SURVIVAL MECHANISMS OF THE VICTIMS OF TYPHOON ODETTE (RAI) WITHIN

THE COASTAL AREA OF POBLACION, COMPOSTELA, CEBU

A Senior High School Qualitative Research Project

presented to the Faculty of Compostela Science and Technology High School

Cogon, Compostela, Cebu

In partial fulfillment of the course

Research Project

by

SYMON BALIAN ARCELO

ENRICO GENE MEUROM

MERRIE THERESE HISOLER

JAZEL JOY PASAOL

11 - Tyndall

S. Y. 2021 – 2022
 DEDICATION

This study is wholeheartedly dedicated to the researchers’ beloved parents, who have

been our source of inspiration and gave us enough strength when we thought of giving

up, who continually their moral, spiritual, emotional, and financial support.

To our brothers, sisters, mentor, friends, and classmates who shared their words of

advice and encouragement to finish this study.

Lastly, this is a dedication to the Almighty Father on high, thank you for the guidance,

power of mind, protection and skills and for giving us a healthy life, all effort and work

done by the researchers is offered to Him.

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The researchers extend their gratitude and sincere appreciation to the following

individuals who helped in making this research a sucess.

First and foremost, to our Almighty Father who gave the researchers strength

and determination to tackle all the obstacles they encountered to make this study a

success.

To Ms. Marian Mae Sapanta, Research Teacher, who patiently extended her

guidance and corrections for the improvement throughout this study. Her dynamism,

vision, sincerity and motivation to have deeply inspired us. It was a great privilege and

honor to work and study under her guidance.

To the Researchers’ Parents for giving them full support, emotionally, mentally,

physically, financially, and keen interest to complete this study successfully.

To our selfless classmates, team mates for good teamwork and brilliant

relationships to make this study a reality.

 ABSTRACT

The Philippines has often been visited with natural calamities like typhoons. The

perspectives of the individuals who experienced and survived these calamities were

documented to understand the meaning of these experiences to and how they cope

with the said typhoon. Hence, this study explored the experiences of the residents

within the residents coastal area of Poblacion, Compostela, Cebu during Typhoon

Odette (Rai). Through a phenomenological inquiry, rich descriptions captured the

uniqueness of the phenomena through the lived experiences of the individuals and the

way they experienced these challenges. This was conducted in a rural barangay in the

northern part of Cebu, Philippines where they were badly hit by the typhoon. Data were

gathered using in-depth interview of ten residents who were carefully selected based on

their actual experience of the typhoon, able to relate themselves and were permitted to

join in the study. Data were analyzed using Collaizzi's approach using its prescribed ten

steps. The following themes emerged: a) helping engagement before, during and after a

traumatic event and b) attachment and emotional resilience. Despite the transient

trauma that each of them experienced with Typhoon Odette, they were able to move on

and learn from such experience.

 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Rationale of the Study

Philippines is one of the countries that is the most prone to tropical storms, with

an average of 6–9 typhoons making landfall per year since 1970 (Blanc and Strobl

2016). Its location in the western side of the Pacific Ocean makes the archipelago

naturally exposed to tropical cyclones, or typhoons (as severe tropical cyclones are

called in the northwest Pacific).

The 2014 World Risk Report ranked the Philippines second among countries

“most at risk worldwide” and third among countries “most exposed worldwide” when it

comes to disasters. It is estimated that 74 % of the population is vulnerable to natural

hazards. More than 20 typhoons enter the country’s area of responsibility every year,

and it is estimated that typhoons cost the Philippines 0.5 percent of its Gross Domestic

Product annually in direct damages.

An average of 20 typhoons enters the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR)

from July to November every year, with about seven to nine making landfall, often with

accompanying strong winds and heavy rains. Storms and typhoons result in storm

surges and waves, coastal flooding, erosion, saltwater intrusion, rising water tables,

impeded drainage, and wetland loss and change (Wong et al., 2014)

The Philippine terrain is determined by the islands on which it is located and for

the most part contains mountain ranges in conjunction with coastal plains. Tropical

cyclones (TC) are low pressure systems that form over bodies of ocean which have an
air and surface temperature of more than 26 °C and generally progresses at latitudes of

more than 5 °C from the equator. They develop from high ocean temperatures.

Unfortunately, the few existing studies on the impact of these storms in the

Philippines have largely focused on specific aspects, rather than the economy as a

whole. For example, Blanc and Strobl (2016) find that typhoons have caused losses in

rice production of about 12.5 million tons since 2001, while Anttila-Hughes and Hsiang

(2013) find that infant mortality rises by 13% after a typhoon and aggregation proble to

measure the impact of tropical storms, and found that aggregate data tend to

underestimate the true impact of these extreme weather phenomena. For example,

using yearly data Strobl (2011); Bertinelli and Strobl (2013); and Elliott, Strobl, and Sun

(2015) show that national-level regressions can mask much of the impact of tropical

storms at the coastal areas.

Typhoon Rai, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Odette, was a

powerful and catastrophic tropical cyclone that struck the Philippines in December 2021.

Rai became the first Category 5-equivalent super typhoon to develop in the month of

December since Nock-ten in 2016, and the third Category 5 super typhoon recorded in

the South China Sea, following Pamela in 1954 and Rammasun in 2014.

The typhoon has moved away, problem so far is how to fix what was destroyed.

The small houses of the survivors in coastal areas were badly hit. It is critical to develop

hazard-resilient communities to prepare for these threats and enhance the ability of

these communities to absorb impacts and bounce back. This preparation will reduce the

lives lost in disasters, secure the economic stability of these communities, and support
the health of our coastal ecosystems, including wetlands which are essential for

reducing storm impacts on our coastal communities.

In the wake of the typhoon Odette, the community of Poblacion, Compostela, Cebu

was hardly hit by the Super Typhoon Odette also known as typhoon Rai on December

16, 2021. It destroyed so many houses and livelihoods. Steel structures were crushed,

concrete walls were smashed, and wooden structures were blown away like paper. The

building along the seafront have been wiped out by the sea surge. The looks on the

faces show various kinds of emotions. Life slowed down in the days following the

typhoon, Odette. Simple errands that used to take minutes like getting gas, buying

groceries, or withdrawing cash now takes hours for so many.

The seafront in the Municipality of Compostela after Typhoon Odette, which were

greatly affected by the Typhoon. As seen, the entire part of that place was removed

from the top of the poles, and the mud and sand which held facing the coastal area

were completely washed out.

It is impossible to put into words the despair that the residents living near coastal

area. Day after Typhoon Odette it was legibly seen that it destroyed so many houses

and livelihoods. It has become horrifyingly clear that the damage wrought by the super

typhoon has been colossal, the devastation absolute. Hunger, sickness, and despair

now stalk the hardest hit of areas in Poblacion Compostela, Cebu.

Despite the government's and local civic society's vast and swift responses, the

needs are enormous. To reconstruct their homes, people require safe, temporary

shelter and repair kits. Many still require food, clean water, and medications. Sanitation
and hygiene facilities are essential. People have lost their jobs and will want immediate

help to prevent becoming even more desperate. Simultaneously, Covid-19 has

resurfaced in recent weeks, impacting both catastrophe victims and rescuers,

hampering the response and burdening an already strained medical system.

This study was conceived to investigate the experiences of the residents during

the post Typhoon Odette and what are there coping strategies. Furthermore, this study

allowed the researchers to make recommendations on the immediate individuals

affected by calamities and will be affected by future calamities.

The purpose of this study is thus to qualify the impacts and how they subsist during

Typhoon Odette in the residents leaving near the coastal areas. However, while

insightful, this study is fairly limited in terms of providing useful information for

formulating policies to build resilience.

THE PROBLEM

Statement of the Problem

To obtain all the essential knowledge, data, information, the research sought to answer

the crucial questions to follow:

1. What are the experiences of the victims during the destruction of Typhoon Rai

(Odette)?

2. How would the victims describe their meal times aftermath of Typhoon Rai

(Odette)?
 3. What strategies are being used by the victims who lost their shelters, and have

no access to food and water post destruction of Typhoon Rai (Odette)?

Significance of the Study

This research is made with the aim to provide crucial information and knowledge

regarding the chosen topic from the respondents, recent studies or theses, and related

sites needed for the expected importance to the individuals as follow:

Survivors. This study can possibly show reactions to disasters as well as resources for

survivors to prepare for and cope with the experiences during the havoc of typhoon or

traumatic events. This research may also provide them with ideas from different

survivors on how to cope with similar issues in the course of the said disaster.

Local Government Units. Part of this task is the provision of needed training to the

LGUs to capacitate them as first responders. DSWD, along with other NDRRMC

member- agencies, also conducts pre-disaster assessment risks especially for initially

identified hazardous areas. With the LGU’s proximity to the communities, their role in

disaster operations is significant. Their readiness in evacuation, rescue activities and

disaster relief operations will make a difference in saving lives and ensuring that the

needs of their constituents will be immediately responded to.

Local Government Officials. It emphasized that all sectors, government in all levels as

well as civil society organizations, must work together in providing a truly

compassionate service to victims of disasters to ensure that they can bounce back and

eventually lead normal lives again.

Individuals. Proper planning and prevention can reduce the catastrophic impact of a

typhoon on communities, particularly vulnerable populations. Knowing how you will

keep everything functional after a loss can help you recover more quickly. If we can

identify our vulnerabilities and take measures to reduce or eliminate them, we can help

limit or even prevent some disasters and emergencies.

Proponents of the Study. This refers to the students conducting the study. They will

find self-fulfillment ang gain learnings and skills in this study. This study will help and

inspire more the researchers to be more innovative and creative in their future

endeavors. Being a novice for this kind of topic is a challenge. So, this will be an

instrument that will guide and navigate them in discovering credible, reliable, and

tantamount factors that are known as indispensable data for further understanding on

the topic. Indeed, this research is going to be the chief source of enlightenment that

they will surely need in their future studies.

Future Researchers. This study will serve as reference for researchers on the subject

of research in the field of marketing. This will serve as guide to further develop the

research with the connection to the variables used.

 CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

For further understanding of the study, the researchers made use of different

reading materials related to the online system. These materials such as books,

magazines, newspapers, thesis and other web articles are essential in broadening the

knowledge of the researchers. These will also guide the researchers to achieve their

target objectives by getting ideas on other related studies and make improvements as

possible.

The information gathered by the researchers focuses on the scope to improve

overall personal resilience by strengthening individual levels of hardiness and coping

abilities through disaster training and development.

Definition of Survival mechanism

Historically, typhoon response efforts have focused primarily on basic physical

survival and safety–addressing medical emergencies and ensuring adequate shelter

and supplies of food and water (Heath and Cutrer, 2020). However, in addition to

physical survival, relief efforts must also consider strategies to promote emotional

healing and psychological well-being. In particular, those who intervene must consider

the acceptability of intervention strategies, taking into account survivors' cultural

background, religious customs, and spiritual beliefs. The catastrophic devastation from

recent natural calamities in the Philippines such as Typhoon Yolanda and Central

Visayas earthquake in 2013 had made disaster preparedness a primary concern in the

country. By carefully documenting the iterative process of analysis, design, evaluation

and revision, insights were sought with regard to the development that provide useful

and scientifically accurate information about surviving natural calamities such as

typhoons and earthquakes.

The storm and its aftermath severed developmentally protective family and

community ties; thus, its consequences are expected to be particularly acute for

vulnerable adolescents. Specifically, the multiple interacting risk factors for substance

abuse in adolescence may be compounded when families and communities have

experienced a major trauma. Further, existing service structures and treatments for

working with young disaster victims may not address their risk for co-occurring

substance abuse and traumatic stress reactions because they tend to be individually or

peer group focused, and fail to consider the multi-systemic aspects of disaster recovery

review by Rowe and Liddle (2008). Despite various livelihood strategies existed in urban

areas, the research highlighted types of livelihood strategies within disaster risk

management perspective, survival (disaster), consolidation by no-change plan

mechanism and accumulation strategies by change plan mechanism (post disaster).

Environmental disasters and socio-ecological vulnerability associated with human

capacity in any disaster affected region of the world is considered as a key factor in

understanding the occurrence of environmental disasters, and consequently, in

developing and applying adequate strategies for prevention. The identification of risks
and the factors responsible for vulnerability are crucial in analysis and framing

strategies for coping and adaptation to the situation (Maikhuri et al, 2017). This focuses

on identification of potential indicators for disaster risk assessment, socio-economic and

cultural vulnerability of local people while striving to cope with shocks of disaster and

adaptation and coping strategies of people to mitigate the impact of disaster.

According to Su and Tanyag (2020), The opportunity for transformative change,

however, risks being lost when representations of disaster increasingly obscure and

silence the full costs and complexity of post-disaster recovery. This identifies the

construction and subsequent proliferation of survival myths in the context of the

Philippines after the 2013 Typhoon Haiyan disaster. During disasters, survival

mechanisms performed by the community were primarily to protect life, secure the

minimal provision of food and other basic needs, and procure the safety of their

residence and valuables. In the aftermath of the typhoon, most of the strategies done by

the local people were less dependent on external assistance that hastened the process

of going back to normal life after flooding had receded. The activities and programs of

the LGUs in relation to the mitigation on the occurrence of floods tend to be insufficient

to the needs of the majority. Protection of the people and ensuring their safety and

survival have always been the role of every state.

Thus, to explore coping strategies and identify underlying demographic, socio-

economic and other relevant variables that influence the adoption of coping strategies in

three distinct cyclone-prone coastal villages. The study finds that cyclones and induced

surges are a recurrent phenomenon in coastal; hence people are used to adjusting their

lifestyle and adopting their own coping strategies intelligently. Adoption of a particular
set of coping strategies depends not only on the magnitude, intensity and potential

impacts of the cyclone and induced surge, but also age, gender, social class,

dissemination of early warning information, locational exposure, external assistance,

social protection and informal risk sharing mechanisms within the community (Few,

2003). Indigenous cyclone disaster prevention and mitigation strategies significantly

minimize the vulnerability of the people. Under extreme situations, when such disasters

surpass the shock-bearing capacity of the victims, informal risk sharing mechanisms

through social bonding and social safety-nets become vital for short-term survival and

long-term livelihood security (Shitangsu and Jayant, 2011). Therefore, proper

monitoring and coping strategies are essential in order to target the most vulnerable

groups exposed to disasters. Additionally, proper dissemination of early warning and

government and non-government partnerships for relief and rehabilitation activities

should be prioritized to ensure pro-poor disaster management activities. Thus, to

increase coping with covariate shocks, such as climate extreme events, policies should

encourage income generation and asset holding (especially livestock), both of which will

support consumption smoothing during and immediately after harsh climatic events

(Deressa et al, 2010).

Risk Reduction

This Good Practice Review identifies and discusses the principles and practice of

disaster risk reduction (DRR), drawing on experiences from around the world. It gives

guidance on the main issues that should be taken into consideration when carrying out

projects and programs, and ways of addressing these issues in practice (Twigg, 2015).

Some of these practices will be based in DRR organizations, but many will be engaged
in other development or humanitarian work, and seeking to incorporate DRR into their

activities more effectively. They may be working in NGOs, local government, community

organizations or other types of organization, for there are many different stakeholders in

DRR. However, neither is able to address these single-handedly. In both adaptation and

disaster risk reduction, there is an implicit acknowledgement that risk is part of everyday

life, and thus social development plays a vital role (Schipper, 2009). An outstanding

question for these communities to address is whether a convergence of the two tracks

is desirable. Furthermore, if such a convergence were to occur, what forms would it take

and what outcomes could be expected.

According to Pigeon and Weichselgartner (2015), Disaster risk reduction policy

and practice require knowledge for informed decision making and coordinated action.

Although the knowledge production and implementation processes are critical for

disaster risk reduction, these issues are seldom systematically addressed in-depth in

disaster studies and policy programs. While efforts and improvements have been made

with regard to data and information, only limited resources are committed to improving

knowledge management structures and integrating knowledge systems at different

spatial levels. Understanding the relationship between risk perception and disaster risk

reduction (DRR) has improved significantly over time as it relates to the household level

and around enhancing compliance during disasters (Marshall, 2020). The risk

perception and safety culture literature review focused on their differences,

commonalities, and use as management tools. Finally, risk perception and safety

culture contributions and their complementary role were highlighted.

Family Preparedness
 The family has long been considered a fundamental unit in the study of disaster

behavior (Drabek, 1986; Trost & Hultaker, 1983). Supporting this belief is the historic

continuity of institutionally embedded family disaster behaviors that have evolved and

adapted themselves to both natural and human-made environmental changes. Families

have proved themselves to be not only essential reproductive units but also core social

units enhancing its member’s survival (Clason, 1983). It is for this reason that

researchers have long recognized that the family unit, based on the interaction of

household, gender and kinship networks, is a critical linchpin for understanding and

predicting disaster behavior (Kirschenbaum, 2003a; Wiest, 1998). Recognizing that the

family represents a ‘domestic social structure implies that within its normative

framework, family units are able to generate behavioral cues to prompt actions, some of

which have become clearly associated with disasters. Such behaviors are particularly

critical before an actual disaster as they represent actions stemming from accumulated

historical survival knowledge. They are, in addition, indigenous to family social

processes. Intuitively, the family as a social mechanism promotes resilience and

increases the capacity for survival (Patterson, 2002), initially from actions taken during

disasters, afterward as a post-disaster resource to buffer the traumatic consequences of

death and injury (Gerrity et al, 2003; Miller, 2003; Coffman, 1996; Alway et al, 1998) and

in the longer term as a means of maintaining the structural integrity of the family (Cohan

& Cole, 2002). Such processes are primarily formed before actual disasters. In short,

the family appears to be a viable part of our survival repertoire primarily as an effective

conduit for transmitting and reinforcing disaster behaviors. Yet, despite what seems to

be a general consensus of the family’s significance in determining disaster behaviors,

systematic and empirically derived evidence supporting this belief appears to be

lacking. For this reason, it will reevaluate the impact of the family, as a structural unit

and as a social process, on critical pre-disaster behaviors.

If we look closely at the literature, the impact of families on disaster behaviors has, for

the most part, been based on evidence gained through ethnographic, anecdotal and/or

indirect observations mainly involving case study reports. These approaches have

provided a wealth of descriptive information stressing the involvement of families,

primarily through gender roles, in encouraging family unit survival (Enarson & Scanlon,

1999). Being based on specific case studies, however, they lack the generalizability of

larger representative national or cross-cultural samples. In addition, such sources of

information that have accumulated have been restricted primarily to describing family

behaviors during actual or post-disaster events, thereby overlooking the critical

preparedness stage. To a great extent what happens during and after a disaster is

dependent on pre-disaster preparedness behaviors (Kirschenbaum, 2002). If so,

extrapolating from ‘during’ and ‘post-disaster’ behaviors about the role of family may be

misplaced. In addition, the emphasis on the traditional family has also tended to ignore

disaster behaviors of non-attached family members, be they cohabiting consenting

partners or single headed households with or without children, raising the possibility that

variations in disaster behaviors. Given the cultural and geographic diversity of family

types, generalizations concerning the family-disaster behavior link may be misleading.

 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

In this chapter, the methodology used in the study with a focus on the research

method and design is presented. This method uses qualitative data obtained with the

aid of an in-depth interview (IDI) with the victims of the wrath of Typhoon Odette, the

qualitative data and an open-ended question with the victims. The chapter also presents

research design, sampling procedures, role of the researcher, data collection methods,

data gathering technique, and the relevant ethical considerations applied while

exploring the methodology.

This chapter described the methods used to describe and comprehend the

participants' recovery strategy. In this method, the researcher must have had prior

experience with the same phenomenon for the researchers' experiences to be

connected.

Research Design

The study was conducted in partially-urban area or barangay in the northern part of

Cebu. The Municipality of Compostela that has been hardly hit by the Typhoon Odette
(Rai) on December 16, 2021. Husserl’s descriptive phenomenology was used in the

study. It is used to reach true meanings through engaging in-depth into reality. It

emphasizes a focus on people’s subjective experiences and interprets of the world.

That is, the researchers want to understand how a world appears to others (Trochim,

2008). Using phenomenological approach provides a clear description of the described,

evaluated, and interpreted the different personal experiences of Typhoon Rai (Odette)

survivors anchored the damage caused by the typhoon and addressed crucial

information gaps from areas which were either inaccessible or suffered severe

challenges in the days following Odette’s landfall.

Population and Sampling Method

Purposive sampling was utilized in the selection of the informants of the study. It is

a sampling technique in which the researchers use their authority when selecting

participants for the study. According to (Patton, 2002), purposive sampling is commonly

used in qualitative research to find and select the most data examples for the most

efficient use of available resources. (Creswell and Clark, 2011) said that purposive

sampling identifies and selects individuals or groups of individuals who are

knowledgeable and skilled about a phenomenon of interest. Moreover, (Bernard 2011)

emphasizes the importance of availability and willingness to participate, as well as the

ability to articulate, express, and reflect on experiences and viewpoints.

The residents who live in the coastal area of Poblacion in the Municipality of

Compostela, are the study population for this research. The following criteria are used

to select the participants: (a) respondents can either be male or female, as long as they

are current residents of Municipality of Compostela (b) No age limit was specified due to
the extremely diverse experiences. (c) Must experience the havoc of Typhoon Odette

(Rai) in Compostela, Cebu (d) Willing to meet the ethics of being a participant of study

(e) Can speak and understand Cebuano, Tagalog, and English well enough to express

their thoughts and feelings. The researchers come up with ten (10) target respondents

that would fit the criteria. The participants were thoroughly discussed the flow, process,

purpose, and objective of the study and explained that their participation is not

mandatory, but voluntarily before being asked to sign the informed consent form if they

so desired. The respondents were assured that their anonymity would be respected.

The researchers make sure to follow the law of human privacy and their limitations as

an interviewer before engaging in a face-to-face discussion with the respondents.

Role of the Researcher

The researcher was used as a data collection instrument in the study. The

researcher is used as an instrument to collect the necessary data rather than using

machines. An example is during survey research, where researchers take part in

collecting data from using surveys or questionnaires (Doyle 2014). In this study, the

researcher played the role of collecting data from the residents of coastal area who

were once affected by Typhoon Odette (Rai). The researcher collected data to try to

understand the perceptions of teachers and the experiences through interviews. As a

result, the researcher was concerned about being objective and to conquer any bias of

both information. Also, the researcher developed a rigorous data analysis strategy. The

researcher focused on collecting data using a survey and interviews and sought to

express only what the data implied and what participants had to say.

Data Gathering Technique

 The data collection method starts with the formation of an appropriate

questionnaire based on the topic. The same questions for interviews were used for

everyone but the interview questions were not chronological and changed with each

participant base on how the interview unfolds.

During the interviews, participants were informed that anytime they feel

uncomfortable to continue the interview, they were allowed to leave, and what has been

recorded was deleted immediately. Participants were interviewed about their

experiences. This research is an attempt to reconcile what are, at times, conflicting

perspectives, and we have included views that emerged as common threads throughout

the interview process.

Interviews was recorded via voice notes, and each interview lasted for

approximately 20-40 minutes. After the interviews that occurred on different dates and

times, the responses and voice notes were transcribed and saved in word documents.

Informed consent form was also given to them before the prior to the interview

questions for review and to go through important points. Face – to – face interviews had

to commence by creating a cordial relationship to the respondents to build trust, asking

how they were coping with the situation, and explaining the main point and objectives of

the study. Participants were informed about audio recording and that their names were

protected with pseudonyms. Consent forms were signed after they understood what

was to be done.

During data collection, participants received surveys with questions to answer.

Their surveys were kept in a folder. Also, during the interview process, residents were

interviewed in their respective places, and their responses were recorded via an
electronic storage device. Their responses were later transcribed by converting the raw

data into written forms and were kept in envelopes for analysis.

Data Analysis

The researchers used Colaizzi’s approach to phenomenological analysis. The

researchers listened to the audio recordings and transcribed the recorded discussions

in order to under-stand the informants’ experiences. Colaizzi’s method of data analysis

consists of seven steps:

(1)Read and re read all the participants’ verbatim transcripts of the phenomena in order

to acquire a feeling for them.

(2)Significant statements or phrases are extracted from participants’ transcripts

pertaining directly to the re-search phenomena.(3)Formulated meanings are

constructed from the significant statements.

(4)Formulated meanings are arranged into clusters themes which evolve into emergent

themes.

(5) Incorporation of the results into a rich and exhaustive description of the lived

experience.

(6)Validation of the exhaustive description from the participants involved in the

research.

(7)Incorporation of any new or pertinent data obtained from participants’ validation, and

adapted to attain congruence with the lived experience of the participants’ studied.
The process of participant validation was utilized in this study. Colaizzi’s method of data

analysis is the only method that requires validation of results by returning to the

participants. All participants were asked to validate their experiences by sharing to the

participants the findings of the study. The responses from each participant

demonstrated that their transcripts accurately depicted what was said during the

discussion and represented their experiences during the typhoon.

Data Collection Method

The interviews were carried out with 10 (ten) selected participants. The interviews

were semi-structured with open-ended questions to enable freedom of participants to

discuss further on what they know and expound on the questions to provide adequate

information to describe the problem under investigation as recommended by Creswell

(2012). Interviews were used in this study because it is necessary to explore feelings,

behaviors, or how people interpret the world beyond them (Merriam, 2009, pp. 88). To

get the psychological and social world of any respondent, a semi-structured interview is

necessary (Smith, & Osborn, 2003, pp. 59). Interviews also give the respondent the

opportunity to express themselves in their own words (Brunner, 2006). Thus, using

semi-structured interviews as data collection instruments made the researcher be more

objective while given the participants the opportunity to express themselves in a manner

that they want. Very important themes could emerge during some structured questions

between the researcher and respondents during interviews (Legards, Keegan, & Ward,

2003, pp.140). As such, interviews with 10 (ten) victims of Typhoon Odette (Rai)

provided a detailed insight for them to express their minds and what they experience on

a daily basis due to their observation.Interviews were face-to-face and took place at
convenient places for the respondent, while four were conducted through voice note

and took place at a time which the respondents chose.

In terms of data collection tools, the researcher used a semi-structured

questionnaire as an interview guide. Some specific questions were prepared for the

researcher to guide the interview toward the satisfaction of research objectives, but

additional questions were encountered during the interviews.

Some sample questions that were included in the semi-structured questionnaire

were the following:

1. Describe to us how you felt when you knew that a typhoon is coming?

2. Where you in your home before, during and a day after the typhoon?

3. Narrate to us the preparations you did for the typhoon.

4. Narrate to us your experiences during the typhoon.

5. Describe to us your situation during the typhoon

6. Describe to us the situation after the typhoon.

7. What did you feel when you saw the devastation?

8. What are the initial activities you did after the typhoon?

Data Collections and Procedures

Self-awareness. Having a clear perception of your personality, including your strengths

and weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motivation, and emotions, is referred to as self-

awareness. Self-awareness enables you to understand other people, how they perceive

you, your attitude, and your current responses to them. A high level of self-awareness is

required when conducting a research study. A researcher must be ready for any
situation that may arise while conducting research, emphasizing the significance of self-

awareness. A researcher must be aware of the do's and don'ts when conducting

research, as well as the purpose of your research. Furthermore, the researchers must

be aware of the context of the study, the situation, and the involvement in the research

study's conduct.

Bracketing. Bracketing is presented as two forms of researcher engagement: with data

and with evolving findings. The first form is the well-known identification and temporary

setting aside of the researcher's assumptions. The second engagement is the

hermeneutic revisiting of data and one's evolving comprehension of it in light of a

revised understanding of any aspect of the topic. Both of these processes are ongoing,

and they include the careful development of language with which to represent findings.

The researchers bracket their prior knowledge to avoid biases while conducting the

study.

Informed Consent. Informed consent is a requirement for all human-participant

research studies. The human rights of research participants must be secured. When

study results change, it is the qualitative researcher's responsibility to provide dynamic

informed consent. In-depth interviews are more likely to violate privacy, which has

implications for researchers who should protect human rights throughout data collection,

analysis, and dissemination. The researchers brought informed consent to the research

environment and to the participants, where they stated the purpose and agreements of

their study. This is one of the research tools as well.

Research Instrument. During data collection, a one-on-one conversation was

conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire, notes, and audio recorders. The

guide questions focus on (a) how they’ve been through during typhoon (b) what

challenges they face, (c) their lives during post-typhoon, (d) how they cope with the

challenges they face, and (e) understanding the participants' lived experiences. The

participants were given an hour to share their stories after the researchers asked open-

ended questions. The conversation was recorded by their signed informed consent.

Triangulation Method. In qualitative research, triangulation refers to the use of multiple

methods or data sources to develop a comprehensive understanding of phenomena

(Patton, 1999). Triangulation has also been viewed as a qualitative research strategy for

testing validity by bringing together data from various sources. Denzin (1978) and

Patton (1999) categorized triangulation into four types. (a) Triangulation method, (b)

investigator triangulation, (c) theory triangulation, and (d) data source triangulation. The

current article will describe the four types of triangulation and then discuss the use of

focus groups. In qualitative research, examples of data source triangulation include

focus groups (FGs) and in-depth individual (IDI) interviews. The researchers used

multiple data sources, which tainted the outcome.

Ethical Considerations. It is a collection of values and principles that address what is

right and wrong in human affairs. Ethics seeks reasons for acting or not acting; for

approving or disapproving behavior; for believing or denying something about virtuous

or vicious behavior or good or evil rules. Researchers face ethical challenges at every

stage of the research process, from design to reporting. Ethical approval to conduct the

study was obtained by the researchers. Also, during data collection, participants were

informed that none of their names or any identifiable information on the interview will be

revealed to protect their identity. Also, during the interview process with the interviewee,
the audio recordings were checked for any identifiable information. Instead of

participants’ names or any other sensitive information, pseudonyms were used to

maintain their privacy and anonymity. The researcher listened to audio recordings, and

any names mentioned were deleted. Also, interview transcripts and survey forms, and

any hard copies of the data used in the study were wrecked for security purposes.

Additionally, interview responses were kept in a password-protected folder in the laptop

only accessible to the researcher. All the data used in the study will be destroyed. Data

kept in the form of soft copies were destroyed by deleting them.

Rigor of the Study. Rigor in qualitative research is defined as a completely different set

of criteria and is associated with being open to the data, adhering scrupulously to a

specific philosophical perspective, and throughout the data collection process,

researchers must be cautious about making claims that some data collection or data

analysis techniques are "more" rigorous than. The researchers must ensure that the

study is of high quality and that the study's feedback is not biased. Many people said in

a qualitative research study that this study is biased, so the researchers will make it

unbiased in ways that the information is reliable and reproducible.