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CHAPTER 1

Introduction

The terrorist bombing has become a major concern in the international

polity affecting lives, worse causing death. Among the casualties, the survivors

are the ones that have a lasting effect. Although their lives were not taken after

the incident, they are the ones that suffer from medical damages, mental

damages, psychosocial damages, and worst is causing trauma of the horrific

incident that lingers in their minds. However, limited to no studies are available

that encapsulate the stories of the survivors capturing the damages to their lives

and the healing process. Hence, recognizing their narratives will let us

understand how the bombing affected their lives and how did they process the

situation along the way.

In an incident in Madrid, Spain specifically in Atocha Station, a terrorist

bombing happened that killed 191 people and about 1800 were wounded. And

from that incident one survivor named Luis Ahijado shared his horrific experience

whereby physical injuries, mental effects and trauma were evident. He mentioned

that it was a day going to work and when got into the platform of Atocha station,

the bomb exploded. Something had lifted him off the ground and slap on his face

causing him to fell on the ground. He heard a beep sound and the train was full

of dust alongside with bodies who died. He stood up and walked along the tracks

towards Atocha while he was injured. His jaw had been ripped open, and half of
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his face was burned. He rushed to save his life while looking at bodies of people

laying on the train. Luckily, he was brought to the hospital, but injuries were

evident. He had crystal shards in his face. He also suffered from a loss of

sensitivity. His eardrums were ruptured. Although he never had nightmares but

when he went to trial in 2008 seeing survivors who were still in bad shape, he

cried and cried that caused him to be depressed ( 'He didn't destroy me. We carry

on. He lost': survivors of terror attacks look back, 2019).

Additionally, in the study of Van Overmeire et. al (2021) about the working

experiences of the airport employees after a terrorist bombing in Brussels airport

in Belgium, the employees faced psychosocial challenges. They developed

unsafety at the workplace, fall-out of colleagues, distrust or support of

colleagues, and a lack of trust in management. This distrust is exacerbated by a

lack of proper debriefings, acknowledgement, specific supportive activities, and

commemoration of the attacks. While people who were present on that day can

find comfort in one another, there is also distrust between them, especially

among those who were not present at the time of the attacks. The airport is

deemed unsafe by the respondents due to a perceived lack of security, leading

them to believe that a fresh incident would occur sooner or later. Finally, they are

stressed by the increased workload at the airport following the attacks, and the

feeling of being understaffed is viewed as an additional hardship.

On the one-note, terrorism aims to create terror through attacks. It is

intended to cause mass casualties, panic or the loss of critical resources to

disrupt vital services or the economy. Moreover, terrorism refers to a wide

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spectrum of dangers, including organized terrorism in conflict zones, overseas

terrorist combatants, radicalized "lone wolves," and attacks with chemical,

biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive materials (Terrorism, n.d). With

that sense, the act of terrorism is done through specter of proliferation of

weapons of mass destruction, and using small arms and improvised explosive

devices, including both vehicle and personnel borne (International Terrorism:

Threat, Policy, and Response, 2007). On Sept. 21, 2013, for example, whereby

gunmen attacked Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya in Africa. It was a terror attack

claimed by the Somali militant organization called Al-Shabaab which resulted in

hundreds of casualties, including more than 60 deaths as of Sept. 25 (Miller,

2013). Also, in Bangladesh, on August 17, 2005, a domestic terrorist group

named Jamaatul Mujahidin Bangladesh (JMB) which aims to established an

Islamic state in Bangladesh through violence, detonated approximately 460

bombs at 300 locations in 63 of the 64 districts in Bangladesh asking the

government to establish Islamic rule or face a ruthless offensive (Gohel, 2014).

On the contrary, the Marawi seize which was caused by a terror attack of

the Maute group caused trauma and economic loss especially among Muslim

women residents who suffered the most. In the study of Acallar & Bitos (2018),

women who took part of the study lost their job or stayed unemployed after the

evacuation. They had no house to live in anymore and resources to support the

needs of the family. Therefore, the difficulty to accumulate resources again

emerges as a constant dilemma. They were also constantly stressed especially

in attending their children. One of the mothers said that she would always worry
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and look for her children every time she does not see her them causing mental

distress. Consequently, they had to adjust to the environment in order to cope to

the challenging situations while they were in the evacuation. Among the coping

strategies they employed, social support was the most prevalent among them.

They had to seek help from the government and the people surrounding them to

be resilient even in the mi dst of difficulty.

In Davao City, there is limited to no research about the experiences of the

survivors of any terrorist attacks nor terrorist bombing. Hence, I feel that there is

a need to capture the stories of survivors to tell let the people be aware of what

happened and to serve as memoriam to the incident. That is why in this paper, I

will focus on the lived and untold stories of the survivors of one of the tragic

bombing events in the history of Davao city, the Roxas Night Market bombing on

September 2, 2016. Further, several reports were circulated as to the number of

casualties but limited to no specific reports on the lived stories of the survivors. In

this sense, I want to narrate their experiences, and the impact of the bombing to

their lives.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this narrative study is to understand and discover the

stories of the Roxas Night Market Bombing survivors. At this stage in the

research, the Roxas Night Market Bombing will be generally defined as an event

that was caused by a terror attack that happened on September 2, 2016.

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It is my hope that this study will be beneficial to the Local Government of

Davao, Social Studies Teachers, Students, and Researchers.

Local Government of Davao. The officials from the LGU may use the

result of this study to enrich the history of the city. The narratives may be used in

galleries to relay the lived stories of the survivors of the bombing. Through this

initiative, the Davaoeños will be informed letting them to remember and

commemorate the incident that caused death and casualties. As they say, history

should not be forgotten because it shapes of we are today.

Social Studies Teachers. The teachers may also find this research helpful

especially in discussing terrorism. I believe that the results and discussion will

add to the narratives of stories in the contemporary Philippines and local history

specifically Davao. Hence, they may be able to inculcate and enrich the

knowledge of students, in their discussions, in terms of social history of Davao

City.

Students. The research will widen the understanding of the students in

terms of the history of Davao especially with bombings per se. The narratives will

let them understand the experiences of these survivors during and after the

incident.

Researchers. This research will be beneficial for researchers who would

want to delve on narratives studies of bombing incidents not just in the region but

in any cities that were hit by bombing incidents. This will serve as a guide and a

literature regarding terrorist bombing incidents. Also, through this study they may
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be able to create another lens in understanding terrorism, as a whole, in the

region.

Research Objectives

This study aims to document the narratives and experiences of the survivors of

the Roxas Night Market Bombing. It has the following objectives:

 To narrate significant stories of the survivors during the Roxas Night

Market bombing;

 To explore on the impacts of the bombing towards the lives of the Roxas

Night Market survivors; and

 To describe the healing process of the survivors on the impacts of Roxas

Night Market bombing.

Literature Review

This section encapsulates the reviews of related literature relevant to the

study pertaining to the experiences of terrorist bombing survivors and impacts to

their lives. It is presented in order to describe, summarize, evaluate, and clarify

my study with the existing reviews. Hence, it will obliterate the skepticism of the

readers regarding the issue of the subject matter of my study.

Terror Attack Incidents

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An act of terrorism aims to create terror through attacks. It is intended to

cause mass casualties, panic or the loss of critical resources to disrupt vital

services or the economy. And among those, the victims are most affected during

and after the event. Moreover, it leaves people stunned, and has an emotional

impact that lives on through its social and political implications. Terrorism

becomes cultural in the event that if it will last whereby individuals change their

habits and behaviors, learning for example not to be passive in the event of a

terrorist attack, and going about their daily lives keeping in the back of their

minds the possibility that a terrorist attack could take place. Hence, leaves a long

lasting impression that attacks may again happen. Also, in the case of the

victims, terrorism has led to the creation of victims’ associations, memorials and

memorial projects, as well as museums to commemorate the unfortunate event

that caused many lives to die and suffer (The Impact of Terrorism, 2020). In

addition, the socio-political-cultural context within which the trauma occurs will

inform the way in which survivors interpret and respond to their experiences

(Aroche & Coello, 2004).

In northern Nigeria, the Boko Haram terrorist organization attacked a girls’

school in Chibok, Borno state, abducting around 250-300 young school girls on

Tuesday, April 15, 2014. Other than that, Abubakar Shekau, the Boko Haram’s

leader released a video on May 5, threatening to sell the girls as “wives” and

citing ideological opposition to the education of young girls. While there was a

negotiation with the government and the terrorist group on May 5, Boko Haram
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took advantage of a distracted military and attacked the unprotected town of

Gamboru Ngala, reportedly killing up to 300 civilians (Simonelli et. al, 2014). The

first attacked was only a diversionary tactic of the terrorist group to take

advantage and kill hundreds of civilians.

On the other hand, on Sept. 21, 2013, Saturday at that time gunmen

attacked Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya. It was terror attack claimed by the

Somali militant organization called Al-Shabaab as per media sources whereby

the attack has resulted in hundreds of casualties, including more than 60 deaths

as of Sept. 25. The militant group originated in Somalia but expanded its

activities in Kenya as a retaliation for Kenyan forces intervening in Somalia.

Furthermore, the militant group’s as per record, the most lethal attack done by

them are usually characterized by assaults that leads to clashes, or mass-

casualty bombings like what happened in 2010 that killed scores of civilians

gathered to watch a World Cup soccer game in Kampala, Uganda (Miller, 2013).

In the Philippines, the infamous Abu Sayyaf group have been causing

social turmoil that costs hundreds of lives who died due to terror attacks since it’s

founding in early 90’s. In fact, one of the attacks which is considered as the most

devastating attack by them was the Superferry 14 bombing on September 27,

2004 which killed 116 and injured 300 people. In this attack, an 8 pounds

explosive compound TNT that was hid in television and placed on the lower

section of the ship caused the tragic event that killed hundreds of people

(Philippine Star, 2004 as cited by Fabe, 2013). The attack from the perspectives

of the passengers had caused incalculable and psychological loss. Fabe (2013)
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added that aside from the Superferry bombing incident, several reports were

accounted such as the Valentine’s day bombing of 2005, and Davao and General

bombing of 2005 were hundreds of them were injured and some died that caused

traumas to the bereaved family and especially to the survivors of the bombings.

In Davao City, one of the bombing incidents that marked in the history of

the city are the bombings of the old Davao International Airport on March 4, 2003

and the Davao wharf at Sasa on April 3, 2003 which killed 22 and sixteen

bystanders respectively which were considered as the worst confirmed terrorist

attacks in Southeast Asia since Bali. Both incidents were attributed to Jimaah

Islamiyah operations and with some MILF involvement reportedly (ICG, 2004).

In the case of the Roxas Night market bombing, it was reported that the

Maute terrorist group which 11 of them were behind and caused the incident. At

the night market on Roxas Avenue in Davao City's central business district, the

Maute group detonated an improvised explosive device. Fifteen individuals were

killed, including seven massage therapists and a pregnant woman, while at least

69 others were injured, including students (Cabalza, 2020).

Experiences of Terrorist Attack Survivors

Terrorism has become widespread all over the world that causes chaos

and worse death of thousands of people. In fact, according to Dang et.al (2020),

in the United States, the deadliest act of homegrown terrorism happened on 19

April 1995 terrorist bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in

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Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where it was characterized as “The brazen attack

shocked the nation and exposed a subculture that had been gaining momentum

while operating under the radar….the horrific images of that morning were

forever etched in people's minds” (Thomas, 2020 as cited by Dang et.al, 2020). It

was an event whereby numerous of number of people survived and died

because of the bombing.

In the account of Dang et.al (2020), they were able to interview random

sampled 182 survivors, and 141 survivors nearly 1 year later of the incident

whereby it was categorized into the experiences of the bomb blast, immediate

aftermath of the bomb blast, and later reflections on the bomb blast. As to the

experiences of the bomb blast, it was through the five sensory modalities

whereby as to sensory experience, numerous participants described the bomb

blast as flash of light, “bright glare”…and “strong light”; a few referred to the flash

as a reflection bouncing off an object such as a computer screen, a window, or a

nearby building.

Also, there were two different narratives that described the entire scene around

them as flashing simultaneously, one side was, it was a first awareness of huge

flash of light and the other was the bomb blast was likened to a bolt of lightning

followed immediately by a clap of thunder. Due to the sudden blast, it threw

people around, knocked them to the floor, and tossed them across their desks.

Also, vibrations that reverberated through the floors were created by people

running to escape the building. Many people were crying for help and yelling for

others to get out. Also, several survivors witnessed buildings and structures
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within the buildings being destroyed during the bomb blast and quickly turned

into heaps upon heaps of “destruction” and “devastation.” People saw debris and

glass flying around and ceilings and walls collapsing onto them from positions

inside buildings that were levelled by the explosion. After the bomb blast, a

horrific scene wherein survivors encountered injured people and dead bodies,

including bloodied or bleeding coworkers, people buried in rubble and very

graphic scenes such as a coworker who was “laying in a pool of blood the side of

his face was gone.” On the one-note, several survivors as well had thought to

escape accordingly in order to save their lives, and some had thought their family

members and friends or other people. As per the participants, there was an evil

felt inside him that it was dangerous to be there, hence to get out, and one

person thought of his/her family where he/she saw people and cleared debris off

himself/herself and saw pictures of family laying beside him/her and thought that

he/she would never see them again. After the incident, structural damage were

visible, survivors helped others, physical injuries of the survivors, and survivors

thought of their escape. Buildings were destroyed as an impact of the bombing.

May survivors were trapped or injured calling for help. They had to help each

other in order to leave the building and survive as per one of the survivors,

“Come on, we've got to get out” and “Get out NOW! GET OUT NOW!”. Also,

many survivors helped in removing obstruction and helped others down flight to

safety. As to physical injuries, many survivors were wounded by shower of glass

and debris that caused lacerations and number of cuts. One survivor mentioned

that it was like “an icicle-shaped piece of glass out of my left eye” that resulted in
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permanent blindness. A lot of fallen debris were seen after the incident that

caused the survivors to be disoriented on their exit for survival. They had the

hard time to locate emergency exits by memory. They had to search for

alternative routes and some had to even knocked doorways.

On the one-note, another story from Mr. Daniel Biddle, a survivor of the

London underway incident that happened on July 7, 2005 whereby 52 people

were killed and 700 were injured. In his recalled memory, he shared that he was

travelling at that time to work in Wembley, however, missed the stop so was in a

diverted route, and stood 18 away from the bomber. He had no apprehension

that something might happen. He knew he was alright at that time and was ready

and waiting to go to work. But, suddenly, there was sudden white flash and felt

himself lying on the floor already. Something was digging on his back and when

he pulled it out it was a foot. His left leg was taken out of the blast and his right

leg was severed. The pole that he was holding punctured his colon, rupturing his

spleen and bowel, and both his arms had caught fire. After the incident, he was

terrified and wanted to help, hence called for help. Someone helped him named

Adrian Heili who helped as well 10 to 11 people that day. Once Mr. Biddle was

on the hospital, he suffered three cardiac arrest and died each time. He was in

surgery for 19 hours on the first day and spend 51 days in the hospital. He also

mentioned that the physical injury was easily to live with than the mental trauma

whereby he suffered from PTSD which resulted to three suicide attempts. After

the horrific incident, around the ninth anniversary, he decided to go back to the

place of incident so he could remember and see and experience one more time
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the situation he had been to; it was a moment of closure for him that he said to

himself, “…And I’m going to go and live my life.” ('He didn't destroy me. We carry

on. He lost': survivors of terror attacks look back, 2019).

Further, on July 11, 2010, suicide bombings were carried against crowds

watching the FIFA world cup in Kampala, Uganda that killed scores of civilians

whereby according to the recalled story of Mr. Ndugwa Hassan, as they were

enjoying watching the game, after 78 minutes, he had the loudest blast in his

entire life. He saw people were panicking and running for the lives that urged him

to realize that it was already a terrorist threat and hence run to secure himself. At

that time, several people were wounded, and some died due to the blast. Luckily

for him, he was able to run and sought refuge, but he saw how some people

suffered (Voices of Terrorism Victims, 2018).

Economic Impact

The survivors of bombing incidents were not exempted to economic

impact. They experienced economic adversities that challenge their way of living

and their families. In the study of Hussain & Sarma (2016), terrorist bombing

results to many innocent people being killed, leaving their loved ones traumatized

and helpless. Survivors must also deal with a slew of other challenges in addition

to grieving the loss of loved ones. Such attacks have the potential to disrupt an

individual's entire social support system, which can be extremely distressing,

especially for those who lose their only source of income. They may have to start
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over in order to reconstruct their lives, and they may have a negative impact on

victims' socioeconomic standing by affecting their earning ability, access to

education, and overall standard of living. In the same study, one participant said

that after the death of her husband who was a victim of the bomb blast, she was

compelled to support her children especially with education although the

government compensated her and provided her with a monthly educational

stipend, but she recognizes that without a steady source of income, she and her

kid face a dismal future. In her words, she said, “I don’t know how long I will be

able to continue in this manner. Without a job, surviving in this city is a tough job

and the money received as compensation will not last me or a lifetime”.

Consequently, two male survivors who incurred injuries after the blast had

the difficulty to take employment that requires physical labor. Compounded with

limited educational qualifications, it has become a difficulty to find stable job. Due

to injuries, it deterred them to sustain their living that resulted to decrease in their

income. Further, one participant’s injuries prompted him to restrict his working

hours, resulting in a more than halving of his income; on some days, he returns

home with less than ten Rupees remaining after paying the rent for the auto-

rickshaw he drives. His family had to go to bed with empty bellies on these

occasions, and he admits to being burdened by guilt about his sentiments of

failing to meet his family's requirements. In his words, “with pieces of shrapnel

still lodged in my body and no hope of better medical treatment, I feel as if I am

living on borrowed time. My only concern is for the future of my wife and
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son.What will happen to them if, God forbid, something happens to me

tomorrow?” (Hussain & Sarma, 2016).

Medical Consequences

Terrorist bombing results to a lot of casualties, medically, it kills lives and

even destroy the living opportunity of the survivors. In fact, as to world data from

reviews of 14 published studies, historically, between 1969 and 1983, a

combined population of 3357 documented casualties for analysis of injury and

mortality was recorded that happened in Beirut in 1983, Bologna in 1980,

Jerusalem in 1985, Craigavon in 1980, tower of London in 1974, Old Bailey in

1974, Birmingham Pubs in 1974, Guilford Pubs in 1974, Cuchi in 1969, and

Belfast in 1969-1972. Among the aforementioned was with the highest

percentage of casualties with what happened in a four-story building at Beirut

International Airport in Lebanon on October 23, 1983 which housed

approximately 350 U.S. Marines, was demolished in a suicide truck-bombing

attack that delivered the explosive equivalent of 5455 kg of TNT. The explosion

resulted in 346 casualties whereby 234 of them (68%) were immediately killed.

112 immediately survived and among them, seven late deaths (6.3%) ultimately

occurred. The majority of the survivors (86%) were evacuated by air ambulances

for definitive care after triage and resuscitation aboard a U.S. Navy ship that was

at the scene. Also, in the same data, in Bologna, Italy, a bomb was detonated in

the main railroad terminal in with an estimated explosive force of 20 kg of TNT in

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August 1980 wherein two hundred ninety-one casualties was recorded, 73 of

which were immediate deaths (25%); 181 of the 218 immediate survivors (83%)

were admitted to the hospital, and eleven deaths in this latter group (6%)

(Fryckberg et. al, 1988).

In corollary to terrorist attacks, according to Ture´gano-Fuentes et. al

(2008), blast (from changes in air pressure), piercing injuries (from shrapnel),

blunt (from body displacement induced by expanding gases), and burns are

some of the processes that produce bombing injuries. In civilian practice, the

blast mechanism generates injuries that are quite rare. The immediate death rate

as well as the extent and severity of blast injuries are greatly influenced by,

among other things, the nature of the space where the explosion occurs (open air

versus closed).

In Madrid, Spain, for example wherein, on 11 of March 2004, ten

explosions occurred on four commuter trains running from the outskirts of Madrid

to Atocha Railway Station, which is near to the city's center. One hundred and

seventy-seven persons were killed in the attack. Over 1,800 people were injured

in an instant. The bombs were dropped from the sky. Mobile phones were used

to ignite the bomb. The first three bombs went off without a hitch. While the train

was stopped and the doors were opened, 29 people died instantly. The second

train arrived when four people were approaching the station with the doors

closed, other bombs exploded, killing 64 people right away. The third strike was

particularly catastrophic; despite the fact that the train had been halted and only

two explosives had burst, the doors were still shut, resulting in 67 deaths on the
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spot. The fourth train arrived at the station with its doors open, resulting in the

death of 17 passengers in an instant. As to injuries inflected to the survivors,

there were 11 of 13 reported cases of earlobe amputation, maxillofacial injuries

and fractures, in 17 patients and closed in 31, 15 patients with fractured upper

thoracic vertebrae had severe associated blast injuries to the torso, and few

patients with severe abdominal injuries, and contusions and lacerations of the

solid organs predominated over gastrointestinal perforations. (Ture´gano-

Fuentes et. al, 2008).

Consequently, as per the experience of one of the survivors of the Atocha

Bombing, Luis Ajihado said that he incurred injuries after the blast whereby his

jaw was ripped open and half of his was burned. Luckily for him, he was rushed

to the hospital and had treatment, however, the medical effects were really

evident. The doctors had to get the crystals in his face. He suffered from loss of

sensitivity. His eardrum raptured and his face were numbed that causing not to

feel his face totally ('He didn't destroy me. We carry on. He lost': survivors of

terror attacks look back, 2019).

In France, according to Abenhaim et. al (1992), a wave of terrorist attacks

happened wherein in the study, the data was 254 survivors of the 21 terrorist

attacks with civilian targets that occurred in France between 1982 and 1987.

Approximately 40% of victims were seriously injured. Another 40% of

respondents were moderately or not injured. Hearing problems were very

frequent. The other primary lesions were cranial trauma, coma and severe burns
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or eye injuries. Amputations and multiple fractures comprised fewer than 5% of

the lesions.

Also, in a terrorist bomb attack in Nairobi, Kenya, as per study of

Odhiambo et. al (2001) whereby 352 casualties were recorded and 290 survived.

Of the 290 survivors, as to maxillofacial, a total of 226 patients (77.9%)

experienced one or more injuries in the maxillofacial region, including the eyes.

When ophthalmological injuries were omitted, 146 of the victims (50.3 percent)

had at least one type of maxillofacial injury. The eyes (20.7 percent), cheeks

(18.1 percent), and forehead were the most commonly afflicted areas (14.1

percent). The most prevalent injuries were soft tissue injuries (cuts and

lacerations). Soft-tissue injuries accounted for 61.3 percent of all injuries in the

maxillofacial region (n=271). Eye injuries were reported in 80 individuals (27.6%).

The distribution of different types of eye injuries is depicted in the graph. Twenty-

two (27.5%) of the injuries were significant, involving cornea/scleral perforation

and ruptured eyeballs. The most prevalent types of eye damage were

corneal/scleral perforations (22.5%) and cuts and lacerations of the eyelid

(21.2%).

Another was with survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing on April 9, 1995

with 168 individuals were killed and 675 were wounded, where 46.9% of the

victims had hearing loss, 15.4% had severe burns, 15% had closed-head

injuries, 13% had eye injuries (particularly globe rupture and laceration), 10.2%

were knocked out by the blast, 6.7 percent had sucking chest wounds and

respiratory impairment from burns, and 4.5 % had amputations. Initial explosion
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impacts (i.e., compression and blast waves) induced post concussive syndrome

in the survivors, as well as burst eardrums, which resulted in hearing loss and

balance difficulties, alveolar edema and hemorrhagic lungs, and intestinal

perforations. Blast wind caused secondary blast injuries by causing

acceleration/deceleration head injuries and impaling victims by throwing them

into sharp objects and slashing them with flying shrapnel. Also, the survivors

experienced lacerations in the carotid and jugular veins, ruptured optic globes,

cut peripheral nerves, deep tissue wounds, crushed and dissected tracheas, and

crush injuries to the limbs and thorax caused severe fluid and electrolyte

abnormalities, as well as secondary infections (Hall et.al, 2006).

Moreover, in Iraq with deadliest suicide double-car bomb on 10:30 AM on

October 25, 2009 near the Ministry of Justice and Baghdad Governorate

Building, at Haifa Street, Central Baghdad, killing 152 and injuring 520

bystanders. According to Hoz et. al (2020), as per the main focused of the study,

75 of them were victims of traumatic brain injuries whereby 19 of whom died in

the emergency room. The remaining 56 victims were sent to the hospital for

treatment. Of those, 68.6% (n=39) had surgery, while the remaining 30.4 percent

were treated conservatively. Furthermore, corticectomy and decompressive

craniectomy were performed on 76.9% and 46.2 percent of sufferers,

respectively. In 17.9% of instances, the dural venous sinus was repaired, and

30.7 percent of the procedures included further efforts to control significant

(arterial) cerebrovascular bleeding. The net rate of blast traumatic brain injuries-
 20

related complications was 76%. The overall mortality rate was 48%. Surviving

patients were released with a severe impairment in 10.7% of cases (n=8).

On the one-note, based from the study of Golan et. al (2013), terrorist

explosions in various contexts have been demonstrated to cause considerably

diverse damage patterns among victims, with confined space attacks often

resulting in more severe injuries. In their study, they focused in bombings done

within the bus and those adjacent to bus. In the result, the study comprised 262

victims of 22 terrorist acts targeting civilian bus passengers and drivers; 171

were injured by an explosion inside a bus, and 91 were hurt by an explosion

outside a bus. The inside the bus population had higher injury severity, more

main blast injury, more urgent surgical procedures performed, and more ICU

utilization. Both groups had approximately 20% of burn injuries, had significant

percentages of head/neck injuries, and had high percentages of surgical wound

and burn care. Basically, both victims in inside and adjacent had head and neck

injury, maxillofacial, chest, abdomen, extremities, external injuries such as

abrasions, lacerations, contusions and burns, blast injury with the tympanic

membrane injury and blast-related lung injury with acute pulmonary injury among

victims, and hospitalization. What was found was, inside bus victims were more

severely injured and required more time-sensitive care than the adjacent bus

ones.

Furthermore, as per Stein et. al (1999), terrorist attacks represent a

significant medical problem since they typically result in several casualties. This

used to happen mostly during wars or other military activities. In most cases, the
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civilian medical establishment. On a daily basis, governments are not equipped

to deal with several casualties. The issue is determining how many casualties are

in critical but salvageable condition on the field and once they get at the hospital.

Such persons are frequently mixed in with a huge number of minor injuries that

present to all accessible medical facilities, posing a significant triage and care

challenge. Because surgeons are crucial in the management of mass-casualty

events caused by conventional weaponry, they frequently play a critical role in

non-conventional scenarios in any community. Because triage, caring for

important patients, and making quick judgments are what they do on a daily

basis, they are called upon to organize and coordinate the hospital's medical

effort.

Psychological Consequences

Terrorist attacks does not only take lives, it also affects the mental health

of the people especially the survivors. In fact, in the United States, according to

Hall et. al (2006), since 1983 to 2002, the attacks resulted in specific physical

and psychiatric trauma which produce both acute and long-term psychiatric

sequelae. In general, follow-up data on bombing survivors shows an increase. A

rise in the number of people suffering from acute stress disorder and

posttraumatic stress disorder PTSD, significant depression, and generalized

anxiety disorder, anxiety problems, substance misuse, and adjustment issues are

all common with the survivors and those who were harmed indirectly by
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bombings. These circumstances occurred at a rate of two to six times the normal

rate higher than the average for the overall population. The majority of these

psychological diseases manifested themselves in unexpected places from the

day after the attack to 24 months after the bombing. People concerned about

being injured or killed by bombings, those aged 35–54 years, patients

experiencing panic attacks, and those with severe injuries (i.e., traumatic

amputees, patients with facial or genital burns, patients with closed-head injuries,

traumatic epileptics) are all at risk for developing psychological sequelae from

bombings.

In an experience of Hager Ben Aouissi in the infamous terror attack in

Promenade des Anglais, Nice, on 14 July 2016, the incident had caused

psychological effects to her and her daughter whereby for two years after the

incident, had caused trauma. She was physically present yet she felt like she

was dead. She was in total denial. But in January 2018, she started to get

psychological care. Her daughter, Kenza also had therapy. Her daughter still

can’t sleep alone and had nightmares every night, often followed by panic

attacks. First year after the incident was difficult for her daughter to go to school;

every time they would take route through a square where trucks supply a market,

she would be anxious, shouting, screaming. Her daughter felt insecure all of the

time and had to go back to using nappies. After the attack, she said: “Mum was

magical, she won against the truck.” She once sketched a truck, which the

therapist then burnt with her ('He didn't destroy me. We carry on. He lost':

survivors of terror attacks look back, 2019).

 23

In Kenya, according to Mwiti (2019), in the Nairobi bombing, in the

aftermath of the Nairobi explosion, 240 people were injured various levels. There

were 132 women and 108 men between the ages of 18 and 63. It was found out

that close closeness and exposure are linked to high degrees of PTS or post-

traumatic stress severity. The PTS severity score for these participants in the

high exposure category was more than 80% of the sample within the cutoff score

for high-level clinical concern in PTS severity. Hence, the high degree of

exposure is comparable with past general surveys conducted after terrorist

attacks for people who were near to the occurrence.

In Madrid, the terrorist attacks on March 11, 2004, according to Gabriel

et.al (2007), the victims experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),

major depression and anxiety disorders other than PTSD. There were 127

people were injured in the incident, 485 people lived in Alcala de Henares, and

153 police officers were part in the rescue. Symptoms consistent with any

diagnosed psychiatric condition were reported by 57.5 percent, 25.9%, and 3.9

percent of people in each of the three groups, respectively. Before March 11,

2004, the use of psychoactive medicine was consistently the greatest predictor of

PTSD and major depression among those injured, as well as major depression

and anxiety disorders other than PTSD among Alcala inhabitants. It was

concluded, hence, two months after the terrorist attacks on March 11, 2004,

there was a significant load of psychological consequences. Regardless of the

type of exposure, people with a history of mental illness are more likely to

develop post-event psychopathology.

 24

In the same incident with the Madrid bombing, Ferrando et. al (2011)

concluded that the prevalence of mental problems among both injured and

inhabitants was higher than expected two months following the occurrence,

compared to baseline conditions. Psychopathological problems among the

injured did not alter significantly eighteen months after the event but returned to

expected baseline rates among community members. In their findings, There

were 127 people injured in the incident, 485 citizens of Alcala de Henares, and

153 police officers participating in the investigation. Symptoms consistent with

any diagnosed psychiatric condition were reported by 57.5 percent, 25.9%, and

3.9 percent of people in each of the three groups, respectively disorder. Prior to

March 11, 2004, the use of psychoactive drugs was consistently the strongest

predictor of PTSD and serious depression among veterans. Those who have

been injured, as well as people of Alcala who suffer from significant depression

and anxiety problems other than PTSD.

Further, in London, according to Handley et. al (2009) following the

London bombings on July 7, 2005, there were identified 255 bombing survivors

who needed treatment for a psychological disorder. Survivors of the London

bombings were found to have clinically significant travel anxiety in 8% of those

who needed treatment, according to a screening program that focused on people

who were directly affected by the explosions. However, a closer look at the

symptoms described indicates that the vast majority also exhibited PTSD

symptoms. Fear and avoidance of transportation settings characterize a travel

phobic presentation following trauma while traveling, but patients may also report
 25

intrusive memories of traumatic onset events and hyper-arousal symptoms. To

effectively treat the reexperiencing symptoms, treatment of these phobic

responses must involve some parts of PTSD treatment. The trauma caused by

the bombing towards the survivors had contributed to their phobia to travel again

on public transport. Hence, mental health services face a challenge when large-

scale traumatic events occur, such as natural disasters and terrorist attacks.

Previous research has indicated that direct survivors of terrorist acts had a high

risk of mental problems (Whalley & Brewin, 2007 as cited by Handley et. al

(2009).

Psychosocial Adjustment

The effects of terrorist attacks do not only end during the incidents. In

most cases, the aftereffects cause more impacts especially with mental and

social lives of the survivors. In this part, the psychosocial adjustment will be

discussed. As supported by the study of Overmeire et. al (2021), after the

bombing incident on March 22, 2016 in Brussels Airport, Belgium’s largest

airport, psychosocial effects were evident among the survivors whereby there

were eighteen interviews with four women and fourteen male employees at

Brussels Airport. And, based on result, four themes emerged: workplace safety,

coworker fallout, coworker distrust or support, and a lack of faith in management.

The necessity to reopen the airport collided with the employees' ability to cope,

resulting in employee dissatisfaction over time, mistrust of management, and a

 26

general sense of insecurity in the workplace. The employees' troubles appear to

be caused by a lack of acknowledgement of the attacks and sufficient mental

health assistance provided to them.

As to the first theme, all of the attendees voiced concerns about their

safety. Every responder predicted that further assaults would occur in the future,

resulting in a pervasive sense of insecurity among those still present at the

airport. Apart from their own safety, participants were concerned about their

coworkers' ability to cope with the attacks owing to the mental, physical, and

social implications of the attacks, which resulted in sick leave or employees

seeking other employment. Some of their coworkers had poor coping

mechanisms, such as drinking, which might lead to workplace performance

issues or job loss. Others quit working at the airport after a while, mainly owing to

the increasing workload. Alcohol appeared to be a prevalent coping mechanism

among the remaining coworkers. As to the third one, Participants who are still

working at the airport and those who are currently at home due to the assaults

showed a significant difference. Those who were still working indicated that their

colleagues who had experienced March 22, 2016 were a great source of support

for them, as no one else could truly comprehend the events of that day. Lastly,

almost all respondents experienced a lack of trust in their company’s

management. For the participants, the attacks of March 22, 2016 was an

important and incisive event, which kept on affecting their lives. However, the

weight of this event for personnel was often not acknowledged or understood by
 27

the management of the airport who often did not experience the attacks in person

(Van Overmeire et. al, 2021).

One the other note, after the Oklahoma Bombing, according to North et. al

(2011), it was found out that more than a third of those who were immediately

exposed to the bombing got PTSD as a result of the attack. Delayed-onset PTSD

was not detected after nearly 7 years of follow-up, as in many other disaster

investigations. Nearly two-thirds of the survivors who got PTSD were remained

symptomatic at seven years, which is consistent with PTSD chronicity described

in other traumatized populations. The high frequency and chronicity of PTSD in

survivors directly exposed to terrorism is a critical public health issue that

requires a concentrated effort. Additional challenges in the post-disaster era are

likely to have overburdened personal resources and coping techniques,

obstructing rehabilitation. Individuals experiencing other life difficulties in the

aftermath of a disaster may take longer to recover and require more intensive

and ongoing treatment. The employment data are congruent with the functioning

data: the few people who had long-term employment disability all had an

adequate physical explanation for disability, and no long-term disability was

detected based only on psychological trauma.

Further, psychosocial support is great contributory factor to let the victims

adjust after the incident. In fact, based on the study of Mwiti (2019), among the

survivors of Nairobi bombing, approximately 97.1 percent (n = 233) of the

participants stated that discussing their reaction to the attack with someone

provided them with some type of comfort. In terms of PTS severity, those who
 28

sought support from a wider range of relationships had lower PTS severity

scores. PTS mean scores were lower than the severity cut off score of 19 in

subjects with a social relationship of more than five types of support.

In view of how to provide support, as per Akhman (2010) study, he

mentioned that home visits, clinical interviews, and referral were all part of the

psychosocial intervention in response to bombing incidents in Istanbul. Mental

health services were made available to disaster survivors, and they were urged

to do so. The community's coping ability was improved through the spread of

knowledge and mobilization of local resources. The three-step psychosocial

intervention, which reached over 300 people, was shown to be effective in

identifying psychosocial needs and providing long-term psychological assistance

to community members who were affected.

Synthesis

With all being said, the pieces of literature presented will guide my

research as to the possible themes that may arise considering that the sections

provided are related to the main point of this research. The studies will help and

support to align my discussion to the objectives of the study, although limited

narratives were presented as to the essence of terrorist attacks or bombing

effects. Indeed, the works of literature will obliterate the skepticism regarding the

issue of the subject matter of my study.

 29

Theoretical Lens

This study will anchor on the idea of Survival of the Fittest of Herbert

Spencer adopted by Charles Darwin. The survival of the fittest is the result of the

process of natural selection may it be on the idea of the struggle for existence.

Fittest indicates just the best adapted to the current conditions, both in society

and in nature. The kind is determined by a variety of factors, including man. If

conditions favor a higher kind, the fittest will survive; yet, if situations favor a

lower type, the best will perish and the inferior will be served first. Hence, it lays

on the idea that if conditions favor a higher kind, the fittest will survive, but if

conditions favor a lower type, the best will perish and the inferior will be

preserved. Only those who are best adapted to the current environment are

considered fittest (Howerth, 1917). Thus, in this study, the law will serve as an

understanding on how the survivors survived the incident considering that they

were likely to survive among those who were affected.

Consequently, the study will be supported further by Symbolic Interaction

theory as cited by Maciones (2018). This is a theory wherein it explains and sees

society as the product of the everyday interactions of individuals, and whereby

answering how society results from the ongoing experiences of tens of millions of

people. Further, according to Knowles (2009), symbolic interactionism is a

central component in obtaining and understanding oral histories. Also, symbolic

interactionism is a question of determining what stimulus, sensation, movement,

and response signify; a question of recognizing that these are distinctions of

 30

flexible function only, not of fixed existence; that one and the same occurrence

can play either or both roles, depending on the shift of interest (Dewey, 1896 as

cited by Knowles, 2009).” Clearly, this theory best suit for my research since the

theory will allow to lay the study into the historical and of social aspects of

surviving the Roxas Night Market bombing.

CHAPTER 2

Method
 31

This chapter presents the research design, participants and sampling,

research instrument, role of the researcher, ethical consideration, data collection,

data analysis and trustworthiness of the study.

Research Design

This study will utilize a qualitative research design employing a narrative

approach to understand the ideas, perspectives, and experiences of the Roxas

night market bombing survivors. According to Mohajan (2018) that instead of

explaining a social phenomenon from the outside, qualitative research is done to

comprehend it from the perspective of the people involved. It aids in the

comprehension of complicated processes that are difficult or impossible to

capture quantitatively. Hence, employing this method in this study will further

invigorate the narratives of the participants’ experiences, their meanings, and

their subjective views of the Roxas night bombing. In this manner, this research

will empower participants to share their ideas and perspectives regarding the

phenomenon undertaken.

On the one-note, to further magnify the methodology of this research, a

narrative approach will be employed. According to Creswell (2013), narrative

research captures the experiences of individuals as expressed in their lived and

told stories. As elucidated by Tomaszewski (2020), it describes how people

communicate stories about their lives and experiences revealing a relationship

 32

between the words inside one or more texts, as well as a relationship between

text and social reality, by focusing on the meaning that individual attaches to an

experience through the act of narrative. Hence, I contend that employing this

approach is best to highlight the story of the participants instead of discussing the

themes in general. Considering that I want to focus not just on the entirety of the

results of the research but also to present the experiences of each participant,

hence this will highlight each participant paving way for a more detailed and

sequential unfold of participants’ stories.

Participants and Sampling

This study will particularly utilize an in-depth interview technique; and to

determine the participants, I will employ purposive sampling. The idea of

integrating purposive sampling is patterned with Cresswell & Plano Clark (2011)

as cited by Palinkas et.al (2013) that purposeful sampling entails finding and

selecting individuals or groups of individuals who are particularly informed or

experienced about a topic of interest. Hence, employing purposive sampling in

this study will be beneficial to determine those participants who qualify, and I

think will magnify the objectives of the study. With this view, I will be selecting

participants based on the following criteria: survivors that incurred major and/or

minor injuries, and 21 years old and above with no demographic biases that are

best to tell their life stories or experiences towards the incident and the effects to

their lives. I will be selecting three participants for the in-depth interview and
 33

three participants for the focus group discussion for the purpose of data

triangulation.

Research Instrument

In this study, a researcher-made semi-structured interview guide

questionnaire will be used to encapsulate the objectives of this study mainly

pertaining to their experiences of the bombing, impacts to their lives, and the

healing process from the incident. The questions will be guided by the

constructed list of open-ended pre-arranged questions. This will give me an

opportunity to ask questions relevant to the research objectives, thus, ensuring

the reliability and saturation of data. Moreover, the research tool will undergo

review by validators who are expert in the field to ensure that all questions are

aligned and coherent to the subject matter of this research.

Role of the Researcher

In this study, my role as a researcher is to catalyze information to shed

light on the lived and untold stories of the Roxas night market terrorist bombing

survivors. It is my responsibility to uphold professional integrity in the process of

conducting the methodology of this research. As per Sutton (2015), the

researcher's goal in qualitative research is to gain access to study participants'

ideas and feelings. It is the primary responsibility of the researcher to protect

participants and their data. By that, all data that will be gathered will keep with
 34

utmost confidentiality and anonymity. Also, I will ensure that the participants'

decisions about their participation in the study are dealt with through consent

forms before conducting the interview. Further, it is also my professional

responsibility that during the process of interview, I should ensure the mental

health being of my participants whereby I will be guided by psychologist as they

will try to rekindle the horrors of their past experiences.

Moreover, I will be liable for all data gathered, and that I am accountable

that all transcription of the interview, as well as the interpretation of data

collected, are precise and relevant to the study. Thus, I am the primary

instrument and responsible for the success of this research.

Ethical Considerations

In the conduct of this study, ethical standards will be observed to ensure

the welfare and protection of my research participants. With this, it is my utmost

responsibility that the ethical considerations will be given with high regards.

Social Value. This study aims to explore on the narratives of the Roxas

Night Market bombing survivors capturing their experiences, the impacts, and

their healing process. With this view, through this research the story will always

be remembered, historically, hence, will serve as memoriam of the horrific

incident on September 2, 2016. Also, this will add to the historical literature of the

Local Government of Davao City considering that little to no research yet that

delve on the stories of the Roxas Night Market survivors.

 35

Informed Consent. The participants that will take part of this research

endeavor will be given informed consent prior to conducting the interview. This is

to inform them of the objectives, content, data collection procedure, and their

right in the conduct of the study. Also, this will ensure that research mishaps will

be avoided, and their participation will be fully voluntary. The forms will be sent

through their email accounts, considering the pandemic, one week before the

conduct of the interview so I would know their availability, hence, to plot a

consensus schedule for the IDI and FGD. These participants will be selected

based on the criteria set in this research. After confirming their participation in

this study, they will affix their signature on the form and be requested to send it

back through email.

Risks, Benefits, and Safety. Considering that this research will heavily

rekindle the horrors of the participants’ experiences because of the bombing

incident, it is my professional responsibility that the risk of awakening their

trauma and stress shall be dealt with accordingly. I will be assisted by a

psychologist that will conduct the debriefing after the conduct of the interview. In

this way, excruciation, emotional discomfort, and psychological indignation will be

avoided. As a benefit, this research will serve as an instrument to hear and

record the experiences of the survivor through the participants’ voices. With that,

their needs as participants such as but not limited to protection will be considered

and their stories to tell shall be considered with high regards. Also, I will intend to

provide a copy of the results of the study to the participants so they could utilize

their stories to remember perhaps and use it in their different endeavors.

 36

Furthermore, their experiences maybe the basis for the amendments of the

safety protocols in Roxas Night Market in order to mitigate the dangers and

threats in the said local and in Davao City in general. In the long-run, this will

benefit not just the participants but also the general public. On the one-note, due

to the pandemic, proper health protocol will be observed. Hence, the interview

will be done online through zoom conferencing. Similarly, any online

conferencing is prone to internet connection disturbances, thus, if any case the

meeting will be interrupted, I will contact the participants to troubleshoot. Should

it be resolved, then, the meeting will be resumed. However, if cases that it will not

be fixed on the assigned schedule, then, the meeting will be postponed and

rescheduled.

Privacy and Confidentiality. The confidentiality of the participants will be

valued and secured by the researcher from the records gathered throughout the

conduct of this research such as but not limited to recordings, transcriptions, and

summary. Hence, it is my responsibility to prevent the mishandling of the

participants’ data. With that, any data that will be gathered will be stored in

locked files whereby only me have the right to access and handle. The data will

be retained for three years and will be deleted after time set. To expound on the

participants' privacy, the researcher will give them anonymity by concealing their

identity using codes separately from any names or other direct identification of

the participants upon sharing the data results as to protect them from exposing

their privacy.
 37

Justice. To observe justice, the participants will fairly be selected

purposefully through a criterion set in the study to suit the research needs. The

survivors of severe or minor injuries who are 21 years old or older and have no

demographic biases are the best candidates to relate their life tales or

experiences about the occurrence and its repercussions on their lives. These

inclusion criteria will be explicit and followed to provide equal opportunities to the

participants. Likewise, as a researcher, it is my utmost responsibility to

acknowledge that any information given by the respective participants shall be

given due credit and used for academic purposes only. Moreover, informed

consent, care, compensation, and reimbursement will be considered in the study.

With informed consent, information, comprehension, and the participants’

privileges and rights in participating in the study will be regarded. As survivors of

the Roxas Night Market bombing incident, the participants tend to emotional

distress; thus, a psychologist will assist me in providing professional care. Also,

the participants will receive a token amounting to Five hundred pesos (Php 500)

and send it through Gcash or online banking. And, in any case, where their work

is affected due to interview and follow-up, they will be fully compensated. On the

one note, in the process of data analysis, fairness and impartiality will be

considered to come up with results ethically and with integrity. I will also ensure

that any benefits accrued as a result of the study are made available to the

participants.

Transparency. In the sharing of data, all information of the participants will

have anonymity to protect and not to risk the participants’ privacy. It is my

 38

responsibility to inform the participants that any information they will share will be

shared with the public but with the assurance that any names will not be directly

attributed to any participants. Similarly, the results and discussion will be first

made available to the participants to consider if they want to withdraw their

stories before making them available to the public. Consequently, in the

dissemination of the results of this study in a bigger forum or publication, the

target audiences will be a consideration. It is to provide a context of bombing

incident experiences from the local level, Davao City. The target audiences are

those in line with social research such as bombing incidents, terrorist attacks,

among others. With this, the results will be carried out openly and transparently,

and the people will be able to know the stories of the survivors considering that

there is no literature yet of the experiences of the Roxas Night Market bombing

survivors. Also, I will produce targeted output in an appropriate format. Similarly,

through the research available in public, participants are protected from

unnecessary studies and research relating to the focus of this study. Also, in

cases where conflicts of interest will arise, I will ensure that the objective of this

study will be given importance rather than based on bias, prejudice, and

unprofessional reasons.

Qualification of the Researcher. The researcher is a graduate of Bachelor

of Arts in History and presented an oral history and historical research in the

national level. I also earned units in education and completed the academic

requirement for Master of Arts in Education major in Teaching Social Studies.

With this, the experiences made me exposed to conducting research especially

 39

qualitative research. On the one-note, the study was carefully evaluated

undergoing deliberations, consultations, and reviews prior to conducting the data

gathering. Hence, the research outcome will be credible and contribute to

academic literatures specifically related to this study.

Adequacy of Facilities. The researcher will be equipped with the

necessary facilities needed for the conduct of the study. Specifically, the

researcher will have the necessary internet connection, laptop, and headphones

for the conduct of the interview. Specifically, the researcher will utilize a 40 mbps

internet speed Sky. Furthermore, all of the files and records taken from the zoom

video conferencing app will be momentarily safe-keep in the researchers

personal one drive. All data gathering shall be done online through zoom

conferencing due the restrictions of COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, the participants

will be asked to prepare equipment such as but not limited to

cellphone/computer, headphone/earphone, and internet connection. Likewise,

the link will be sent through their email a day before the conduct of the

discussion. There will be 15 minutes waiting period that will be used to brief and

test the participant’s equipment and connection before the interview proper. In

FGD, after the interview, the debriefing shall be done separately through break-

out rooms on zoom to properly address each participants’ emotional distress

before the whole discussion will commenced. Similarly, the debriefing in IDI will

also be done on zoom after I will ask the participants. Also, in cases where

internet becomes a problem, it will be handled accordingly (see risks, benefits,

 40

and safety p. 35). Moreover, the participants will be at the comfort of their house

during interview ensuring that the minimum health protocols will be observed.

Community Involvement. This study involves people who survived the

Roxas Night Market Bombing, hence, their participation will be dealt with respect

and value. Also, this research paper will be presented locally, nationally, and

internationally so that the story will be shared in the academic world for the

purpose of enrichment and assessment towards bombing incidents. This will also

benefit the survivors as their voice will be heard.

Data Collection

It is my aim to find answers to the objectives of this study, and my

endeavor to fully laid the experiences of the survivors of the Roxas Night market

bombing and the impacts to their lives. To suffice my quest for answers, the

following procedures will be followed by to get ethical and sufficient information

from the sources of this research:

Firstly, I will seek for an approval from the research ethics committee for

technical review before conducting the research. Secondly, I will secure an

endorsement letter from the dean of the graduate school to start conducting data

gathering. Upon the approval, the researcher will proceed to interview chosen

participants who met criteria set for the research.

For the conduct of the in-depth interview and focus group discussion, the

data gathering shall be done online through a conference using zoom

considering the current situation with COVID-19. This is to ensure the safety of
 41

the participants without jeopardizing their health at these heightened times. Also,

the following measures will be observed to purposefully sampled participants:

they will be requested to sign a consent form and agree to the condition that their

participation is voluntary and that they are willing to share their knowledge and

experiences to supplement the research thoroughly for academic purpose. Also,

the informed consent will avoid research mishaps. The interview guide questions

will be written in English and in cases when the participants cannot understand, I

will translate it in Filipino or in Bisaya. Hence, the interview process will be done

in English, Filipino, or Bisaya. During the interview, their well-being will be

protected as they will remember once again the tragic situation they have been

into. Through the help of a psychologist, a debriefing shall be conducted to

ensure their mental health wellness after the interview. According to Miller

(2008), debriefings are aimed to help groups of people process a traumatic

incident and its aftermath, as well as providing mutual support, healing, and self-

help.

On the other hand, the whole interview will be recorded with the

participants’ consent, transcribed, and jotted down as well throughout, and then

presented structurally. The participants will review the transcription and has the

ethical right to withdraw his or her data from the study.

Data Analysis
 42

In the assertion of Creswell (2013), for qualitative researchers, data

analysis includes the process of carefully searching and organizing interview

transcripts, observation notes, and other non-textual resources gathered by the

researcher to better understand the phenomenon (Wong, 2008). Hence, for the

interpretation of data in this research, I will be utilizing thematic analysis.

As per Braun & Clarke (2012), thematic analysis is an effective tool for

critically and methodically interpreting and analyzing qualitative data, allowing the

researcher to focus on the data in a variety of ways. The approach groups

together data chunks that are presumably related or comparable. It also aids

researchers in detecting patterns from ideas, as well as arranging and

recognizing data in a methodical manner. This approach of data analysis may aid

in identifying the most relevant patterns and elaborating the study's important

themes.

Considering that the study will heavily delve with interview, all the

interviews will be recorded, and will be transcribed verbatim. From the

transcription of interview, thematic analysis will be employed as the narratives will

be analyzed providing results that make sense of the semantic and latent

themes. As Braun & Clark (2012) suggest using thematic analysis, I will

familiarize data, produce initial codes, identify the themes, review potential

themes, and produce the report. Regarding producing initial codes, the I will be

methodically coding interesting and significant facets from the data collected

systematically transcribing the recorded data into summarized semantic codes or

terms that are potentially relevant to the research objectives. The codes will then
 43

be grouped into themes, which will be used to build major patterns that will be

further evaluated and validated to ensure that the prospective themes, codes,

and the full data set remain relevant and concrete. I will interpret my interviews

with the participants by categorizing the studied responses into informative,

concise, and catchy themes using this method of data analysis. In due order,

these themes will be logically and cohesively developed into a coherent tale.

Trustworthiness of the Study

In establishing the study's validity and reliability, the researcher will take

into consideration the trustworthiness of the study to preserve the study's

authenticity. As suggested by Lincoln and Guba (1985), credibility and reliability

are paralleled in trustworthiness, which contains the divisions; credibility,

transferability, dependability, and confirmability.

Credibility. According to Lincoln & Guba (1985), credibility in research

allows validity to the gathered information as facts through sources that support

the research claims with factual information to ensure its credibility. In this

research, a triangulation technique is employed to achieve the confidence in the

research through IDI, and the document materials will serve as a supporting

source.
 44

Transferability. In the case of transferability, the researcher will ensure that

information is transferable to other projects or studies, and that the findings may

provide enough help other researcher to some degree by providing thorough

discussion of the context of the study (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). With that sense,

some studies related to this research which have in common information coming

from other existing studies may find this this relevant and useful. Hence, this

narrative research may benefit other individuals that may make use of the data

for future research.

Dependability. According to Lincoln & Guba (1985), dependability

integrates the study's reliability as it benefits everyone to make use of the study's

information over time. The findings' consistency will allow me to use the

trustworthy information that will be gathered in this research, as the raw data and

results coming from this study will be transparent. By that, the researcher will laid

the research design and its implementation by following the methodology of this

research religiously.

To achieve Confirmability, this research will review neutrality, considering

there is no bias interpretation in the analysis process. All the data gathered from

this study's interviews and literature reviews validate factual information to

support this study. The facts themselves confirm their authenticity to be trusted

and show credibility (Korstjens, 2017).

 45

References

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attacks (FRANCE 1982–1987). Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 45(2),
103–109. doi:10.1016/0895-4356(92)90002-5

Acallar, M. L. J. & Abitos, M. L. F. (2018). Lived experiences, coping strategies,

and resilience of internally displaced mothers of the Marawi siege.
Undergraduate thesis, University of Philippines-Visayas. Retrieve from
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RATEGIES_AND_RESILIENCE_OF_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_MOTHE
RS_OF_THE_MARAWI_SIEGE

Akman, P. (2010). Psychosocial intervention in response to bombings in Istanbul.

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 5, 1716–1720.
doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.07.353

Allen, M. (2017). The sage encyclopedia of communication research methods

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Appendix A

Interview Guide
Research Objectives Guide Questions Probing Questions
1. To narrate significant 1. What happened to a. Could you share your
stories of the survivors you during the incident experiences about the
during the Roxas Night based from your Roxas Night Market
Market bombing. experience? bombing?

2. How can you describe b. What was your

the events during the immediate response
incident the way you when you heard the
remember them? blast? Can you
describe?

c. What were your

feelings and thoughts
the moment you heard
the blast?

d. How did you survive

the bombing incident?
1. What are the impacts a. What injuries did you
2. To explore on the of the incident to your suffer because of the
impacts of the bombing life? incident?
towards the lives of the
Roxas Night Market 2. How the incident b. How did the bombing
survivors. affects your total being affect you economically
after the bombing? such as loss of jobs due
to injuries or loss of
source of income?

c. How did it affect you

mentally? What are/were
the long-term mental
 51

effects of the incident?

d. How did it affect your

relations and
interactions with other
people?

e. How did it affect your

view of safety?
1. What actions have a. What sorts of
3. To describe the you taken in the process professional help did you
healing process of the of recovering from the seek or are you seeking
survivors on the impacts incident? to help you recover?
of the Roxas Night
Market bombing. b. What are/were your
coping mechanisms to
recover from the
incident?

c. What medications
have you taken, if any, in
order to help you cope?