Extreme Weather Events, Student Well-Being, and Adaptive Responses: Examining Physical, Emotional, and Coping Outcomes among Secondary School Students in Catanduanes, Philippines

AUTHOR(S)

MIGUEL V. TABINAS ENGR. JOHNMAR F. CORDIAL, PhD YOLANDA M. TARIMAN, EdD

ABSTRACT

—— Extreme weather events (EWEs) increasingly disrupt educational continuity and adversely affect students’ physical well-being, psychological health, and academic functioning, particularly in disaster-prone communities. This study examined the physical and emotional impacts of EWEs on students of Catanduanes National High School, Virac, Catanduanes, Philippines, during the School Year 2025–2026. Specifically, it determined students’ demographic characteristics, assessed the extent of the physical and emotional impacts of EWEs, evaluated students’ adaptation and coping strategies, and examined the relationships among demographic characteristics, EWE impacts, and adaptive responses. Employing a quantitative descriptive– correlational research design, the study involved 275 students selected through proportionate stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a validated researcher-developed questionnaire (Cronbach’s α = .983) and analyzed using frequency, percentage, weighted mean, Cramér’s V, and Spearman’s rank-order correlation. Results revealed that students experienced very high physical and emotional impacts of EWEs, with emotional impacts being more pronounced. Respondents also demonstrated a very high level of adaptation and coping. Household income, residential location, and hazard exposure were significantly associated with both EWE impacts and adaptation strategies, whereas sex was not. Moreover, both physical and emotional impacts were significantly related to students’ adaptation and coping strategies, with emotional impacts exhibiting a stronger relationship. The findings underscore the need to strengthen school-based disaster preparedness, psychosocial support services, and resiliencebuilding interventions to enhance students’ capacity to cope with the increasing impacts of extreme weather events. Keywords: extreme weather events, physical impacts, emotional impacts, adaptation and coping strategies, disaster resilience, secondary school students, Philippines