Stewards of Stability: Crisis Management Practices and Decision-Making Factors among Rural School Leaders in Surigao Del Sur, Philippines

Abstract

Rural schools in the Philippines, particularly those situated in geographically isolated and disaster-prone areas, face systemic challenges in crisis management that centralized national frameworks do not adequately address. This study examined the level of crisis management practices; and the factors influencing school leaders' decision-making during crises in rural public schools across five districts in Surigao del Sur. Using descriptive research design, quantitative data were gathered from 140 respondents — 70 school heads and 70 Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Coordinators — through a validated Likert-scale instrument. Results revealed that crisis management practices were rated at a moderately present level across four dimensions: crisis preparedness, crisis response, crisis recovery and learning, and communication and coordination. Decision-making during crises was predominantly influenced by situational and structural factors, including resource scarcity and geographic isolation, followed by relational and dispositional factors. Findings underscore a critical gap between policy mandates and contextual implementation in Last Mile Schools.