PUBLIC OPINION IN DISASTER CONTEXTS: INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND THE SALIGAN FRAMEWORK IN THE PHILIPPINES

Abstract

Public opinion in disaster contexts is shaped not only by official communication but also by cultural frameworks and indigenous knowledge that influence how warnings are interpreted, trusted, and acted upon. This study explores how local stakeholders in San Luis, Aurora, Philippines form opinions and responses to disaster messages within overlapping systems of institutional communication and community-grounded epistemologies. Drawing from interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis in a qualitative case study, the research highlights how residents and barangay leaders interpret messages through practices of bayanihan (collective solidarity), pakikiramdam (shared sensitivity), kapwa (shared identity and interdependence),, and spiritual faith. Findings reveal an epistemic dissonance: while government messaging often follows technocratic templates, communities rely on culturally resonant cues and kinship-based trust networks to guide decision-making. To address this gap, the study advances the SALIGAN Framework, a seven-pillar model—Strategic Communication Modes, Aligning to Cultural and Linguistic Contexts, Local Participation, Integrated Knowledge Co-creation, Guidance Through Feedback, Anchoring in Governance, and Networking and Replication—that integrates scientization with indigenous epistemologies. By embedding cultural knowledge into formal communication processes, the framework reframes disaster messaging as a dynamic site of public opinion formation. This contributes to decolonizing communication scholarship and offers insights for enhancing trust, inclusivity, and resilience in public communication across Asia and the Global South.