT towards environmental
problems
Theme
The passion to teach


Core Ideas
It reflected their self in growth
development as professional teacher
and as an individual.
Responsibility To teach my students
and not be, and that will not affect my
responsibility by these environmental
crisis.
Commitment to fulfill responsibility
The role model of future generation




Following health protocols
Reminding health protocols
Inspired by people
Give positive advice
CONCLUDING REMARKS AND IMPLICATION
This part contains the final thoughts and implications based on the findings and
discussions. It displays an overview of the proposed study’s findings, debates, and
achievements.
Concluding Remarks
The study analyzed the environmental problem in Panabo City, Philippines, with an
emphasis on professional teacher’s views and observations. The study used
qualitative analysis to better understand educator’s issues and offering sustainable
solutions. The research highlights the valuable insights of professional teachers in
addressing the environmental crisis in Panabo City.
Implications
The environmental crisis in Panabo City, Philippines, poses significant challenges
to the community’s sustainability and well-being. This research explores the role of
professional teachers in tackling environmental, this study investigates the
perspectives, contributions and challenges faced by professional teachers in
environmental education and advocacy. Findings suggest that professional
teachers play a crucial role in raising environmental awareness, promoting
sustainable practices, and empowering students to become environmental
stewards. However, several barriers hinder their efforts, including limited resources,
institutional constraints, and insufficient training. The study concludes in addressing
the environmental crisis in Panabo City.
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