Religion and Strategic Disaster Risk Management in the Better Normal: The Case of the Pagoda sa Wawa Fluvial Festival in Bocaue, Bulacan, Philippines

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear Researcher (s), the article has been updated by your team to make it clearer and more comprehensive and you are filling a significant and significant gap. This work is well-written and contains some significant findings. I want to congratulate the researchers and the research team on this achievement.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

well-written 

Author Response

Responses to Reviewer # 1:

6. The impact or significance of the study is discussed from line 53 to line 68. From 364 to 387, the Pagoda sa Wawa festival is described in further detail. 

7. The study results mentioned the consistent ethic of life. Refer to lines 333-337 and 419-422.

8. Again, please refer to lines 53 to 68.

11. The issue regarding the "community affair" mentioned in lines 570-571 has been resolved. Please refer to lines 695-699 for further clarification. 

Thank you!

Reviewer 2 Report

It is not clear that the local government or the national government of the Philippines have safety protocols in place for festival and large gathering. The assumption is that if the Church works with these government entities then the festivals would be free from fatalities. Does the government have these protocols? This evidence needs to be clarified. Without this evidence, the Church is in full control of every aspect of the country and is the sole responsible party in assuring the safety of festival goers. 

"The success of a Local Church whenever it holds a religious festivity should be measured based on how effectively it ensures the safety of the participants." This statement from the article indicates the people of St Martin have ensured the safety of the people through its thorough safety precautions and structure of the festival days now. 

It may be necessary ask if there were safety measures in place 30 years ago when the major catastrophe occurred during the festival. Was there safety measures in place by both the local government and the local church? Both are responsible authority for this festival. This needs to be made clearer. 

It is not clear that using Catholic Social Teaching as a motivation to promote safety measure is convincing in this article. The idea of the dignity and sanctity of all human life is an important teaching and should motivate every aspect of Catholic engagement and encounter. The insertion that safety protocols should be the first thought in any religious festival is a much later development in church history rather than something that would have been the primary reason for the gathering of faithful believers. It would be for their spiritual nourishment. The article needs to nuance this into its paper since any major disaster motivate people to ask what safety protocols they have in place. It is important now to consider these as part of any large gatherings but historically many entities with festivals, carnivals, and social gatherings probably did not have strict safety protocols. 

The English style is appropriate. There may be better transition sentences between paragraphs. There are places where it shifts from one idea to another without a clear connection. 

Author Response

Responses to Reviewer # 2:

1. The authors incorporated the two crucial laws mandating disaster risk reduction management at the local level. Please refer to lines 451 to 463.
2. The authors clarified that Pagoda sa Wawa is a religious practice that inspires to pray and connect with God. However, it is important to maintain a peaceful and prayerful experience by following the safety protocols. Please refer to lines 303 to 306. 
3. The authors were able to explain the reasons behind the tragic incident that occurred at Pagoda sa Wawa in 1993. Please refer to lines 397 to 411.
4.  The authors added CCC # 2288, stating that life and physical health are precious gifts entrusted to us by God. This is to support the social teachings of the Church that were already mentioned. Please refer to lines 312 to 314. The Pagoda sa Wawa fluvial festival is primarily a religious event encouraging individuals to connect with God through a prayerful experience. However, it is crucial to ensure a peaceful atmosphere by strictly adhering to safety and health guidelines. Please refer to lines 44 to 46, 312-314, 695-699, and 706-708.
5. Better transition sentences between paragraphs were incorporated. Please refer to lines 40 to 41, 125-126, 170-172, 209-210, 246-248, 263-265, 276-279, 324-327, 336-340, 423-425, and 606-610. 

Thank you!

Reviewer 3 Report

The primary goal of the reviewed article is to describe and analyze the risk management strategies developed by the local community in order to prevent human losses during the fluvial festival Pagoda sa Wawa in Bocaue, Bulacan, Philippines. The article is well-structured and outlines the geographical, and geological factors, and the position of the Catholic churches in reference to social and religious ideas, tendencies, or feelings among Filipino people. 

The article tries to strike the balance between an overly general presentation of the content and a certain amount of the particular information. Focusing on risk management, the article offers an interesting study of the process of implementation of a new pagoda that should meet high-security standards (part 3.6.). 

In the present form, however, the article needs some minor changes and modifications.

I recommend adding some information relating to:

1. the estimated number of attendees of the festival;
2. the preparations undertaken by the Church officials (Church announcements, issuing pamphlets, giving sermons, special prayers, etc.);
3. the role of the press, and social media (local, religious, state?) in risk management (of course in reference to the festival Pagoda sa Wawa).

I recommend introducing some changes in part 3.1. and 3.2., in the present form they encompass too general account. The problem is how the described ideas are implemented locally.

I recommend adding a paragraph on the methodology and a short review of the literature. 

Author Response

Responses to Reviewer # 3:

1. The authors were able to include the estimated number of festival attendees. Please refer to lines 484 to 485.
2. The authors incorporated the preparations undertaken by the Church officials. Please refer to lines 536 to 541.
3. The authors managed to focus or localize the discussion on subtopics 5.1. and 5.2. Please refer to lines 321 to 324, and 333 to 337.
4. Separate paragraphs for methodology (lines 70 to 80) and review of related literature (lines 82 to 151) were incorporated. 

Thank you, and more power!

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

This version is greatly improved from the previous and has taken into consideration the comments of the reviewers.