Unveiling the Disaster Risk Management Practices and Challenges of Ata Mandaya Tribe in the Hinterland of Panabo City

Abstract

The hinterlands of Panabo City in Davao del Norte are home to some Indigenous peoples. The unfamiliar Ata Mandaya tribe in this area survived extreme climate changes in the past decades and seems disaster-adaptive and resilient, hence, their indigenous knowledge of disaster risk management begs for critical and academic explorations. This qualitative study aimed at exploring their disaster risk management practices and the challenges encountered. An in-depth interview was conducted on forty-three (43) members of the Ata Mandaya community purposively selected by their tribal leader. Data gathering procedures were rigorously carried out such as seeking approval from the City Mayor’s Office, Office of National Commission on Indigenous People, tribal leaders, and Barangay officials. The disaster risk management practices were essentially explored based on the four thematic areas of disaster risk management namely: prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery and rehabilitation. The study revealed that Ata Mandaya has learned and practiced both traditional and modern yet informal disaster risk management to remain resilient and adaptive despite varying disasters affecting their community. However, some of this indigenous knowledge and practices were slowly eroded due to the defined factors such as climate dynamics, market integration and technological advancements, and cultural integration leading to the loss of interest of young Ata Mandaya generations to adapt such traditional practices.