RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

Risk Assessment of Tacloban City Workers During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Andromeda

Saint Paul School of Professional Studies

Author’s Note

Mylene Rose R. Gaspang, Saint Paul School of Professional Studies

Correspondence concerning the research paper should be addressed to Mylene Rose R.

Gaspang, Saint Paul School of Professional Studies, Campetic RD, Palo, Leyte
E-mail:20191810@spsps.edu.ph
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to determine how did the COVID-19 pandemic affect

Tacloban City workers in terms of: (a) workloads, (b) health, (c) communications, (d)

risk awareness, and (d) support and how they gather information with regards to

pandemic-related updates. Casual-comparative design was used for this study since the

aim was to try and compare and make connections between the already existing variables

and the data was analyzed with the use of Jamovi. Participants were 50 Tacloban City

workers who were currently employed with different types of employment (full-time,

part-time, contractual etc.) and different number of working hours. Workload, state of

health, communication was either neutral or positive. Meanwhile, risk awareness and

support from social circles were significantly positive by the current situation with the

pandemic. Tacloban City workers were very compliant in terms of health protocols and

this may be due to their high risk awareness score. As for information dissemination and

reliability, it would be best if the local government agencies post or share news articles in

social media platforms seeing that most of the workers are get their COVID-19 related

updates and news on those platforms, however they are still more inclined to believe

news articles. Due to the limitation, future studies may investigate the changes between

the factors (workload, health, communication, risk awareness, and support) before the

pandemic or implementation of lockdowns and after the pandemic. Future studies can

also try to correlate the factors and the risk of being infected with COVID-19

Keywords: risk assessment, COVID-19, compliance behavior, risk behavior

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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging respiratory infection

caused by a novel coronavirus called Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2

(SARS-CoV-2) (World Health Organization, 2020). The virus is a member of the

coronavirus family that are zoonotic pathogens. These viruses cause and transmit

illnesses between human and several animals’ species such as cattle, camels, cats, and

bats. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is similar to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome

coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-

CoV), which originated from bats. The COVID-19 disease was detected initially in late

December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, and has spread worldwide 2 months

later. About 200 countries over the entire world have reported numerous cases; however,

the disease has drastically expanded in the United States, Spain, Italy, Germany, France,

China, Iran, the United Kingdom, and Turkey. COVID-19 had caused more than 3.7

million confirmed cases and killed at least 260,000 worldwide up to the 11th of April

2020, and these numbers were expected to rise dramatically in the next few months.

(WHO, 2020).

The symptoms of COVID-19 illness range from very mild (fever and respiratory

symptoms such as cough and shortness of breath) to severe (pneumonia, severe acute

respiratory syndrome and kidney failure) (World Health Organization, 2020). Elderly and

those with comorbidities like heart disease, lung disease and diabetes, are at higher risk of

developing severe COVID-19 illness. As of April 2020, more than 3.2 million people

have been infected with the COVID 19 pandemic, with more than 230,000 fatal cases in

187 countries (Covid-19 Case Tracker, n.d.). Meanwhile in the Philippines, 904,285 total

COVID-19 cases were reported (Covid-19 Case Tracker, n.d.). Due to the rapid increase
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

in the number of cases, governments took action in controlling the spread of the virus.

Travel bans, community quarantines, and strict travel protocols were implemented as

means to control people’s mobility. COVID-19 disease has negatively affected global

economics. It has disrupted global trade and markets due to the actions that had to be

made in order to contain the virus (Ahmad et. al, 2020). Furthermore, many healthcare

systems have collapsed or nearly collapsed due to the rise in cases. That's why in the

Philippines, lockdowns were implemented in order to reduce the number of cases

(Aurelio, 2021). However, these policies also had implications on the working population

of our country.

Literature Review 

The COVID 19 pandemic has caused various changes in our lives. It has caused

far-reaching adjustments to the job and home lives of individuals. Of course, the greatest

and most adverse change is the loss of jobs. Unemployment rate rose during the

pandemic (Fairlie, Couch, & Xu, 2020).  Reduced working hours and participation in the

labor force and had no substantial effect on salaries. Our estimates indicate that people

are more affected in jobs working in proximity to others while occupations capable of

working remotely are less affected (Béland, Brodeur, & Wright, 2020). For workers and

their families, the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken

to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have had drastic consequences. Over 40% of adults

indicated that because of the virus and the public response, they or anyone in their

families missed a job, work hours, or pay (Acs & Karpman, 2020). The estimated

likelihood of job cuts over the next four months is 33% for those still at work. On

average, workers are predicted to receive 35% less than normal in the next four months
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

and appear to have a 49% chance of having trouble covering their bills. Workers without

paid sick leave above the prescribed requirement are more likely to go to work despite

having a cough or fever, and even to work in close proximity to others (Adams-Prassl,

Boneva, Golin, & Rauh, 2020). The Philippine Business Coalition for Women's

Empowerment and Investing in Women (2020) conducted a study to understand the

effects of COVID-19 on employees' work and personal lives. In the Philippines, COVID-

19 has had a significant impact on employment. Most workers reported that their work

was suspended. Hours and salaries were reduced, or they were forced to take unpaid

leave.

The immediate change in the work culture is that employees had to work from

home during the course of this pandemic. Although teleworking and working from home

are hardly new, it has never been the standard for large percentages of entire

organizations, especially not for long periods of time (Venkatesh, 2020). The COVID-19

pandemic may be called a career shock that will have a significant effect on the jobs and

careers of people (Akkermans & Kraimer, 2020; Adams-Prassl et. al, 2020). Low-

educated labor is much more highly affected than secondary or tertiary school labor

(Akkermans & Kraimer, 2020; Adams-Prassl et. al, 2020, Arndt, et al., 2020; Ojha 2020).

According to Adams-Prassl and colleagues (2020), 57% of employees engaged in less

paid work than average while 8% of working employees had already lost their jobs due to

the pandemic. In addition, reductions in hours working by workers with primary school

education at most reach 40%, while tertiary education workers experience a decrease of

around 26%, albeit comparably much lower is still very high. Capital use losses are also

high, at almost 40% (Arndt, et al., 2020).

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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

The WHO (2020) stated that COVID-19 mainly spreads via respiratory droplets

or through contact with contaminated surfaces. This means that the likelihood of workers

exposed to COVID-19 refers to the likelihood of being within 1 meter of the workplace,

repeated physical contact with people who may be infected with COVID-19 and contact

with contaminated surfaces and objects. Except for our frontliners, the Enhance

Community Quarantine essentially suspended on-site jobs for all job forms (Metro

Manila, Four Provinces Shift to Stricter ECQ for One Week, 2021). This has serious

economic consequences, especially as 82% in the Philippines are of great importance for

sustaining the economy over the next 18 months. Only 10%, however, can easily follow a

work-from-home arrangement. Most of these jobs have a high potential to spread the

disease of COVID-19 as they require close or frequent contact with individuals (UP

COVID-19 Pandemic Response Team, 2020).

 The respiratory health and perceived COVID-19 risk of non-remote workers also

worsened over time relative to remote workers. These changes are likely linked to the

difficulty avoiding environmental pathogens in non-remote jobs. By interacting directly

with customers and coworkers, non-remote workers may face greater exposure to

infectious diseases like COVID-19. Physical proximity is an especially costly 10 job

attribute during a pandemic. However, the ability to avoid threats to respiratory health

may be another important benefit of remote work in general (Angelucci, Angrisani,

Bennett, Kapteyn, & Schaner, 2020).

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are on the frontline of treating patients infected with

COVID-19. However, data related to its infection rate among HCWs are limited. Early

available evidence suggested that HCWs are being increasingly infected with the novel
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

infection ranging from 15% to 18% and in some cases up to 20% of the infected

population. Major factors for infection among HCWs include (1) lack of understanding of

the disease, (2) inadequate use and availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE),

(3) uncertain diagnostic criteria, (3) unavailability of diagnostic tests and psychological

stress (Ali, Noreen, Farooq, Bugshan, & Vohra, 2020). Therefore, the protection of

HCWs by authorities should be prioritized through education and training, the readiness

of staff, incentives, availability of PPEs, and psychological support (Ali, Noreen, Farooq,

Bugshan, & Vohra, 2020). 

The study of Baker, Peckham, and Seixas (2020) shows that a significant

percentage of the United States population is subjected to sickness or infection at work

more than once a month, through a number of occupational sectors. It should be noted,

however, that many other employees may still be vulnerable to or lead to the spread of

COVID-19, such as workers who do not have access to flexible jobs, workers who do not

believe that they should take sick days if they or a family member is sick, workers who

do not have access to paid sick leave, or workers who provide essential services and do

not have access to these services. It also acts as a reminder that the workplace is an

appropriate location for interventions in public health, as many employees are also

exposed at work to illness and infection, and their exposures may increase the prevalence

of disease in both worker and community groups. There are also other types of workers

that are at heightened risk of COVID-19 contamination from their jobs, in addition to

healthcare workers, usually through working near members of the public. Other

potentially relevant public employees at risk include emergency response staff (e.g.,
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

police and fire), elderly care workers, childcare or school workers, cleaners, hotel

workers, public transit and taxi drivers, to name just a few (Sim, 2020).

In different workplaces, COVID-19 outbreaks occur. Workplace outbreaks occurred in 15

Utah industry sectors between March 6 and June 5, 2020; 58% of workplace infection

COVID-19 events occurred in three sectors: Manufacturing, Wholesale Trading, and

Construction. Hispanic and non-white workers accounted for 73% of occupational

outbreak-related COVID-19 cases, despite representing 24% of Utah employees in all

affected sectors cases (Bui et al., 2020). During particular outbreaks where infection is by

face-to-face or close contact, other workers involved in providing services to the public

can often be at increased risk. A recent study in the United States found that 10% of the

population is working in jobs where disease or virus exposure happens at least once a

week (Baker, et al., 2020).  Because of the current situation with our workers the data to

those aims to provide very useful data from the risk factors that are present during this

pandemic that the students will be able to use to help in preventive measures for COVID-

19. serve as an awareness of the risks of working amidst the COVID -19 pandemic.

Theoretical Framework

Social Context theory is presented as a tool of analysis for examining social

changes and associated needs among individuals in societies over time (Earle, 1999).  It

has been used in order to understand the perception of people on behavior or a certain

object and identify societal structures and socialization processes in a given prevailing

social environment, as well as the associated patterns of social behavior they facilitate, or

inhibit, among individuals in society at any given period of time (Earle, 1999). It can be

applied to social issues that affect the life chances of individuals in society and social
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

concerns that have implications for present and future lifestyle challenges (Earle, 1999).

Analysis can start from any point in the social context, namely society structures (e.g.,

class), micro processes (e.g., attitudes), or social behavior patterns (e.g., societal or

community norms).  

Research Questions

The purpose of the study is to determine and assess the risk of Tacloban City

workers during Covid-19 pandemic. The study is based on the following objectives: 

1. How does COVID-19 pandemic affect Tacloban City workers in terms of:

a. workloads

b. health

c. communications

d. risk awareness

e. support

2. What communication/updates would be useful for the workers during this

pandemic?

Research Hypothesis

Null hypothesis

1.  Ho. COVID-19 pandemic does not affect Tacloban City workers. 

Ha. COVID-19 pandemic affects Tacloban City workers. 

2. Ho. COVID-19 pandemic does not affect a worker’s health. 

Ha. COVID-19 pandemic affects a worker’s health. 

3. Ho. COVID-19 pandemic does not affect a worker’s income. 

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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

Ha. COVID-19 pandemic affects a worker’s income. 

4. Ho. There is no significant relationship between the factors that causes risk and

Tacloban City workers. 

Ha. There is a relationship between the factors that causes risk and Tacloban City

workers. 

5.  There is no significant relationship between the chances of infection to COVID-

19 and Tacloban City workers. 

Ha. There is a relationship between the chances of infection to COVID-19 and

Tacloban City workers.

Method

Research Design

  A causal-comparative research was selected to assess the risk of COVID-19. The

variables were not manipulated and since the aim of the study is to try and identify

possible relationships between variables. Causal-comparative design does not aim to

change or control any variable but tries to observe any connections between existing

variables (Busk, 2014). Furthermore, the aim was to make group comparisons between

the different variables in the study (Busk, 2014; Johnson, 2000). Particularly if the

changes that were implemented due to the COVID 19 pandemic have affected the lives of

Tacloban City workers, specifically workload, health, communication, risk awareness,

and support received. The design attempts to establish cause-effect relationships among

the variables. The design was chosen to assess the risk of COVID-19 on Tacloban City

workers along with where they get their updates with regards to the pandemic. An online
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

google form questionnaire will be the design considering the different location of the

workers. 

Participants

The participants in this study include the workers of Tacloban City amidst the

pandemic. A random sampling technique is intended to be used in this study in order to

determine the population. Random sampling is a component of the sampling method in

which each sample has an equal probability of being selected. This was done so that

workers from different type of organizations (private, government) and different types of

employment (i.e., full-time, part-time, contractual) will be able to participate in the study.

A randomly chosen sample is designed to be an impartial representative of the entire

population. 

Data Collection Instruments

The instrument that will be used in this study is a structured survey questionnaire.

The questionnaire is divided into four parts. In the first part of the survey questionnaire is

intended to ask for the demographic profile such as sex, age, job and the type of

employment. The second part of the questionnaire includes the effects of the pandemic

and lockdown restrictions towards the workers in Tacloban City. This will be assessed by

using the Likert scale ranging from 5 – Strongly Agree, 4 – Agree, 3 – Disagree, 2 –

Strongly Disagree, and 1 – Not Observed. In this method, it will uncover degrees of

opinion that could make a real difference in understanding the extent the pandemic has

affected their work and social life. The third part will ask about where they get their

updates related to COVID-19. This will be a checklist format, allowing the participant to
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

select the types of media they are using. The last part of the questionnaire will ask how

reliable they think the different sources of information are in presenting COVID-19

related updates (See Appendix B for Survey Questionnaire). 

Data Collection Procedure

The study will be carried out by asking a permission letter (See Appendix A).

Upon approval, the researchers conducted a survey on the selected workers of Tacloban

City. The researchers provided a questionnaire that will be answered individually by the

selected workers. The questionnaire was distributed via Google Forms so that the

participants will be able to answer following COVID-19 protocol and so that they can

keep their anonymity.

Data Analysis Procedure

After gathering the responses, the data will be analyzed using a statistical

software, Jamovi. For the demographics, a frequency table was used to get the number of

responses and the percentages. For the factors affected by the pandemic and compliance

of protocols we used descriptive statistics to get the mean (M) and standard deviation

(SD) to get the extent on which the workers were affected by the changes implemented

due to the pandemic. 

Results

Table 1. Gender
Levels Counts %
1 32 65.3
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

2 17 34.7

Table 2. Type of employment

Levels Counts %
Others 6 12.2
Job order 3 6.1
Part-time; private 2 4.1
Part-time; 3 6.1
government
Full-time; private 23 46.9
Full-time, 12 24.5
government

Table 3. Working hours

Levels Counts %
1-3 hours 2 4.1 %
4-6 hours 1 2.0 %
7-9 hours 35 71.4 %
10-12 hours 8 16.3 %
> 12 hours 1 2.0 %
On call 1 2.0 %
Flexible 1 2.0 %

Among the 50 respondents who answered the survey, 64% were female and 36%

were male. Majority are working full-time either in the private sector or in the

government sector covering 71% of the respondents were working full time. 25% of

those working fulltime in a government organization. 47% are working fulltime in the
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

private sector. 10% of the respondents were working part-time either in the government

or private sector. 6% were contractual or employed for job orders. The remaining 12%

had a different type of employment. Most of the respondents spent 7-9 hours in work.

Around 71% of the 50 respondents noted that they spend this amount of time in their

jobs. 16% of the respondents worked 10-12 hours. 4% work for 1-3 hours while 2%

spend 4-6 hours working. 2% of the respondents spend more than 12 in work. 2% are

flexible in terms of work hours and 2% are on call.

Table 4. Affected factors due to changes implemented due to the pandemic.

Statements Mean SD

Workload

I feel exhausted with my current working hours. 3.08 Disagr 1.12

ee

I feel stressed about the increase in the number 3.27 Disagr 1.26
of tasks given to me at work. ee

I have observed that I have lesser hours of work 3.31 Disagr 1.28
compared to previous years without the ee
pandemic.

I experience pressure from my employer on the 3.04 Disagr 1.30

new tasks given to me. ee

I bring my unfinished work at home. 3.39 Disagr 1.50

ee

Health

I experience the lack of sleep from work. 3.27 Disagr 1.29

ee
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

I experience body pain from time to time. 3.39 Disagr 1.29

ee

I became less productive both at home and work 3.04 Disagr 1.14
due to stress and etc. ee

I occasionally experience mild colds and coughs 2.65 Disagr 1.23

when I’m at work or home. ee

I feel unmotivated to go to work or to finish 2.98 Disagr 1.18

household chores due to exhaustion. ee

Communication

I experience lack of communication with my co- 2.88 Disagr 1.18

workers. ee

I experience lack of communication with my 2.69 Disagr 1.14

family members. ee

I can’t socialize in social media especially with 2.51 Disagr 1.06

my friends. ee

I always use my smartphone to call or text my 4.18 Agree 0.83

employer or my co-workers.

I have difficulties on communicating with my 2.94 Disagr 1.20

co-workers or employer due to bad reception in ee
our area.

Risk Awareness

I know that I may contract with the virus while 4.35 Agree 0.83
working.

I follow the safety precautions that are 4.71 Agree 0.46

implemented at work.

I am not scared of contracting the virus. 2.84 Disagr 1.07

ee
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

I’m confident that my workplace is safe and 3.08 Disagr 1.21

can’t contract the virus. ee

I always follow protocols both at work and at 4.57 Agree 0.71

home.

Support

I can approach my co-workers for help on work- 4.20 Agree 0.91

related problems

I have a hard time asking help from my co- 2.82 Disagr 1.13
workers ee

I receive helpful feedbacks on my performance 3.63 Agree 1.23

at work

I receive words of encouragement on my work 3.84 Agree 1.01

from my relatives and loved ones.

My employer gives me tips and suggestions on 3.90 Agree 1.14

doing certain jobs assigned to me.

Workload, state of health, communication was either neutral or positive.

Meanwhile, risk awareness and support from social circles were significantly positive by

the current situation with the pandemic. Tacloban City workers report that they did not

observe any negative effects on their workload (See Workload Table 4). Although,

respondents also do not think their health negatively affected due to the changes

implemented due to the pandemic (See Health Table 4). Workers did not observe any

changes in terms of their communication with other people (See Communication Table

4). Employees who are currently working seemed to be very aware of the risk of getting

COVID-19 due to the possible exposure in the workplace (M=4.35, SD=0.83). As for
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

support, the Tacloban City get support from their co-workers and their families and

friends (M=4.20, SD=0.91).

Table 4. Compliance of protocols

Statements Mean SD

Personal hygiene

I wash my hands frequently. 4.61 0.759

I bring and use hand sanitizer with me anywhere. 4.73 0.861

Use of protective gear

I wear a face mask at work and in public spaces. 4.88 0.389

I use a face shield in the office. 3.98 1.27

I use a face shield outside the office. 4.69 0.552

Social distancing

I always distance myself from other people in public 4.80 0.456

places.

Travel pass authorization

I always bring the appropriate and valid Quarantine 4.67 0.801

Pass.

I always bring my valid health certificate to all places I 4.19 1.35

go.

Tacloban City workers seem to comply with the protocols implemented by the

city government. They almost always observe proper personal hygiene by washing their
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

hands (M= 4.61, SD= 0.76) and using sanitizers or alcohol (M=4.73, SD= 0.86). They

also almost always use protective gear in public spaces (M=4.88, SD=0.389; M=4.69,

SD=0.552) and although they often use PPE while inside the office (M= =3.98,

SD=1.27). Tacloban City workers also practice social distancing (M=4.80, SD=0.456).

They often bring necessary documents whenever they go out for work-related travel

(M=4.67, SD=0.801; M=4.19, SD=1.35).

Table 5. Where Tacloban City workers get their COVID-19 related updates

Sources No. %

Electronic/ Digital

TV News 39 78

Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) 43 86

Messaging Applications (Viber, WhatsApp, 15 30

etc.)

Community Publications

Newspaper 18 36

Radio 33 66

Barangay Bulletin (Updates) 15 30

Social

Peers 50 100

Others 0 0
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

In terms of where the workers get their information regarding COVID-19 related

updates, it was divided into three categories: Electronic/ digital, community publications,

and social. For electronic or digital, 78% of the respondents watch TV news to make sure

that they know the relevant and recent news regarding COVID-19. 43% also use social

media platforms to check for updates while only 15% use messaging applications. For

community publications, most of the workers listen to the radio to make sure that they are

updated (33%). Some of the respondents, also read the newspaper (18%) while others

also check their respective barangay bulletin boards (15%). As for social 100% of the

respondents talk to their peers to get the recent updates.

Table 6.

Sources Mean SD

Electronic/ Digital

TV News 3.18 .905

Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) 2.73 .861

Messaging Applications (Viber, WhatsApp, 2.45 1.02

etc.)

Community Publications

Newspaper 3.16 .773

Radio 3.22 .798

Barangay Bulletin (Updates) 2.88 .881

Social
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

Peers 2.59 .888

Others 0 0

Tacloban City workers perceive TV news (M=3.18, SD=.905) as a reliable source

of information along with news or updates from social media platforms (M=2.73,

SD=.861). However, they view updates from messaging apps as unreliable (M=2.45,

SD=1.02). As for community publication, they trust the updates from the radio (M=3.22,

SD=.798) more than what they are able to read from the newspapers (M=3.16, SD=.773).

However, all the community publications were perceived as reliable, including those

posted on barangay bulletins (M=2.88, SD=.881). As for their peer’s updates, they

somewhat rely on the information that their peers provide related to COVID-19 (M=2.59,

SD=.888).

Discussion

Although there is no causal evidence that COVID-19 pandemic changes caused

improvement or deterioration to the aforementioned factors since there was no baseline

data to compare. Results show that workers did not view their workload, health, and

communication negatively. They did not receive more work due to the pandemic. They

do not feel particularly ill because of the changes brought by the pandemic. Similarly,

their communication with co-workers and their peers were not negatively affected by the

pandemic. However, Tacloban City workers were very aware of the risks of working on-

site during the pandemic. They also receive support from both work and their peers.
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

Possible relationship between risk awareness and support. Possible that since

there is more perceived risk due to the pandemic, organizations are giving more support

to their employees.

Social support and communication may be linked with each other. In a study of

Kirmeyer, and Lin (1987), face-to-face interactions with co-workers and superiors

increases self-esteem and perceived social support of people in work. Frequent and good

communication also lowers one’s feelings of loneliness (Shaw, & Gant, 2004). This also

brings to light that a good communication does not have to be face-to-face in, since in

both studies used digital modes of communication with their co-workers. It is also

possible that employees are more perceptive of the support they receive because they

acknowledge the risk of working, especially on-site, during the pandemic. This can also

be seen between people high social support and high HIV awareness (Lelutiu-Weinberger

et al., 2020, p. 719). Social support can facilitate engagement in discussing issues, in this

case, COVID-19 awareness. Furthermore, the high compliance score of the Tacloban

City workers could also be connected to their high-risk awareness score. Because they are

aware of the risks that they may encounter in working on-site this translated into behavior

by strictly following health protocols. This will be contrary to some risk behavior studies

Peltzer et al. (2015, p. 181), where he found no association between risk awareness and

risk behavior. However, it is also worth noting that perhaps due to COVID-19 being a

“pandemic” this pushed people to put their information into practice (Jun et al., 2021).

As for information dissemination and reliability, it would be best if the local

government agencies actively post in social media platforms such as Facebook and

Twitter seeing that most of the workers are gathering their COVID-19 related updates
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

and news on those sites. They could also share relevant news articles on their pages since

workers still trust the news in terms of digital media. Although, most journalism, news,

and newspaper companies have also started posting their articles online to help

disseminate correct information to as many people as possible.

Limitation

The researchers were unable to gather data with regards to the factors (workload,

health, communication, risk awareness, and support) before the pandemic or

implementation of lockdowns. Furthermore, the researchers were not able to make a

connection between the factors and the risk of being infected with COVID-19. Similarly,

the number of respondents were also limited to 50, and may not be reflected to the actual

population.

Recommendation

We hope that future studies will investigate the changes between he factors

(workload, health, communication, risk awareness, and support) before the pandemic or

implementation of lockdowns and after the pandemic. Future studies can also try to

correlate the factors and the risk of being infected with COVID-19.

References

Acs, G., & Karpman, M. (2020). Employment, income, and unemployment insurance

during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Urban Institute.

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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

Adams-Prassl, A., Boneva, T., Golin, M., & Rauh, C. (2020). Inequality in the Impact of

the Coronavirus Shock: New Survey Evidence for the UK.

https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.52477

Ahmad, T., Haroon, Baig, M., & Hui, J. (2020). Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

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Appendix A

Permission Letter

Risk Assessment of Tacloban City Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Good day, Respondents!

We are the 12th grade students, section St. Paul of Saint Paul School of

Professional Studies and we are currently conducting a research study entitled “Risk

Assessment of Tacloban City Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic” as a

requirement of the subject INVQM (Inquiries, Investigation, and Immersion).

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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

Attached herewith are questions pertaining to the aforementioned study. We are

humbly asking for your time in answering this. Rest assured that your answers will be

kept confidentially.

Respectfully yours,

The researchers

Appendix B

Survey Questionnaire

PART I:

Name (Optional): _______________________________________________

Sex: Male Female

Age: _______________

Job: __________________________

Type of Employment: Full time, government

Full time, private

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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

Part time, government

Part time, private

Job order, government

    Others: __________________

Working Hours: ________________________

PART II-A. Factors affected by the pandemic

Instructions: We would like you to rate each item by putting a check mark (/) as to the

extent of your experience to the different factors that might affect your risk exposure to

infection.

Measurement:  5 – Strongly Agree 2 – Strongly Disagree 

4 – Agree 1 – Not observed

3 – Disagree

Statements  5 4 3 2 1

WORKLOADS 

1. I feel exhausted with my current working hours.

2. I feel stressed in the increase of number of tasks given to me at

work.

3. I have observed that I have lesser hours of work compared to

previous years without the pandemic.

4. I experience pressure from my employer on the new tasks given

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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

to me.

5. I bring my unfinished work at home.

HEALTH

1. I experience the lack of sleep from work.

2. I experience body pain from time to time.

3. I’ve became less productive both at home and work due to stress

and etc.

4. I occasionally experience mild colds and coughs when I’m at

work or home.

5. I feel unmotivated to go to work or to finish household chores

due to exhaustion.

COMMUNICATION

1. I experience lack of communication with my co-workers.

2. I experience lack of communication with my family members.

3. I can’t socialize in social media especially with my friends.

4. I always use my smartphone to call or text my employer or my

co-workers.

5. I have difficulties on communicating with my co-workers or

employer due to bad reception in our area.

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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

RISK AWARENESS

1. I know that I may contract with the virus while working.

2. I follow the safety precautions that are implemented at work.

3. I’m not scared of contracting the virus.

4. I’m confident that my workplace is safe and can’t contract the

virus .

5. I always follow protocols both at work and at home.

SUPPORT

1. I can approach my co-workers for help on work-related

problems 

2. I have a hard time asking help from my co-workers 

3.I receive helpful feedbacks on my performance at work 

4. I receive words of encouragement on my work from my relatives

and loved ones.

5. My employer gives me tips and suggestions on doing certain

jobs assigned to me.

PART II-B. COMPLIANCE OF PROTOCOLS.

Measurement:  5 – Always 2 – Rarely

4 – Often 1 – Never
 31
RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

3 – Sometimes

Statements 5 4 3 2 1

PERSONAL HYGIENE 

I wash my hands frequently.

I bring and use hand sanitizer with me anywhere.

USE OF PROTECTIVE GEAR

I wear a face mask at work and in public places.

I use a face shield inside the office.

I use a face shield outside the office.

SOCIAL DISTANCING 

I always distance myself from other people in public places.

Travel Pass Authorization

I always bring the appropriate and valid Quarantine Pass.

I always bring my valid health certificate to all places I go.

PART III. SOURCE OF INFORMATION

Where do you get your info updates about COVID? We would like you to put a check (/)

on what is applicable.

ELECTRONIC/DIGITAL
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

TV news

Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

Messaging Applications (Viber, Whatsapp,

etc.)

COMMUNITY PUBLICATIONS

Newspaper

Radio

Barangay Bulletin (Updates)

SOCIAL

Peers

PART IV. RELIABILITY

Very Reliable Unreliable Undecided

Reliable

TRUST IN ELECTRONIC/DIGITAL

TV news

Social Media (Facebook, Twitter,

etc.)

Messaging Applications (Viber,

Whatsapp, etc.)

TRUST IN COMMUNITY PUBLICATIONS

Newspaper
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

Radio

Barangay Bulletin (Updates)

TRUST IN SOCIAL

Peers

THANK YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU!

NAME: Rachel Joy C. Freeman

SEX: Female
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

AGE: 19
DATE OF BIRTH: October 4, 2001
ADDRESS: Lot 3 Area 3A El Salvador St. V&G Phase 4, Tacloban City
RELIGION: 8
CONTACT #: 09564304219

PREVIOUS SCHOOLS

ELEMENTARY: Grace Baptist Academy

SCHOOL YEAR: 2014-2015
SECONDARY (JUNIOR HIGH): Leyte Progressive High School
SCHOOL YEAR: 2019

NAME: Carlos Fernando J. Naputo

SEX: Male
AGE: 18
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

DATE OF BIRTH: March 7, 2003

ADDRESS: Brgy. Lupok, Guiuan, E. Samar
RELIGION: Roman Catholic
CONTACT #: 09663524104

PREVIOUS SCHOOLS

ELEMENTARY: Guiuan East Central School

SCHOOL YEAR: 2014-2015
SECONDARY (JUNIOR HIGH): St. Mary’s Academy of Guiuan
SCHOOL YEAR: 2018-2019

NAME: Antonio Christopher A. Thong

SEX: Male
AGE: 17
DATE OF BIRTH: October 25, 2003
ADDRESS: Brgy.6 Elizalde St. Gen.MacArthur, E. Samar
RELIGION: Roman Catholic
CONTACT #: 09452131620
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

PREVIOUS SCHOOLS

ELEMENTARY: Gen MacArthur Elementary School

SCHOOL YEAR: 2014-2015
SECONDARY (JUNIOR HIGH): Seminario de Jesus Nazareno Inc. Borongan City
SCHOOL YEAR: 2018-2019

NAME: Sienna P. Taño

SEX: Female
AGE: 18
DATE OF BIRTH: 12/03/2002
ADDRESS: San Juan st. Burauen Leyte
RELIGION: Catholic
CONTACT #: 09951491922
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS

PREVIOUS SCHOOLS

ELEMENTARY: Sta.monica elementary school

SCHOOL YEAR: 2014-2015
SECONDARY (JUNIOR HIGH): Burauen National Hughschool
SCHOOL YEAR:2018- 2019
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RISK ASSESSMENT OF TACLOBAN WORKERS