Stakeholders’ Attitudes and Participation on Water Sanitation and Hygiene (Wash) in Barangays of San Roque, Northern Samar, Philippines
RUBENA BERE MILA *
Don Juan F. Avalon National High School, San Roque, Northern Samar, Department of Education, Division of Northern Samar, Philippines, Graduate School, University of Eastern Philippines, University Town, Northern Samar, Philippines and College of Science, University of Eastern Philippines – Main Campus, Catarman, Northern Samar, Philippines.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Access to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in schools remains a major issue, especially in developing countries, impacting children's health, attendance, and learning. Prevalence of handwashing with soap after using the toilet was recognised among 52% of the students. This study examined the Stakeholders’ Attitudes and Participation on WASH in geographically isolated and disadvantaged (GIDA) schools in San Roque, Northern Samar, Philippines. The study aimed to find the stakeholders’ attitudes and participation in the WASH Program in these schools. The respondents of this study include school heads, teachers, barangay officials, as well as a representative sample of students and parents. 30% of the total population of students and parents were included as respondents in this study. A descriptive-correlational research design was employed to guide the study. The data on the profile of the respondents were analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts and percentages. Findings revealed that most of these schools offer complete elementary and junior high school education and are classified as small-sized institutions. The lone high school employed the most teaching staff, while the rest had similar personnel numbers. Despite minimal training and limited WASH-related programs, stakeholders’ favourable attitudes toward the WASH Program, with high participation levels reported across all implementation phases. There is a high stakeholder participation in project monitoring and evaluation, with an overall mean of 3.62. Stakeholders actively help prepare work plans (3.61), and project managers consistently share progress reports (3.66), reflecting strong collaboration and communication. The stakeholders also actively identify needs (3.53), review deliverables (3.54), set timelines (3.57), and consult on funding (3.69). Their strongest involvement is in identifying required personnel and materials (3.77). There was a significant relationship between the school profile, specifically on the number of WASH programs and projects implemented in these schools and stakeholders’ attitudes towards the WASH program. No significant relationships surfaced between the stakeholders’ attitudes towards the WASH program and their level of participation.
Keywords: Wash program, stakeholders’ attitudes, participation, biological science