Analyzing Educational Challenges and Youth Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Iloilo Province, the Philippines

Abstract

This paper investigates the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on educational challenges and youth well-being in Iloilo Province, the Philippines. This article offers a holistic understanding of youth wellbeing. Based on micro survey data (N = 212), we conducted a mixed method analysis focusing on content analysis and logistic and order-logit regression to investigate socio-economic factors and spatial differences. Contrary to expectations, our analyses reveal no profound geographical differences. At the personal level, students struggle the most with learning, respondents identify families’ financial and work stability as the biggest concerns, adverse environmental conditions at the community level, and a lack of educational alternatives at the government level. Students’ happiness is mainly determined by the parents’ financial situation during the pandemic. Based on these results and given heightened societal and environmental uncertainty, we propose a stronger focus on educational management such as temporary (boarding) schools and sustained, long-term poverty reduction efforts.