Frequent typhoons, flooding, and other hydro-meteorological hazards continually expose school communities in Catanduanes, Philippines, to substantial disaster risks, necessitating strengthened school-based disaster risk reduction (DRR) education and enhanced student preparedness. Although DRR policies are institutionalized within the basic education system, empirical evidence remains limited on how disaster-related knowledge translates into attitudinal dispositions and observable emergency response behaviors among adolescents in geographically vulnerable districts. Grounded in the Knowledge–Attitude–Practice (KAP) framework, this study examined the levels of disaster-related knowledge, attitudes toward preparedness, and emergency response practices among Grade 11 and 12 students in two public senior high schools in Viga East District during the 2025– 2026 academic year. Employing a descriptive–correlational design, data were collected from 147 students selected through proportionate stratified random sampling and analyzed using descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) and Pearson’s r at the 0.05 significance level via SPSS version 28. Findings revealed very high disaster-related knowledge (M = 3.43, SD = 0.029), highly positive preparedness attitudes (M = 3.44, SD = 0.048), and high levels of emergency response practices (M = 3.41, SD = 0.041). Statistically significant positive correlations were identified between knowledge and attitudes (r = 0.661), knowledge and practices (r = 0.592), and attitudes and practices (r = 0.639), leading to the rejection of all null hypotheses (p < .05). These results confirm the interdependence of cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions of disaster preparedness among senior high school students. Practically, the findings underscore the need for sustained, skills-oriented DRR instruction, regular simulation drills, and curriculum-integrated disaster education programs that reinforce not only awareness but also actionable competencies. Strengthening experiential learning approaches and school–community partnerships is recommended to further translate high levels of knowledge and positive attitudes into consistent and adaptive emergency response behaviors in hazard-prone educational settings.

Keywords: disaster awareness, disaster preparedness, emergency response practices, Knowledge–Attitude– Practice (KAP) model, senior high school students, disaster risk reduction, Philippines