CHAPTER 1

Problem and Its Setting

Nueva Ecija is the largest province and the biggest rice producer of Central Luzon,

thus, often referred to as the “Rice Bowl of the Philippines.” Because of its vast rice fields

and abundant plantations of rice, corn, and other vegetables, it has become the center of

agriculture for the country. This province's population as determined by the 2020 Census

was 2,310,134. This represented 18.60% of the total population of the Central Luzon

region, 3.71% of the overall population of the Luzon island group, or 2.12% of the entire

population of the Philippines. It has a land area of 5,689.69 square kilometers or 2,196.80

square miles. Its terrain begins with the southwestern marshes near the Pampanga border.

It levels off and then gradually increases in elevation to rolling hills as it approaches the

mountains of Sierra Madre and Caraballo, the two mountain ranges that can be found here.

The Sierra Madre, extending along the Pacific coast from northern to central Luzon, is the

longest mountain range in the country. That range and the Cordillera Central merge in

north-central Luzon forms the Caraballo Mountains. The Caraballo Mountains or the

Caraballos is a mass of mountains sprawled on the central part of Luzon Island, between

the Cordillera Central and Sierra Madre, two of the major mountain ranges of the

Philippines. According to the Department of Tourism Nueva Ecija, it reaches an elevation of

about 5,500 ft (1,680 metres). The Caraballo range follows a northwest-southeast trend

that crosses through the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino. Among

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these two mountain ranges lies the 37 mountains that can be found in this province, which

is why it is also known as the “Gateway to the Mountains”.

Several portions of the mountain range in Caraballo are found in Carranglan. This

municipality has a land area of 705.31 square kilometers or 272.32 square miles which

constitutes 12.40% of Nueva Ecija's total area. Its population as determined by the 2020

Census was 42,420. This represented 1.84% of the total population of Nueva Ecija province,

or 0.34% of the overall population of the Central Luzon region. There are 17 barangays

located in this municipality. One of these barangays is Puncan where Mt. 387, the most

famous mountain in Carranglan, is located. The population of Puncan grew from 2,738 in

1990 to 5,001 in 2020, an increase of 2,263 people over the course of 30 years. .This

represents 11.79% of the total population of Carranglan, Nueva Ecija.

As mentioned above, one of the mountains that is located in Nueva Ecija is Mt. 387,

also known as Mt. Batong-Amat, got its name from the 387.9 hectares of land that it covers.

It became one of the most popular hiking destinations in the province of Nueva Ecija among

the hikers and campers due to the fact that it was dubbed by many locals and tourists as the

Chocolate Hills of the North. Traversing the 2-km slopes, a panoramic view of Nueva Ecija

and nearby towns of Pangasinan Province is seen at the summit. Numerous activities can be

done here. Tourists can stay overnight in a tent at the top of the summit. Tourists can also

join the tree planting activities that they conduct from time to time. In order to get further

information and announcements, tourists can reach out to this destination’s social media

accounts. Facebook account: Mt. 387, instagram account: bundok_387, official facebook

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group: Save Mt.387 and official facebook page: Mount 387 PH. The registration fee upon

entering to enjoy this beauty for the day hike is Php 70 per head and for overnight, Php 90

per head. Tour guide fee for the day hike is Php 400 (1:7 ratio) and for overnight Php 600

(1:5 ratio). Optional fees are for food which costs Php 120 per head (single order) for truck

to or from Aloha Falls Php 50 per head. Parking fee is Php 50. The environmental fees are

already included in the registration fee. These payments that are being collected are used to

maintain the beauty, cleanliness and take good care of Mt. 387. Since the mountain has

been legally adopted by the KAPUNCAN, no taxes are being paid by them to the

government.

In late 2007, Mt. 387 was adopted and managed by the Kalinga sa Kalikasan ng

Puncan (KAPUNCAN) through a Memorandum of Agreement. To help rehabilitate and

protect the natural resources, KAPUNCAN offers different destinations, activities and

highlights. The most famous activity is "One hiker, one tree", this encourages the tourists to

plant seedlings of various tree species during rainy season and tree nurturing during dry

season. KAPUNCAN also offers a 4x4 truck ride experience, an exciting bumpy ride to the

jump-off. There are also falls that are located in this mountain, namely: Aloha Falls, Agat

Falls and Longalong Falls. Previous Japanese Camp and Lover’s Tree are the other tourist

spots that are located nearby. According to Mr. Roy P. Manuzon, Chairperson of

KAPUNCAN, the average recorded visitors monthly is approximately 2,000 before

pandemic, 500 during pandemic and 200 from January 2022-December 2022. This huge

decrease in the average number of monthly visitors showed that this part of the tourism

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industry was also one of those greatly affected by the pandemic due to high health and

safety restrictions.

As the tourism and hospitality industry is one of the sectors that is most affected by

the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority, May 2022, the

country’s tourism sector felt the negative impact of the pandemic much earlier in 2020, as

countries started to impose travel restrictions and measures as early as January 2020. Both

the country’s international tourist arrivals and tourism receipts fell by about 80 percent in

2020 and by about 90 percent in 2021. This results in loss of jobs and livelihoods to many

Filipinos. According to the most recent census on July 19, 2022 by the Statista Research

Department, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was estimated that the global

travel and tourism market had lost roughly 62 million jobs in 2020. While this scenario

improved in 2021, the sector still reported around 44 million fewer jobs worldwide

compared to 2019. Overall, the Asia-Pacific region recorded the most significant

employment loss due to the COVID pandemic with nearly 25.5 million fewer travel and

tourism jobs in 2021 compared to 2019. This instance proved again the importance of the

tourism industry. Other factors that affect the decline in tourism according to the Adinegara

and Suprapti (2017) is the tourist satisfaction as in the field of tourism industry,

satisfaction will lead to the positive word of mouth and intention to return. This provides a

positive benefit for a tourism industry to gain competitive advantage in the future.

Therefore, tourism industries should focus on how they satisfy their customers in order to

more likely retain them. In agreement with the study of Hao (2020), tourist satisfaction is

one of the biggest concerns of tourism destinations in a competitive market economy, as it

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affects visitors’ behavior in the future. The more satisfied visitors are, the more likely they

are to return to use the tourism products/services of the tourism area/destination; and

they would encourage others/their relatives to travel to tourism areas/destinations.

However, the satisfaction of visitors is a difficult concept to measure as it mostly depends

on the feeling of visitors. Therefore, the satisfaction of visitors has attracted a great

attention in the tourism industry; it plays a crucial role in the survival of a tourist

destination/tourist area.

In line with this, the study aimed to assess the satisfaction of the tourists who

visited Mt. 387 in Brgy. Puncan, Nueva Ecija. The dimensions included in measuring the

tourist satisfaction of the Nature-Based Tourism Attractions includes Responsiveness,

Tangibles, Price, Communication, Assurance, Empathy and Natural Attractions of Brgy

Puncan Carranglan, Nueva Ecija. The study will be conducted through a face to face survey.

It also sought to produce a recommendation on how the tourist location might be

improved. This will benefit the municipality of Carranglan Nueva Ecija to increase the

number of their tourists. It will also help the Department of Tourism Office in Brgy Puncan

Carranglan Nueva Ecija to gather ideas on how to improve the tourist attractions. The

researchers came up with the output which is an action plan to improve the tourists’

satisfaction in Mt. 387 Brgy. Puncan, Nueva Ecija, based on the results of this study.

Review of Related Literature

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Local-Tourism of Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan Nueva Ecija by the Department of Tourism,

Carranglan Nueva Ecija

Carranglan is a 1st class landlocked municipality of Nueva Ecija Province in Central

Luzon Region, Philippines. It is located in the Northeastern part of Nueva Ecija Province in

Central Luzon, Philippines. It is an agricultural town where rice, corn and vegetables are the

major products. Tourist spots that can be located here are Aloha Falls and Mt. 387. It is best

known for its scenic mountain views, but then it lacks accommodation such as hotels or

resorts, or other infrastructure.

Mt. 387, also known as Mt. Batong-Amat, is derived from the 387.9 hectares of land that

it covers. Located at Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan, Nueva Ecija, 201 km away from Metro

Manila and 25 minutes away from San Jose City. First operated in the late 2007 and

managed by the Kalinga sa Kalikasan ng Puncan (KAPUNCAN) thru MOA (Adopt a

mountain). Traveling the 2-km slopes, a panoramic view of Nueva Ecija and nearby towns

of Pangasinan Province is seen at the summit. It is also part of the Yamashita trail during

WWII and dubbed as the Chocolate Hills of the North.

According to Mr. Roy P. Manuzon, Chairperson of KAPUNCAN, the latest recorded

visitors is approximately 200 per month from January to September 2022. To help

rehabilitate and protect the natural resources, KAPUNCAN offers different destinations,

activities and highlights. The most famous activity is “One hiker, one tree”, this encourages

the tourists to plant seedlings of various tree species during the rainy season and tree

nurturing during the dry season. Traversing another 2-km downhill exploration from the

VI
peak is the Aloha Falls KAPUNCAN also offers a 4x4 truck ride experience, an exciting

bumpy ride to the jump-off. If hikers wish to stay overnight, there is a designated camping

site at the Lovers tree where they can see the city lights and can stargazing. In addition

KAPUNCAN collaborated with different organizations for tree planting and established tree

parks such as Ateneo De Manila Tree Park, Alpha Phi Omega Tre Park, The Good Samaritan

Tree Park, Kadanglan 392 Tree Park, Shalom Forest Park and BTS Tree Park.

The ecotourism created livelihood opportunities for the nearby community. About 75

tour guides or “Gabay sa Kalikasan” are employed, and there are also vendors, tricycle

drivers/operators and onion/garlic sellers.

Carranglan is best known for its scenic mountain views, but then it lacks

accommodations such as hotels or resorts, or other infrastructures.

Nature-Based Tourists’ Experiences in Batangas Destinations by Marc Czeus A. Cariño,

Lorraine Joy A. Aguado, Maria Ellaine C. Cabral, Jane Maica M. Casapao, Maria Carolina M.

Manigbas and Billy T. Festijo, 2019, Batangas City, Philippines

In this paper, an attempt has been made so as to assess the nature-based tourists’

experiences in Batangas destinations. The reference period of the study is five years and is

completely based on secondary data which have been collected through various sources. In

order to achieve the objectives of the study, the researchers have employed a descriptive

method and structured questionnaire that was distributed among 235 tourists and

travelers of selected nature-based destinations in Batangas. Majority of the respondents are

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females, 20 years old and below, single and one local resident. Results provided from the

computation were used to assess the nature-based tourist attraction dimensions in terms

of responsiveness, tangibles, price, communication, assurance, empathy and natural

resources and determine the visitors’ loyalty intention and overall satisfaction. In this

study, it reveals that all dimensions of service qualities present have significant correlation

in terms of loyalty intention and visitor satisfaction. An action plan is proposed based from

the results of the study.

Nature-Based Tourists’ Attractions by TPWD Texas.Gov

It is tourism based on the natural attractions of an area. Examples include

birdwatching, photography, stargazing, camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, and visiting parks.

These experiential tourists are interested in a diversity of natural and cultural resources.

From the standpoint of conservation, nature-based tourism provides incentives for local

communities and landowners to conserve wildlife habitats upon which the industry

depends – it promotes conservation by placing an increased value on remaining natural

areas. As nature tourism becomes more important to the local economy, communities have

additional incentive to conserve their remaining natural areas for wildlife and wildlife

enthusiasts.

Review of Related Studies

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An Assessment of Visitors Satisfaction with Nature-Based Tourism Attractions by

Perunjodi Naidoo, Prabha Ramseook-Munhurrun and Premita Seegoolam, 2011, India

The study is about nature-based tourism attraction as an important component of the

tourism industry and has experienced significant growth during recent years. The study

also analyzes the relationship between Nature-Based Tourism Attractions (NBTA), overall

satisfaction and visitor loyalty. Visitor satisfaction was measured using a questionnaire

which adopted the perceived- performance theory. The study area for this study was seven

NBTA where convenience sampling was used for the selection of the attractions. To

measure visitor satisfaction, a perceived-performance model was applied. Data was

collected from the on-site survey method with a sample size of 600 NBTA visitors.

Statistical analyses were used and hypotheses were tested.

Nature-based tourism attractions can provide substantial economic gains to both

host communities and tourism businesses. To sustain the growth of NBTA and maintain its

associated benefits, it is important to ensure that the visitors are satisfied with the

experiences provided. Despite the importance of delivering visitor satisfaction for NBTA,

there is scant literature available on visitor satisfaction with NBTA. The aim of this study is

to identify the factors that influence visitor satisfaction with NBTA. The assessment of

visitor satisfaction with NBTA may also assist in identifying the strong and weak attributes

of these attractions and thus help in improving the services being provided.

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 In conclusion, there was a need to identify the important attributes that contribute

to visitor satisfaction at these attractions. Dimensions such as responsiveness, tangibles

price, communication, assurance, Empathy and Natural Resources were found to be

important determinants of customer satisfaction for NBTA. The perceived-performance

model was adopted for the survey. Visitors were less satisfied with the attributes of

Communication, Price and Empathy while they were more satisfied with Tangibles and

Natural Resources. The weak attributes need to be redressed as this may have an effect on

visitor satisfaction over the long-term. The study has also found that there is a relationship

between NBTA, overall satisfaction and visitors’ loyalty intentions. The findings of this

study indicate that tangibles, price, assurance, empathy and natural resources dimensions

have significant effects on overall satisfaction. It was also found that visitors’ satisfaction

plays an important role in enhancing visitors’ loyalty intentions. Thus, a satisfied NBTA

visitor is important in developing a loyal visitor. Satisfaction was also found to mediate the

relationship of NBTA (via tangibles, empathy and natural resources dimensions) and visitor

loyalty. It was found that although visits were likely to recommend these attractions, there

was a lower likelihood for repeat patronage. Furthermore from the study data, it is seen

that visitors of NBTA are mainly first timers. Thus, to remain competitive, NBTA in

Mauritius should satisfy first time visitors so that they recommend the attraction to others.

Future research could investigate the differences between international tourists and local

visitors’ perceptions of visitor satisfaction with NBTA. This could assist organizations in

appropriately positioning the NBTA and providing the services required by their specific

X
market segments. Another study could use factor analyses to test the validity of the seven-

dimension structure instrument as a generic tool to measure satisfaction in NBTA.

The Influence of Tourism Development Strategies on the Attractiveness of

Mountainous Destinations: A Case Study of the Aures Mountains in Algeria by Salah

Zeraib, Yacine Kouba, and Belkacem Berghout, 2022, Algeria

This study evaluated the impact of tourism development strategies on the

attractiveness of mountain destinations. The study relied on appropriate elements derived

from the literature. The study was conducted in three tourist sites in the Aures Mountains,

and the sample included 468 visitors. The results showed that the destination’s

attractiveness depends mainly on local factors such as nature, monuments, traditional food,

and apple purchase, in addition to the quality of the price, which received the satisfaction of

the majority of visitors. In turn, visitors were dissatisfied with the services assigned to

tourism development strategies, such as accommodation, entertainment, communications,

and transportation. The results also showed that the return to the destination is affected by

nature and determined by several factors such as age, gender, use of a specific vehicle, and

proximity. Therefore, the destination’s attractiveness is not based on the elements assigned

to tourism strategies; this indicates the gap in local potential and tourism development.

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Problems encountered by tourists by Madhavi Chockalingam, A. Auroubindo Ganesh

(2010)

The study intended to identify the intensity of problems faced by tourists; to observe

whether there is any difference in the problems based on demographic factors; and to

measure the impact of tour problems on tour satisfaction. This study is descriptive in

nature, because it describes whether there is any difference in the problem level due to

selected demographic factors. It also measures the level of satisfaction due to these tour

problems considered. These problems have been mainly identified based on pre-test

approaching thirty respondents to list the problems encountered and also based on

reviews. The study area has been fixed as Chennai because city respondents have more

experience on tour and they have the practice of touring periodically. The respondents are

those who have gone on tour in the last six months. The sample size was 150 as it was

convenient sampling. This is the most suited sampling technique because the respondents

have been those who volunteered to provide data. This will definitely reduce the bias in

their responses. A questionnaire was prepared to collect the primary data from the public.

Content validity has been ensured by the consultation with subject experts. Cronbach’s

alpha value is collected and the range is between 0.782 and 8.315. The tool was pre-tested

and few corrections have been made based on the suggestions given by the respondents.

Suitable analysis has been carried out to study the stated objectives.

The tourists may experience problems relating to various factors such as unexpected

expenses, pollution, safety and security, etc. In this study there are fifteen problems and

XII
tourists are grouped based on their problem intensity using cluster analysis. The

respondents have formed three clusters based on their experience with various problems

during their tour.

The problem intensity experienced by tourists differs depending on various factors

influencing tour environment. Also, the problem intensity differs significantly based on

respondents’ state such as gender, age, nationality, education, profession, income,

geographical location, family size and frequency of tour made. The discussed situation with

the intensity of problems requires more attention and policy efforts to develop tourism

development.

The influence of Service Quality on Satisfaction: Does gender really matter? by See

Ying Kwok, Ahmad Jusoh, Zainab Khalifah, 2016, Malaysia

This study examined the influence of service quality on satisfaction and investigated

whether satisfaction varies between male and female in response to the perceived service

quality in the Malaysian tourism context.

The population of the study was tourists travelling to Malaysia. A sample was drawn

using a multi-stage sampling method and 301 completed questionnaires were analysed

with the structural equation modelling.

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 The findings showed that service quality was positively associated with satisfaction and

the relationship was found to be moderated by gender. Additionally, the findings also

showed that service quality perceived by women was found to influence the satisfaction

level greater than that of men in the tourism context. Other demographic variables such as

age, culture, education level, and income must also be considered in future study and when

developing marketing strategies.Practical implications show that gender differences are a

significant moderator between service quality and satisfaction in tourism context. Tourism

service providers who target the women's market are recommended to allocate more

resources and attention on important aspects namely, reliability, considerability and

empathy, and tangibility aspects in order to increase the satisfaction level among female

tourists. The findings validated what previous studies found by examining the moderator

role of gender in the relationship between service quality and satisfaction in the Malaysian

context.

Assessment of Tourism Industry in Nueva Ecija by Aileen Y. Vigilia, 2020, Nueva Ecija,

Philippines

The study has assessed the tourism industry in Nueva Ecija as the province is the home

to different tourist spots such as Minalungao and described the assessment of tourist spots

in Nueva Ecija in terms of appeal, accessibility, activities and products, facilities and

services. This paper also described the difficulties and problems encountered by the

XIV
tourists in terms of transportation, tourism service facilities, accommodation,

establishments and infrastructure, establishments and infrastructure.

Tourist spots boast environmental features that cater to ecotourism, maritime as

well as community-based tourism, so steps must be taken to conserve its infrastructure and

culture that can potentially be lost if no effort is made to protect such attractions. The

prospect of tourism attraction business development is high, as people's love for travel and

tours will remain a part of their psyche. Each municipality's Local Government Units

improve the tourism development programs in collaboration with the private sectors.

Given the data that the study has gathered, it presented that tourist spots in Nueva Ecija

are not accessible for the Tourist Spot’s Accessibility got a total verbal interpretation of

Disagree. It should also be taken note that the statement “The road is made of asphalt or

concrete or any similar.material” got a verbal interpretation of Strongly Disagree.

In light of the foregoing results, the researcher concluded that the tourist spots in Nueva

Ecija greatly appealed to its visitors through its uniqueness, historical value and natural

aesthetics and were evaluated as “Excellent.” Thus, the accessibility to these tourist spots

were evaluated as “Fair.” The researcher recommends that the government sector should

focus on road development to increase the propagation of tourism.Further, the difficulties

and problems encountered by tourists, in terms of “Transportation” was evaluated as

“Fair.” Thus, the areas for the development of tourism should focus more on improving the

transportation aspect than the tourism service facility as this aspect was evaluated as

“Excellent”.

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The tourism Industry: An overview by Mark Anthony Camilleri, 2018, Switzerland

This study introduces its readers to the concept of tourism. It sheds light on the

rationale for tourism, as it explains the tourists’ inherent motivations to travel. It also

describes different aspects that together make up the tourism industry.

Individuals who voluntarily leave the normal surroundings where the said individuals

reside to visit another environment are known as tourists.. These individuals will usually

engage in different activities, regardless of how close or how far this environment is.

The study revealed that tourists travel to destinations that are easily accessible.

Tourists require accommodation if they are visiting a place for more than 24 hours. Leisure

and business travellers may also visit attractions, and engage themselves in recreational

activities.

Hence, the researchers have concluded that the tourist destinations should have the right

amenities and facilities. It should be identified how destinations may offer different

products to satisfy a wide array of tourists. Tourism products can include; urban (or city)

tourism, seaside tourism , rural tourism , ecotourism , wine tourism , culinary tourism ,

health tourism, medical tourism , religious tourism , cultural (or heritage) tourism , sports

tourism , educational tourism , business tourism (including meetings, incentives,

conferences and events), among others. Here are major points of interest in North America

to clarify how diverse destinations may be appealing to different tourists, for many reasons

XVI
such as accessibility, recreational.activities being offered, attractions, amenities and

infrastructures.

Factors that Influence Tourist Satisfaction by Rafat Beigpoor Sharivar, 2017, Turkey

The study describes the factors that influence tourist satisfaction. For the

satisfaction of tourists can be described in broad manners, the study has identified specific

factors that can measure the satisfaction of tourists. The study investigates factors that

influence tourist satisfaction. The research framework was constructed based on the

extensive literature review to establish the hypothesis. The questionnaire was designed

and included a total of eight attribute factors and thirty sub attributes identified to be

examined. The results found fifteen satisfactory factors, eight dissatisfactory factors and

seven indifferent factors. This study revealed that factors have a significant effect on overall

tourist satisfaction. In addition, results confirmed that overall tourist satisfaction is

significantly different based on some controlling factors, namely demographic

characteristics, cultural characteristics, travel behaviour characteristics and information

source.

In this paper, the researchers have identified natural factors, cultural factors, shopping,

accessibility, infrastructure, reception, services, cost and price as the eight attribute factors

XVII
to be examined. They have studied the relationship between destination attributes and

tourist satisfaction.

The International visitors in this study expressed a high degree of satisfaction with

Malaysian destinations. Overall satisfaction is within the range of 32% to 54% being

satisfied or very satisfied. A small proportion of visitors reported dissatisfaction, or

expectations not were met (11.5%). Visitors are satisfied with natural beauty and

vegetation, but dissatisfied with climate. Water and wildlife. Visitors are satisfied with

some of the cultural attributes, such as architectural and artistic building, historical and

ancient ruins, and religious attractiveness but are dissatisfied with carnivals and festivals

and food in the destinations. Visitors are indifferent to distinctive local features. As for

outdoor activities, respondents expressed their satisfaction with night recreation and

dissatisfaction with health, rest and serenity facilities in Malaysia. Lack of sufficient health

services in some busy destinations resulted in dissatisfaction with health, rest and serenity.

Reception is one of the most important factors in satisfaction and measurement.

Respondents of this study expressed that they are dissatisfied with information

centers, signposts and maps. The lack of appropriate information signs could result in

this dissatisfaction. Respondents also are dissatisfied with security and health services.

With the presence of different nationalities in Malaysia, it may be difficult to ensure

security. There are security and safety problems in the tourism industry. The

dissatisfaction with health may result from hot temperatures that cause specific

illnesses and health problems. Results of this study show that respondents are satisfied

XVIII
with the money spent on lodging and transportation; but dissatisfied with money spent on

food. It is because Malaysian food is different from food in other countries and visitors are

therefore less likely to be satisfied with it. It is expected that most foreigners do not favour

Malaysian food. The lack of sufficient western or foreigner restaurants may also cause

dissatisfaction with this attribute. Quality of food and value for money spent on food are

found to be dissatisfactory attributes in this study.

The researchers therefore concluded that the government must focus on improving

their information centers especially for the tourists. Also improvement on security and

health services must be considered for the development of their tourism. The government

should also pay attention to the lack of sufficient western or foreign restaurants and quality

of food and value for money spent on food.

Tourist’s Satisfaction in Terms of Accommodation: A Case Study in Vlore, Albania by

Elenica Pajero, 2019, Albania

This study aims to explore tourist’s satisfaction on the accommodation provided

during their stay in Vlore (Albania) touristic structures, and if there are possible

associations between different characteristics related to this service and tourists. Lack of

studies on analyzing customer satisfaction in the industry of accommodation, especially for

Vlore, have prompted us to undertake this study. The study results are important for the

local government, the accommodation industry, and is a source of information for those

interested to improve their accommodation services, or to invest in the accommodation

industry located in Vlore, Albania.

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 The competitive environment for accommodation businesses is also rapidly

changing. As such, the accommodation tourism sector never stands still and constantly

needs to monitor its quality performance in service delivery; as satisfaction can make or

break a business. Studies have shown that satisfaction may vary across different socio-

demographic and trip characteristics, such as age, occupation, lifestyle, country of origin,

national culture, and purpose of the trip

The researchers concluded that in marketing, the costs associated with retaining

customers are lower than those of attracting new customers. So, it is less expensive to keep

current tourists satisfied than it is to attract new ones. Therefore, businesses that operate

in the Albanian touristic sector in Vlore must understand that tourists nowadays are more

experienced, have higher expectations, and they also need some flexibility in the service

offering. In general, tourists regarding their stay in Vlore expressed satisfaction with the

accommodation service, despite the accommodation structure. However, depending on the

structure of accommodation, the highest percentage of satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is

strongly related to economic performance because businesses with high levels of customer

satisfaction tend to have higher financial returns compared to their competitors.

Businesses engaged in the tourism sector need to design an appropriate method for

monitoring customer satisfaction on an ongoing basis. This method needs to be cost-

effective, preferably real time, and should be able to be used to inform strategic planning

and management. They must specify the type of satisfaction they need to measure, the

metrics they will use, the measurement objective, and data collection sources.

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Understanding of tourist satisfaction evaluation is important in implementing successful

marketing campaigns.

Conceptual Framework

This study entitled “Nueva Ecija, A Gateway to the Mountains: Assessment of

Tourists’ Satisfaction in Mt. 387 Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan Nueva Ecija” was anchored with

the Nature-Based Tourism Attractions (NBTA) which is the segment in the tourism market

in which people travel with the primary purpose of visiting a natural destination (Kuenzi

and Mcneely, 2018). The literature about NBTA is often referred to large extensions of

uncontaminated nature with unique habitat (Priskin, 2019) It is also generally applied to

tourism activities depending on the presence of natural amenities in a relatively

undeveloped state, including scenery, topography, waterways, vegetation, wildlife, and

cultural heritage (Xiaoping, 2022) This study has adopted the perceived-performance

model used in the study entitled “An Assessment of Visitor Satisfaction with the Nature-

Based Tourism Attractions” by Perunjodi Naidoo, Prabha Ramseook-Munhurrun and

Preminta Seegoolam (2011), to measure the visitor satisfaction. The perceived

performance model suggests that consumers’ satisfaction or dissatisfaction with a product

can be assessed only examining their evaluation of the actual performance.

The study focused on the key support infrastructure dimension of the Nature-Based

Tourism Attractions for Tourist’s Satisfaction Evaluation that includes responsiveness,

tangibles, price, communication, assurance, empathy and natural resources.

XXI
 Responsiveness- the quality of having a reaction to something or someone, especially

quick or positive reaction (Cambridge, 2021)

Tangibles- capable of being perceived especially by the sense of touch (Merriam

Webster's Dictionary 2022)

Price- the amount of money that has to be paid to acquire a given product or

service. (Britannica, 2022)

Communication- sending and receiving of information and can be one-on-one or

between groups of people, and can be face-to-face or through communication devices.

(Britannica, 2022)

Assurance- state of being assured, certain and confident. (Merriam Webster’s

Dictionary, 2022)

Empathy- the ability to emotionally understand what other people feel, see things

from their point of view, and imagine yourself in their place. (Mariner, 2021)

Natural Attractions- features which appeal to tourists because of the nature of the

landform or the beauty of the landscape in which the attraction is set. (De Leon, 2019)

The socio-demographic profile of the respondents such as sex, point of origin and

frequency of visit.

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 Figure 1: Research Paradigm

As reflected in Figure 1. Research Paradigm presents the Input, Process, and Output of

this study. Under the input is the socio-demographic profile of the respondents, sex, type of

tourist, number of visits. The researchers wanted to evaluate tourists' satisfaction through

the variables responsiveness, tangibles, price, communication, assurance, empathy and

natural attractions. An interview, survey questionnaire, data analysis, and interpretation of

data was used as a process for researchers to get an output which is a basis to improve the

tourists’ satisfaction in Brgy. Puncan, Nueva Ecija, specifically Mt. 387.

Statement of the Problem

XXIII
 The study aimed to assess the tourists’ satisfaction in Mt. 387 in Brgy. Puncan,

Carranglan Nueva Ecija through the dimensions of Nature-Based Tourism Attractions in

terms of responsiveness, tangibles, price, communication, assurance, empathy and natural

resources.

Specifically, the research sought to answer the following questions:

1. How may the tourists socio-demographic profile be described in terms of:

1.1. Sex;

1.2. Type of Tourist; and

1.3. Frequency of their visit?

2. How may the tourists’ satisfaction of Mt.387, Brgy. Puncan Carranglan Nueva Ecija

be described in terms of:

2.1 Responsiveness;

2.2 Tangibles;

2.3 Price;

2.4 Communication;

2.5 Assurance;

XXIV
 2.6 Empathy; and

2.7 Natural resources?

3. Is there a significant difference between the sex and type of tourists with their

satisfaction with Mt. 387, Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan, Nueva Ecija?

4. Is there a significant relationship between the tourists’ frequency of visit and their

satisfaction with Mt. 387, Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan Nueva Ecija?

5. What are the challenges encountered by the tourists in Mt. 387, Brgy. Puncan,

Carrangalan, Nueva Ecija?

6. What action/activities may be proposed to improve the tourists’ satisfaction in

Mt.387 based on the result of the study.

Hypothesis of the Study

To completely assess the tourists’ satisfaction in Mt.387 Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan

Nueva Ecija, these hypotheses were formulated:

Ho1: There is no significant difference between the sex and type of tourist and their

satisfaction with Mt.387, Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan Nueva Ecija.

Ho2: There is no significant relationship between the tourists’ frequency of visit with their

satisfaction with Mt.387, Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan Nueva Ecija.

Scope and Delimitation

XXV
 This study “Nueva Ecija, A Gateway to the Mountains; Assessment of Tourists’

Satisfaction in Mt. 387 Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan Nueva Ecija.” sought to assess the tourists’

satisfaction in terms of responsiveness, tangibles, price, communication, assurance,

empathy and natural attractions. In order to have a basis for selecting the respondents, this

study collaborated with government agencies (Local Government of Brgy. Puncan

Carranglan, City Tourism Office of Carranglan and City Mayor's Office of Carranglan,

Chairperson of KAPUNCAN) and researchers went to Mt. 387 KAPUNCAN Office to request

the number of tourists who visited Mt. 387 in Brgy. Puncan Carranglan, Nueva Ecija for the

year 2022.

The study was delimited only to the tourists who visited Mt. 387 in Brgy. Puncan

Carranglan, Nueva Ecija during the time that the researchers conducted the survey, which

is from February 4-25, 2023. The researchers used survey questionnaires to gather

information for the needs of this study, and the data collection was conducted through a

survey questionnaire from February 4-25, 2023. This study was conducted by the 3rd Year

Tourism Management Students of PHINMA Araullo University-Main Campus academic year

2022-2023.

XXVI
Significance of the Study

The results of this study are significant to the researchers, tourists, the tourism office,

residents and to the future researchers.

Researchers. This is beneficial for the researcher who seeks a solution to the

research problem. It will help them to have a better understanding of the topic and on their

research.

Future Researchers. This study would serve as future reference for the future

researcher who would plan to make any related study, specifically in Assessing the Tourism

Destination in Nueva Ecija.

The Tourism Office. This study will be beneficial to the tourism office to gather

information and ideas on how to attract more tourists, by the use of the action plan in this

study.

Tourists. This study will help the tourists to appreciate and know more about the

tourism destinations in Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan Nueva Ecija.

Residents. This study will help the residents to see and learn the potential for

businesses and infrastructures to accommodate the tourists around the destination.

Phinma Araullo University. This study will be beneficial to the school as this can be

an addition to their references that can be used by both students and teachers.

XXVII
Definition of Terms

This part ensures the understanding of the components of this study in the way that

the researcher will be presenting them in cases that the readers may have their own

understanding of the terms, or not be familiar with them at all.

Accessibility - is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments

so as to be usable by people with disabilities.

Assessment - the systematic basis for making inferences about the learning and

development of students. It is the process of defining, selecting, designing, collecting,

analyzing, interpreting, and using information to increase students' learning and

development.

Institutions Supporting Tourism - facilities and establishments that are not

considered as primary tourism establishments but are necessary to the tourist’s stay in the

destination.

Landlocked- almost or entirely surrounded by land; having no coastline or seaport.

Marsh - an area of low-lying land which is flooded in wet seasons or at high tide, and

typically remains waterlogged at all times.

Nature-based Tourism- generally applied to tourism activities depending on the

presence of natural amenities in a relatively undeveloped state, including scenery,

topography, waterways, vegetation, wildlife, and cultural heritage.

XXVIII
 Public Utilities - are meant to supply goods/services that are considered essential;

water, gas, electricity, telephone, and other communication systems represent much of the

public utility market. The transmission lines used in the transportation of electricity, or

natural gas pipelines, have natural monopoly characteristics. If the infrastructure already

exists in a given area, minimal benefit is gained through competing. In other words, these

industries are characterized by economies of scale in production.

Statistical Data- data collected by statistics in the process of statistical observations

or statistical data processing.

Terrain - a stretch of land, especially with regard to its physical features.

Tourism Development. - The process of establishing and maintaining a tourism

industry in a particular location. At its most fundamental level, tourism development can be

defined as the process of developing strategies and plans to increase/develop/encourage

tourism in a particular destination.

Tourist - A person who is travelling or visiting a place for pleasure.

XXIX
 CHAPTER 2

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the techniques, methods, and research approaches that were

used to obtain the needs of the study. This chapter contains the research design, research

locale, respondents of the study, research instruments, data gathering procedure, and data

analysis.

Research Design

The researchers engaged in quantitative research using the descriptive survey

technique as the process of acquiring, evaluating, categorizing, and tabulating data. The

process of gathering and evaluating numerical data is referred to as a quantitative research

design, which is used to collect quantifiable information for statistical analysis of the

population sample that allows to collect and describe the demographic segment’s nature .

Descriptive survey technique on the other hand, uses a set of scientific methods and

procedures to collect raw data and create data structures that describe the existing

characteristics of a defined target population. Hair, et. al. 2003. This method is used to

XXX
discover facts on which professional judgment could be based. It involves the description,

recording, analysis and interpretation of what it is. This is used to identify the respondent's

response towards a particular question or variable.

The survey questionnaire was provided to gather data that is critical to the research

project. The structured data was then submitted for interpretation. The results of the

questionnaire were analyzed using statistical methods such as weighted mean, frequency,

and percentage, and the hypothesis statistical test or “T-Test” and “Pearson R Correlation”.

Research Locale

This study was conducted in Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan Nueva Ecija (Latitude: 15.9101°

N, Longitude: 120.9967° E). The site is vulnerable to different natural hazards, specifically

earthquakes, landslides and tropical cyclones that might lead to the destruction of natural

resources and infrastructures.

Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan Nueva Ecija is a geographic area where different species of

flora and fauna are present, as well as weather and landscape, located on mountainous part

of San Jose City near bodies of water mainly Talavera River. Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan

Nueva Ecija is a nature based tourism destination because it is highly dependent on natural

attractions of the area.

XXXI
 Figure 2: Map

Puncan is a barangay in the municipality of Carranglan, in the province of Nueva Ecija,

which is 201 km away from Metro Manila and 25 minutes away from San Jose City. Mt. 387,

also known as Batong-Amat situated in this barangay, was considered as the Chocolate Hills

of the North. Mt. 387 is derived from the 387.9 hectares of land that it covers.

Respondents of the Study

The researchers determined the sample size from the tourists who visited Mt. 387

Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan Nueva Ecija from January- December 2022. The respondents

were tourists who visited Mt. 387 from February 4-25, 2023

Sample and Sampling Procedure

XXXII
 The researchers used purposive sampling. In order to get the sample size the

researchers used an application called raosoft. The researchers gathered that the average

number of tourists per month from January 2022 to December 2022 based on the logbook

of the management chairperson of KAPUNCAN then computed the sample size using a

margin of error 5% with 95% confidence level, and from that, the researcher obtained a

sample size of 132 that correspond to the minimum number of respondents that

researchers gathered.

Table 1. Breakdown of Monthly Number of Tourists for the year 2022

Month Number of
Visitors

January 185

February 207

March 585

April 490

May 160

June 158

July 104

August 98

September 129

XXXIII
 October 83

November 94

December 106

Total 2,399

Table 2. Frequency Distribution and Percentage Distribution of Tourist per Month

Total number of tourists Average Number of Sample Size

for the year 2022 tourists per month (2022)

2,399 200 132

Research Instrument

This study was anchored with Nature-Based Tourism Attractions. The survey

questionnaire was created from the reference study and additional questions are formed

by the researchers.

PART I: The personal data consent for the respondents.

PART II: It includes the demographic profile of the respondents, sex, point of origin and

frequency of visit.

XXXIV
PART III: It contains the tourists’ satisfaction assessment in terms of responsiveness,

tangibles, price, communication, assurance, empathy, and natural resources. And to

interpret the results of the responses of respondents, the researchers will use a 4-point

likert scale.

Table 3. Likert Scale and Table of Equivalence for Tourists’ Satisfaction Evaluation

Numerical Range Verbal Interpretation Qualitative Description

Rating

4 3.25 – 4.00 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

XXXV
 3 2.50 – 3.24 Agree Satisfied

2 1.75 – 2.49 Disagree Dissatisfied

1 1.00 – 1.74 Strongly Disagree Highly Dissatisfied

Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers conducted a survey to gather the data needed to assess the

Tourists’ Satisfaction in Mt. 387 in Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan Nueva Ecija. The following

phases and stages shown below in gathering the data was pursued by the researchers in

gathering the data:

A request letter for the Chairperson of KAPUNCAN, an organization that manages

Mt. 387, was written by the researchers, it was signed by the research adviser, and then

collected the data and information needed in the study.

The researchers collected the data, which included the number of tourists who

visited Mt. 387 in Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan Nueva Ecija from January 2022 to December

2022. This data was used to determine the number of respondents in the study.

XXXVI
 After developing the survey questionnaires used in the study, the researchers asked

permission through a request letter signed by the Researchers, Research adviser, and the

Dean of the college addressed to the Barangay Captain of Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan Nueva

Ecija. The said letter was to ask permission to conduct a study in their barangay and to float

the questionnaires to the study's respondents.

After securing the necessary permit, the survey questionnaires were distributed by

the researchers face-to-face to the tourists’ of Mt. 387 that visited the area on the dates

where the researchers conducted the survey, which is from February 4-25, 2023. The

researchers distributed questionnaires during the actual hike, at the top of the mountain, at

the falls where the hikers usually rest after going to the mountain, and mostly at the lobby

of the management of Mt.387.

After retrieving the questionnaires from the study respondents, the researchers

analyzed all the data gathered using appropriate statistical tools and interpreted the data

gathered.

Data Analysis

The data was collected from the responses of the respondents to the survey and it

will be used to assess the tourists’ satisfaction in Mt. 387, Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan Nueva

Ecija.

XXXVII
 To ensure the reliability of the research instrument and interpret the results of the

survey, the following statistical tools were used.

Frequency - distribution to summarize the frequency occurrence of the

respondents’ answers on the demographic profile.

Percentage - distribution to determine the proportion of the respondents who

participated in the survey.

Formula given by Barrozo and Tablante

Percentage (%) = f x 100

Where:

P or % = Percentage

F= Frequency

N= Sample size

Weighted Mean - A weighted mean is a type of mean that is computed by multiplying

the weight (or probability) associated with a certain event or outcome by the quantitative

outcome and then adding the results. It is very useful for calculating a theoretically

XXXVIII
expected result where each result has a different probability of occurring, which is the main

difference between the weighted mean and the arithmetic mean.

T-Test - A t-test (sometimes known as a Student's t-test) is a method for conducting

hypothesis testing to evaluate the means of one or two populations. It can be used to

determine if a single group varies from a known value (a one-sample t-test), whether two

groups vary from each other (an independent two-sample t-test), or whether paired

measurements differ significantly (a paired, or dependent sample t-test).

Table 4. T-test Table of Equivalence

T-Test

T-stat > T-critical = Significant/Reject Null Hypothesis

T-stat < T-critical = Not Significant/Accept Null

Hypothesis

XXXIX
 Pearson R Correlation - is a type of correlation coefficient that represents the

relationship between two variables that are measured on the same interval or ratio scale.

The Pearson coefficient is a measure of the strength of the association between two

continuous variables (Investopedia, 2022)

Table 5. Pearson R Correlation Table of Equivalence

R-Value Interpretation

±1.00 Perfect Positive (Negative)

±0.91 to ±0.99 Very High Positive(Negative) Correlation

±0.71 to ±0.90 High Positive (Negative) Correlation

±0.51 to ±0.70 Moderately Positive (Negative) Correlation

±0.31 to ±0.50 Low Positive (Negative) Correlation

±0.01 to ±0.30 Negligible Positive (Negative) Correlation

0.0 No Correlation

XL
 Table 6. Pearson R Correlation Table of Equivalence

Pearson-R

P- value < 0.05 = Significant/ Reject Null Hypothesis

P- value > 0.05 = Not Significant/ Accept Null Hypothesis

XLI
 CHAPTER III

PRESENTATION ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This chapter presents the essential data regarding the research entitled “Nueva

Ecija, A Gateway to the Mountains: An Assessment on Tourists’ Satisfaction in Mt. 387 Brgy.

Puncan, Carranglan City, Nueva Ecija”. It also includes the presentation, analysis, and

interpretation of data gathered by the researchers using the structured and approved

research instruments. These data were presented in tabular and textual form.

1. Demographic Profile of the Tourists'

1.1 Sex

Figure 3. Frequency and Percentage of Tourist according to Sex

XLII
 Figure 3 shows the frequency and percentage of the tourist according to sex. Based

on the result of the survey from a total of 132 respondents, 74 or 56.06% were male while

58 or 43.94% were female. This table depicts the number of male respondents is greater

than female respondents.

In accordance with the survey conducted by the Hiker Demographic and Statistics in

the US-Zippia.com on September 9, 2022, 28.9% of hikers are women and 71.1% of hikers

are men in the US. Also, according to Hallinan (2018), girls are 16 percent less likely than

boys their age to be taken outside to play by their parents, and girls’ activity levels continue

to decrease as they get older. This affects the fact that women are less likely than men to

believe that they are entitled to leisure and recreation. Also related to the results of the

study of Zeraib, Kouba, Berghout (2022) “The Influence of Tourism Development Strategies

on the Attractiveness of Mountainous Destinations: A Case Study of the Aures Mountains in

Algeria”, the survey revealed male (70%) dominance over females (30%) hikers.

XLIII
1.2 Type of Tourist

Figure 4. Frequency and Percentage of Tourist according to Point of Origin

Figure 4 shows the frequency and percentage according to type of tourist. Based on

the result of the survey from a total of 132 respondents, 95 or 71.97% were living inside

Nueva Ecija while 37 or 28.03% were from outside Nueva Ecija. It shows that tourists that

visited Mt.387 from Nueva Ecija are far greater than tourists from outside Nueva Ecija.

In contrast with the study of Perunjodi Naidoo (2011) entitled “An Assessment of

Visitor Satisfaction with Nature-Based Tourism Attractions”, the results revealed that

majority of the tourists were mainly foreign tourists (from outside Mauritius) with a

percentage of 60.7% while local respondents (from Mauritius) accounted only 39.3%.

XLIV
 1.3 Frequency of Visits

Figure 5. Frequency and Percentage of Tourist according to Number of Visits

Figure 5 shows the frequency and percentage of tourists according to frequency of

their visit to Mt.387. According to the survey's findings from a total of 132 respondents,

120 or 90.91% of them visited Mt.387 about 1-2 times, 7 or 5.30% of the respondents

already visited the place 3-4 times and 5 or 3.79% of them have a total visit of 5 times and

above. This table shows that 1-2 times is the most frequent number of visits of the tourists

in Mt.387.

XLV
 In contrast to the study of Zeraib, Kouba, Berghout (2022) “The Influence of Tourism

Development Strategies on the Attractiveness of Mountainous Destinations: A Case Study of

the Aures Mountains in Algeria”, their analysis showed that 17.09% visited 1-2 times,

27.83% 3-4 times and 37.98% repeated their visit more than four times for the reason that

respondents mostly enjoy the nature.

1. Assessment of Tourists’ Satisfaction in Mt. 387 Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan Nueva

Ecija

Table 7 : Tourists’ Satisfaction of Mt.387 in terms of Responsiveness

RESPONSIVENESS W.M V.I Q.D

1. The staff of Mt.387 are always helpful and

3.89 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
courteous during my visit.

2. The staff of Mt.387 are quick to react to

3.77 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
customers’ requests when asked.

3. The staff of Mt.387 are willing to take time

with tourists’ concerns by listening and
3.60 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
responding.

4. Tourists feel welcome when visiting Mt.387

3.50 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
with warm greetings from the staff.

XLVI
 5. The staff of Mt.387 is well informed to
answer customers’ requests because of
their knowledge of the attraction and
3.51 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
service provided.

6. Tourists in Mt.387 are free to explore the

whole site and attraction without any
restriction. 3.44 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

Continuation of Table 7 : Tourists’ Satisfaction of Mt.387 in terms of Responsiveness

7. The waiting time for service in Mt.387 is

acceptable because tourists are
accommodated immediately. 3.71 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

8. Mt.387 is open at convenient hours. 3.67 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

A.W.M 3.74 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

Table 7 presents the Tourists’ satisfaction in Mt.387 in terms of responsiveness. In

statement 1, “The staff of Mt.387 are always helpful and courteous during my visit”, the

weighted mean is 3.89 with the Verbal Interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative

XLVII
Description of “Highly Satisfied”. In statement 2, “The staff of Mt.387 are quick to react to

customers’ requests when asked.”, the weighted mean is 3.77 with the Verbal

Interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative Description of “Highly Satisfied”. In

statement 3, “The staff of Mt.387 are willing to take time with tourists’ concern by listening

and responding”, the weighted mean is 3.72 with the Verbal Interpretation of “Strongly

Agree” and a Qualitative Description of “Highly Satisfied”. In statement 4, “Tourists’ feel

welcome when visiting Mt.387 with warm greetings from the staff”, the weighted mean is

3.79 with the Verbal Interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative Description of

“Highly Satisfied”. In statement 5, “The staff of Mt.387 are well informed to answer

customers’ requests because of their knowledge of the attraction and service provided”, the

weighted mean is 3.68 with the Verbal Interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative

Description of “Highly Satisfied”. In statement 6, “Tourists’ in Mt.387 are free to explore the

whole site and attraction without any restriction”, the weighted mean is 3.67 with the

Verbal Interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative Description of “Highly Satisfied”.

In statement 7, “The waiting time for service in Mt.387 is acceptable because tourists are

accommodated immediately”, the weighted mean is 3.71 with the Verbal Interpretation of

“Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative Description of “Highly Satisfied”. In the last statement, “

Mt.387 is open at convenient hours”, the weighted mean is 3.67 with the Verbal

Interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative Description of “Highly Satisfied”.

Overall, the average weighted mean obtained by this parameter was 3.74 with the verbal

interpretation of “strongly agree” and with a qualitative description of “highly satisfied”. It

XLVIII
resulted that the tourists’ in Mt.387 were highly satisfied with their experiences in terms of

responsiveness.

In accordance with the study of Perunjodi Naidoo (2011) entitled “An Assessment of

Visitor Satisfaction with Nature-Based Tourism Attractions” the results showed that the

visitors were highly satisfied in terms of responsiveness as the highest mean value was

4.10 for “visitors are made to feel welcome”. The lowest mean value is 3.87 for the

statement of “staff is well informed to answer customers’ requests”. This shows that the

NBTA were hospitable towards the customers. Statements referring to availability and

willingness of staff to welcome and help, convenience opening hours and waiting time were

rated as satisfactory by customers.

Table 8: Tourists’ Satisfaction of Mt.387 in terms of Tangibles

TANGIBLES W.M V.I Q.D

1. Mt.387 is well kept and restored because it is

3.70 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
evidently taken care of and maintained in order.

2. There is clear and helpful directional signage

3.60 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
around Mt.387.

3.50 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

3. Mt.387 is uncrowded and unspoiled.

XLIX
4. The staff of Mt.387 are presentable and can be
easily identified because of their grooming and
3.51 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
distinct uniform.

3.44 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

5. Mt.387 is evidently clean and sanitized.

A.W.M 3.55 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

Table 8 presents the Tourists’ satisfaction in Mt.387 in terms of tangibles. In

statement 1, “Mt.387 is well kept and restored because it is evidently taken care of and

maintained in order.”, the weighted mean is 3.70 with the Verbal Interpretation of

“Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative Description of “Highly Satisfied”. In statement 2, “There

is clear and helpful directional signage around Mt.387.”, the weighted mean is 3.60 with the

Verbal Interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative Description of “Highly Satisfied”.

In statement 3, “Mt.387 is uncrowded and unspoiled.”, the weighted mean is 3.50 with the

Verbal Interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative Description of “Highly Satisfied”.

In statement 4, “The staff of Mt.387 are presentable and can be easily identified because of

their grooming and distinct uniform.”, the weighted mean is 3.51 with the Verbal

Interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative Description of “Highly Satisfied”. In

statement 5, “Mt.387 is evidently clean and sanitary.”, the weighted mean is 3.44 with the

Verbal Interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative Description of “Highly Satisfied”.

Overall, the average weighted mean obtained by this parameter was 3.55 with the verbal

L
 interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and with a qualitative description of “Highly Satisfied”. It

resulted that the tourists’ in Mt.387 were highly satisfied with their experiences in terms of

tangibles.

In accordance with the study entitled “An Assessment of Visitor Satisfaction with

Nature-Based Tourism Attractions” by Perunjodi Naidoo (2011), the results revealed that

the tourists are highly satisfied in terms of tangibles as the highest mean value was 4.21,

which is for “site is well kept and restored”. It shows that the NBTA in Mauritius are well-

maintained. The minimum mean value for Tangibles is 3.90 which is for “direction sign to

show around the attraction” which demonstrates that signage needs to be improved.

However, in contrast, the findings reveal that visitors were not very satisfied with the level

of crowdedness at the attractions. They felt that the attractions received too many

customers which spoiled the natural beauty of the site.

Table 9: Tourists’ Satisfaction in Mt.387 in terms of Price

PRICE W.M V.I Q.D

1. The entrance fee in Mt.387 is

3.66 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
affordable.

2. The pricing of services 3.55 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

provided in Mt.387 is

LI
 acceptable.

3. Mt.387 offers value for money

as the site meets the
3.64 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
expectations of tourists.

A.W.M 3.62 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

Table 9 shows the result of the Tourists’ satisfaction in Mt.387 in terms of price. In

statement 1, “The entrance fee in Mt.387 is affordable.”, the weighted mean is 3.66 with the

Verbal Interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative Description of “Highly Satisfied”.

In statement 2, “The pricing of services provided in Mt.387 is acceptable.”, the weighted

mean is 3.55 with the Verbal Interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative

Description of “Highly Satisfied”. In statement 3, “Mt.387 offers value for money as the site

meets the expectations of the tourists.”, the weighted mean is 3.64 with the Verbal

Interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative Description of “Highly Satisfied”.

Overall, the general weighted mean obtained by this parameter was 3.62 with the verbal

interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and with a qualitative description of “Highly Satisfied”. It

resulted that the tourists’ in Mt.387 were highly satisfied with their experiences in terms of

price.

In summary of the results above, the tourist satisfaction in Mt.387 in terms of price

gained a weighted mean of 3.62 with verbal interpretation of strongly agreed and

LII
qualitative description of highly satisfied. It depicts that when it comes to price, Mt.387 has

an affordable and acceptable price for the tourist to experience the services offered to meet

the tourists’ satisfaction.

However, in contrast with the results revealed from the study of Perunjodi Naidoo

(2011) entitled “An Assessment of Visitor Satisfaction with Nature-Based Tourism

Attractions”, the majority of visitors were international visitors, thus they had experienced

nature-based attractions abroad which may have offered better value for money. A few

visitors also expressed that a price discrimination system was imposed on them, due to the

difference in pricing for locals and tourists. Additionally, a few tourists believed that they

did not receive value for money with the current price charged for the articles made

available on the site.

Table 10: Tourists’ Satisfaction in MT. 387 in terms of Communication

COMMUNICATION W.M V.I Q.D

LIII
1. There are available brochures in Mt.387 for
3.00 Agree Satisfied
the guidance of the tourists.

2. The information offered is sufficiently

detailed and available for all to enjoy
3.33 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
Mt.387.

3. The information about restrictions and

limited behaviors in Mt.387 are provided
3.47 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
through signages.

4. There are guides in order to obtain

relevant explanations about the Mt.387 and
3.39 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
safety reminders in some activities.

A.W.M 3.30 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

Table 10 shows the result of the Tourists’ satisfaction in Mt.387 in terms of

communication. In statement 1, “There are available brochures in Mt.387 for guidance of

the tourists.”, the weighted mean is 3.00 with the Verbal Interpretation of “Agree” and a

Qualitative Description of “Satisfied”. In statement 2, “The information offered is

sufficiently detailed and available for all to enjoy Mt.387.”, the weighted mean is 3.33 with

the Verbal Interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative Description of “Highly

Satisfied”. In statement 3, “The information about restrictions and limited behaviors in

Mt.387 are provided through signages.”, the weighted mean is 3.47 with the Verbal

LIV
Interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative Description of “Highly Satisfied”. In

statement 4, “There are guides in order to obtain relevant explanations about Mt.387 and

safety reminders in some activities.”, the weighted mean is 3.39 with the Verbal

Interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative Description of “Highly Satisfied”.

Overall, the average weighted mean obtained by this parameter was 3.30 with the verbal

interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and with a qualitative description of “Highly Satisfied”. It

resulted that the tourists’ in Mt.387 were highly satisfied with their experiences in terms of

communication.

The statement number 1 “There are available brochures in Mt.387 for the guidance

of the tourists” got the lowest mean, and also got comments from the respondents that this

is where the management in Mt.387 is lacking, in accordance with this, in the study of

Perunjodi Naidoo (2011) entitled “An Assessment of Visitor Satisfaction with Nature-Based

Tourism Attractions”, the results for the Communication dimension reveal that some of the

NBTA sampled only offered brochures, information or leaflets in French and English and

not in foreign languages such as German or Italian, resulted to unsatisfied visitors.

Therefore, even though they provide brochures, it still creates a gap for foreign visitors,

hence, it can be seen that at some attractions, there is still a need to have guides in order to

provide visitors with relevant information.

LV
 Table 11: Tourists’ Satisfaction in Mt.387 in terms of Assurance

ASSURANCE W.M V.I Q.D

1. The tourists feel safe and secure every

time they visit Mt.387.The police station
is located near Mt.387 in case of security
3.54 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
threats.

2. The police station is located near Mt.387

3.24 Agree Satisfied
in case of security threats.

3. There is enough parking space available

3.49 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
on Mt.387.

4. The hospital is located near Mt.387 in

3.19 Agree Satisfied
case of emergency and accidents.

5. Health and safety protocols especially

for COVID19 are monitored and
3.39 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
implemented.

A.W.M 3.37 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

Table 11 shows the result of the Tourists’ satisfaction in Mt.387 in terms of

assurance. In statement 1, “The tourists feel safe and secure everytime they visit Mt.387.”,

LVI
the weighted mean is 3.54 with the Verbal Interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a

Qualitative Description of “Highly Satisfied”. In statement 2, “The police station is located

near Mt.387 in case of security threats.”, the weighted mean is 3.24 with the Verbal

Interpretation of “Agree” and a Qualitative Description of “Satisfied”. In statement 3, “There

is enough parking space available in Mt.387.”, the weighted mean is 3.49 with the Verbal

Interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative Description of “Highly Satisfied”. In

statement 4, “The hospital is located near Mt.387 in case of emergency and accidents.”, the

weighted mean is 3.19 with the Verbal Interpretation of “Agree” and a Qualitative

Description of “Satisfied”. In statement 5, “Health and safety protocols specially for

COVID19 are monitored and implemented.”, the weighted mean is 3.39 with the Verbal

Interpretation of “Agree” and a Qualitative Description of “Satisfied”. Overall, the average

weighted mean obtained by this parameter was 3.37 with the verbal interpretation of

“Strongly Agree” and with a qualitative description of “Highly Satisfied”. It resulted that the

tourists’ in Mt.387 were highly satisfied with their experiences in terms of assurance.

In accordance with the results revealed in the study “An Assessment of Visitor

Satisfaction with Nature-Based Tourism Attractions” by Perunjodi Naidoo (2011), the

statement about safety and security achieved the highest mean value of 4.02 and shows

that NBTA were committed to keeping visitors safe and secure. On the other hand, the

results showed that there was not enough parking during peak periods and this was mainly

observed from local respondents.

LVII
 Table 12: Tourists’ Satisfaction of Mt.387 in terms of Empathy

EMPATHY W.M V.I Q.D

1. Mt.387 provides attention to the

3.61 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
tourists’ needs.

2. The facilities and equipment being

offered in Mt.387 are at a convenient
3.52 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
location.

3. There are good and comfortable

viewing facilities available in Mt.387 for
3.47 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
tourists to enjoy.

4. Mt.387 considers the needs of elderly

3.45 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
and disabled visitors.

A.W.M Highly
3.52 Strongly Agree Satisfied

Table 12 shows the result of the Tourists’ satisfaction of Mt.387 in terms of empathy.

In statement 1, “Mt.387 provides attention to the tourists’ needs.”, the weighted mean is

LVIII
3.61 with the Verbal Interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative Description of

“Highly Satisfied”. In statement 2, “The facilities and equipment being offered in Mt.387 are

at a convenient location.”, the weighted mean is 3.52 with the Verbal Interpretation of

“Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative Description of “Highly Satisfied”. In statement 3, “There

is a good and comfortable viewing facilities available in Mt.387 for tourists to enjoy.”, the

weighted mean is 3.47 with the Verbal Interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a Qualitative

Description of “Highly Satisfied”. In statement 4, “Mt.387 considers the needs of elderly and

disabled visitors.”, the weighted mean is 3.45 with the Verbal Interpretation of “Strongly

Agree” and a Qualitative Description of “Highly Satisfied”. Overall, the average weighted

mean obtained by this parameter was 3.52 “Strongly Agree” and with a qualitative

description of “Highly Satisfied”. It resulted that the tourists’ in Mt.387 were highly satisfied

with their experiences in terms of empathy.

The lowest weighted mean in this dimension is the statement 4 “ Mt.387 considers

the needs of elderly and disabled visitors.” In accordance with the study of Perunjodi

Naidoo (2011) entitled “An Assessment of Visitor Satisfaction with Nature-Based Tourism

Attractions” the results revealed that the lowest mean value was 3.40 for the statement “the

sites consider needs for elderly and disabled visitors”. This shows that customers feel that

the NBTA could do more to provide for the needs of the elderly and disabled visitors.

However, as the experience offered at some NBTA is expected to offer a high level of risk, it

is important that NBTA provides an indication of the appropriateness of the site to different

LIX
market segments (i.e. adventure seekers, families with young children, elderly) in their

promotion.

Table 13: Tourists’ Satisfaction in Mt.387 in terms of Natural Resources

NATURAL RESOURCES W.M V.I Q.D

1. There is fauna and flora in Mt.387 for the

3.59 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
tourists to discover or learn.

2. Mt.387 is a tranquil (calm) rest area for

tourists who need a short escape from their
3.58 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
daily routine.

3. Mt.387 is a good venue to gain new

experiences and learn more things through
3.56 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
new activities.

3.65 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

4. Mt.387 is free from air and noise pollution.

LX
 5. Mt.387 exhibits the environment in its
3.64 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
natural beauty to be enjoyed by tourists.

6. The environment in Mt.387 is attractive

3.95 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied
because of the nature-based sceneries.

A.W.M 3.66 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

Table 13 shows the result of the Tourists’ satisfaction of Mt.387 in terms of natural

resources. In statement 1 “There are fauna and flora in Mt.387 for the tourists to discover

or learn”, the weighted mean is 3.59 with the verbal interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and

a qualitative description of “Highly Satisfied”. In statement 2 “Mt.387 is a tranquil (calm)

rest area for the tourists who need a short escape from their daily routine”, the weighted

mean is 3.58 with the verbal interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a qualitative

description of “Highly Satisfied”. In statement number 3 which states that “Mt.387 is a good

venue to gain new experiences and learn more things through new activities.”, the weighted

mean is 3.56 with the verbal interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a qualitative

description of “Highly Satisfied”. In statement 4 “Mt.387 is free from air and noise

pollution”, the weighted mean is 3.65 with the verbal interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and

a qualitative description of “Highly Satisfied”. In statement 5 which states that “Mt.387

exhibits the environment in its natural beauty to be enjoyed by the tourists”, the weighted

mean is 3.64 with the verbal interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a qualitative

LXI
description of “Highly Satisfied”. In the last statement “The environment in Mt.387 is

attractive because of the nature-based sceneries.” the weighted mean is 3.95 with a verbal

interpretation of strongly agree and a qualitative description of highly satisfied. Overall, the

average weighted mean obtained by this parameter was 3.66 with the verbal interpretation

of “Strongly Agree” and with a qualitative description of “Highly Satisfied”. It resulted that

the tourists’ in Mt.387 were highly satisfied with their experiences in terms of natural

resources.

In accordance with the study entitled “An Assessment of Visitor Satisfaction with

Nature-Based Tourism Attractions” by Perunjodi Naidoo (2011) the tourists felt highly

satisfied with NBTA in terms of Natural Resources. However, the statement “There are rare

fauna and flora at the attraction” got the lowest mean value of 3.94, and the visitors

suggested that the attractions tend to lack rare fauna and flora despite being satisfied with

the uniqueness of the natural resources.

Table 14. Summary of Tourists’ Satisfaction of Mt.387

SUMMARY W.M V.I Q.D

Responsiveness 3.74 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

Tangibles 3.55 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

Price 3.62 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

LXII
 Communication 3.30 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

Assurance 3.37 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

Empathy 3.52 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

Natural Resources 3.66 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

A.W.M 3.54 Strongly Agree Highly Satisfied

Table 14 presents the summary of the Tourists’ Satisfaction of Mt.387. The obtained

total average is 3.54, with the verbal interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and the qualitative

description "Highly Satisfied" implying that tourists were highly satisfied with their

experiences in Mt.387. This shows that Mt.387 was able to make the tourists feel highly

satisfied with their responsiveness, tangibles, price, communication, assurance, empathy

and its natural resources.

1. Challenges encountered by the tourists in Mt.387

This table presents the frequency and ranking of challenges encountered by the

Tourists in Mt.387.

Table 15. Challenges Encountered by the Tourists’ in Mt.387

LXIII
 FREQUENCY RANKING

1. Encountered rude staff which was uncomfortable for the tourists. 4 15

2. Lack of public utilities such as comfort rooms which are non- 9 11.5
gender sensitive.

3. No direct transportation from the city proper to Mt. 387 for the 8 14
tourists to avail.

4. Lack of security in case of emergency threats. 26 4

5. Lack of tour guides to accommodate the tourists in getting there 9 11.5

and during their stay.

Continuation of Table 15. Challenges Encountered by the Tourists’ in Mt.387

6. There are some amenities and services that are inaccessible to 22 5

tourists.

7. Lack of medical facilities and trained personnel to respond to the 18 7

safety and health concerns of the tourists.

LXIV
 8. Accommodation facilities are limited. 33 2

9. Lack of nearby shopping centers. 32 3

10. Lack of provision of waste disposal (material recovery facility). 9 11.5

11. Lack of information about the tour package offered. 21 6

12. Lack of signal for communication. 43 1

13. Lack of directional signages, information boards and guides on 9 11.5

how to get to the site.

14. Lack of evacuation plan and facilities in case of emergencies. 12 9

Continuation of Table 15. Challenges Encountered by the Tourists’ in Mt.387

15. Insufficient implementation of health and safety requirements. 17 8

Others, please specify: __________________ 0 0

LXV
 Table 15 shows statement number 12, which states that “Lack of signal for

communication.” is the most common problem encountered by the Tourists in Mt.387 with

the total number of 43 responses. Second is statement number 12 “Accommodation

facilities are limited” since Mt. 387 is located in a rural area and is 25 minutes away from

the city of San Jose. Third is the statement number 3 “Lack of nearby shopping centers”

with 32 responses, as Mt.387 doesn’t have any souvenir shops around the area. Next to that

is statement number 4 “Lack of security in case of emergency threats” with 26 responses.

Lack of security cameras around the vicinity or any emergency contact information. Fifth

rank is statement number 6 with 22 responses “There are some amenities and services that

are inaccessible to tourists.” Statement number 1 which states that “Encountered rude staff

which was uncomfortable for the tourists.” got the lowest response with the total number

of 4 responses. In accordance to the tourists’ satisfaction in terms of Responsiveness that

got the highest weighted mean 3.74 that depicts that staff in Mt.387 are more likely to be

approachable and attentive to the needs of the visitors.

In accordance with the study entitled “The Influence of Tourism Development

Strategies on the Attractiveness of Mountainous Destinations: A Case Study of the Aures

Mountains in Algeria” by Zeraib, Kouba, Berghout (2022), it did not satisfy most visitors

and encompasses tourist facilities and services such as accommodation, public transport,

communications, road conditions, and entertainment. The failure of tourism development

strategies to achieve their goals led the destination to have unsatisfied visitors. This is

LXVI
consistent with the majority of the literature that confirms the lack of services and facilities

for tourism in developing countries and mountainous regions. Therefore, this often leads

visitors to spend a short while at the destination, not exceeding one day. In contrast,

despite this fact, the destination witnessed visitors’ return, indicating that visitors did not

care much about the tourist facilities and services that were negatively related to their

satisfaction.

3. Significant Difference between Respondents’ Sex with Their Satisfaction In Mt.387

Table 16. Test for Significant Difference between Respondents’ Sex with Their Satisfaction In
Mt.387

LXVII
 SEX T-STAT T-CRITICAL VERBAL DECISION
INTERPRETATION

Not Significant Accept Null

Responsiveness -0.36038 1.98118 Hypothesis

Accept Null
-0.34044 1.99494 Not Significant Hypothesis
Tangibles

Accept Null
1.93788 1.98349 Not Significant Hypothesis
Price

Reject Null
3.13216 1.98062 Significant Hypothesis
Communication

Reject Null
-5.00766 2.00246 Significant Hypothesis
Assurance

Reject Null
2.14496 1.98137 Significant Hypothesis
Empathy

Accept Null
0.93983 1.98137 Not Significant Hypothesis
Natural Resources

Table 16 presents the difference between the demographic profile of respondents

(sex) and their satisfaction in Mt.387. It revealed that there is no significant difference

between the sex of the respondents and their satisfaction in Mt.387 in terms of

responsiveness, tangibles, price, and natural resources. Responsiveness resulted (T-stat: -

0.366; T-critical: 0.715) which the verbal interpretation “Not Significant” and led to a

LXVIII
decision “Accept Null Hypothesis”; Tangibles (T-stat:-0.338; T-critical: 0.736) which results

into interpretation “Not Significant” and led to a decision “Accept Null Hypothesis”; Price

(T-stat: 2.014; T-critical: 0.046) which results into interpretation “Significant” and led to a

decision “Reject Null Hypothesis”; and Natural Resources (T-stat: 0.940; T-critical: 0.349)

which results into interpretation “Not Significant” and led to a decision “Accept Null

Hypothesis”.

On the other hand, there is a significant difference between the sex of the

respondents and their satisfaction in Mt.387 in terms of communication, assurance and

empathy. Communication (T-stat: 3.174; T-critical: 0.002) which results into interpretation

“Significant” and led to a decision “Reject Null Hypothesis”; Assurance (T-stat: 2.850; T-

critical: 0.005)which results into interpretation “Significant” and led to a decision “Reject

Null Hypothesis”; and Empathy (T-stat:2.186; T-critical: 0.031) which results into

interpretation “Significant” and led to a decision “Reject Null Hypothesis”.

In accordance to the study of Shahriari (2016) entitled The evaluation of male and

female tourists satisfaction with service quality in areas in the province of Semnan”

revealed that there was no significant difference in the average ratings of men and women

for tangibility (0.15), reliability (0.72), and empathy (0.52). Only the response price and

communication variable showed a significant difference between men and women. This

means that men reported higher grade point averages than women. As a result of the

findings, managers should prioritize the response component in order to increase female

tourists.

LXIX
4. Significant Difference Between The Type Of Tourist with Their Satisfaction In
Mt.387

Table 17. Test for Significant Difference Between The Type Of Tourist with Their Satisfaction
In Mt.387

TYPE OF T-STAT T-CRITICAL VERBAL DECISION

TOURIST INTERPRETATION

Accept Null
Responsiveness -0.85253 2.00324 Not Significant Hypothesis

Accept Null
Tangibles -1.24232 2.02269 Not Significant Hypothesis

Accept Null
Price -0.78243 1.99897 Not Significant Hypothesis

Accept Null
Communication 1.25875 2.00099 Not Significant Hypothesis

Accept Null
Assurance -0.72481 2.01410 Not Significant Hypothesis

Accept Null
Empathy 0.11470 2.00324 Not Significant Hypothesis

Reject Null
Natural Resources -3.25810 1.99299 Significant Hypothesis

Table 17 presents the difference between the demographic profile of respondents

(type of tourist) and their satisfaction in Mt.387. It revealed that there is no significant

difference between the type of tourist of the respondents and their satisfaction in Mt.387

in terms of responsiveness, tangibles, price, communication, assurance, and empathy..

LXX
Responsiveness resulted (T-stat: -0.854; T-critical: 0.397) which the verbal interpretation

“Not Significant” and led to a decision “Accept Null Hypothesis”; Tangibles (T-stat: -1.239;

T-critical: 0.223) which results into interpretation “Not Significant” and led to a decision

“Accept Null Hypothesis”; Price (T-stat:-0.775; T-critical: 0.441) which results into

interpretation “Not Significant” and led to a decision “Accept Null Hypothesis”;

Communication (T-stat: 1.259 T-critical: 0.213) which results into interpretation “Not

Significant” and led to a decision “Accept Null Hypothesis”; Assurance (T-stat: 0.218; T-

critical: 0.828) which results into interpretation “Not Significant” and led to a decision

“Accept Null Hypothesis”; Empathy (T-stat:0.115; T-critical: 0.909) which results into

interpretation “Not Significant” and led to a decision “Accept Null Hypothesis”. Natural

Resources (T-stat: -3.258; T-critical: 0.002) which resulted in interpretation “Significant”

and led to a decision “Reject Null Hypothesis”. The researchers then concluded that the type

of tourist, from inside or outside Nueva Ecija, only affects the tourists’ satisfaction in terms

of Natural Resources.

In accordance with the study of Qadir et al,. (2017) on “A Comparative Study of

Domestic and foreign Tourists’ Service Experience in Kashmir” it brings to light that

insignificant difference exists between service quality of domestic and foreign tourists in

the overall and across all dimensions of tourism services indicating that both categories of

tourists experienced same quality service in Kashmir. Therefore, the tourists being foreign

or domestic in the tourist destination doesn’t affect their satisfaction.

LXXI
5. Significant Relationship Between The Respondents Frequency Of Visit with Their

Satisfaction In Mt.387

Table 18. Test for Significant Relationship Between The Respondents Frequency Of Visit with
Their Satisfaction In Mt.387

FREQUENCY

OF VISITS R-VALUE VI P-VALUE VI DECISION

0.12510 Negligible .15293 Not Accept Null

Responsivenes Positive Significant Hypothesis
Correlation
s

0.20911 Negligible .01612 Significant Reject Null

Tangibles Positive Hypothesis
Correlation

0.16400 Negligible .06023 Not Accept Null

Price Positive Significant Hypothesis
Correlation

-0.00913 Negligible 0.91842 Not Accept Null

Communicatio Negative Significant Hypothesis
Correlation
n

-0.02807 Negligible 0.74995 Not Accept Null

Assurance Negative Significant Hypothesis
Correlation

Negligible 0.40549 Not Accept Null

Empathy 0.07306 Positive Significant Hypothesis
Correlation

LXXII
 Continuation of Table 18. Test for Significant Relationship Between The Respondents
Frequency Of Visit with Their Satisfaction In Mt.387

Reject Null
Natural Negligible .04512 Significant Hypothesis
0.17473 Positive
Resources Correlation

Table 18 presents the relationship between the demographic profile of respondents

(number of visits) and their satisfaction in Mt.387. It revealed that there is a significant

relationship between the number of their visits and tourist satisfaction in terms of

tangibles, and natural resources. Tangibles (P-value: 0.016) that led to a decision “Reject

Null Hypothesis”; and Natural Resources (P-value: 0.045) that led to a decision “Reject Null

Hypothesis”.The rejection of null hypothesis implied that the number of visits of the

respondents have significant relationship their satisfaction in terms of tangibles, and

natural resources. Number of visits was negligibly positively correlated with tourists'

satisfaction as to responsiveness (r=0.125), tangibles (r=.209), price (r=0.164), empathy

(r=0.073) and natural resources(r=.175). This means that the higher the number of visits,

the better the satisfaction as to responsiveness, tangibles, price, empathy and natural

resources.

LXXIII
 On the other hand, the remaining five variables were considered not significant.

Responsiveness (P-value: 0.153) that led to a decision "Accept Null Hypothesis"; Price (P-

value: 0.060) that led to a decision “Accept Null Hypothesis” ; Communication (P-value:

0.918) that led to a decision “Accept Null Hypothesis” Assurance (P-value: 0.749) that led to

a decision “Accept Null Hypothesis”; and Empathy (P-value: 0.405) that led to a decision

"Accept Null Hypothesis". The acceptance of the null hypothesis implied that the number of

visits of the respondents has no significant relationship with their satisfaction in terms of

responsiveness, price, communication, assurance, and empathy. The number of visits are

negligibly negatively correlated with tourists’ satisfaction in terms of communication and

assurance.

In the study entitled “Causality between Frequency of Visit with Tourists’

Satisfaction: A Multi-group Analysis” by Eka N. Kencana and Trisna Darmayanti (2017), it

revealed that the satisfaction level for repeat guests is smaller compared to tourists’ who

visited the destination for the first time as the visitors’ intention to revisit tend to decrease

for repeat guests. The study also shows that the quality of destination significantly affects

their satisfaction, not the frequency of their visit.

LXXIV
 CHAPTER IV

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

This chapter presents the summary of findings based on the interpretations and

analysis made. Conclusions and recommendations were provided based on the data

gathered.

I. Summary of Findings

This study was conducted for the purpose of assessing the level of tourists’
satisfaction in Mt. 387 Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan City, Nueva Ecija. Quantitative type of
research utilized and the survey questionnaire was used for gathering data from 132
respondents.

1. Demographic Profile of the Respondents

1.1. Sex

LXXV
 Out of the 132 respondents, 74 or 56.06% were male while 58 or 43.94% were
female. This indicates that the majority of respondents were male.

1.2 Type of Tourist

Out of the 132 respondents, 95 or 71.97% were from inside Nueva Ecija while 37 or
28.03% were from outside Nueva Ecija.. This indicates that the majority of respondents
were living inside Nueva Ecija.

1.3 Number of Visits

Out of the 132 respondents, 120 or 90.91% visited Mt. 387 about 1-2 times, 7 or
5.30% visited the place 3-4 times and 5 or3.79% of them had a total visit of 5 times and
above. This indicates that the majority of respondents have already visited Mt.387 about 1-
2 times.

2. Tourists’ Satisfaction in Mt.387

2.1 Responsiveness

With an overall weighted mean of 3.74, overall verbal interpretation “Strongly

Agree” stating that the level of tourists’ satisfaction on their experiences in Mt.387 is
“Highly Satisfied” in terms of responsiveness.

2.2 Tangibles

With an overall weighted mean of 3.55, overall verbal interpretation “Strongly

Agree” stating that the level of tourists’ satisfaction on their experiences in Mt.387 is
“Highly Satisfied” in terms of tangibles.

2.3 Price

LXXVI
 With an overall weighted mean of 3.62, overall verbal interpretation “Strongly
Agree” stating that the level of tourists’ satisfaction on their experiences in Mt.387 is
“Highly Satisfied” in terms of price.

2.4 Communication

With an overall weighted mean of 3.30, overall verbal interpretation “Strongly

Agree” stating that the level of tourists’ satisfaction on their experiences in Mt.387 is
“Highly Satisfied” in terms of communication.

2.5 Assurance

With an overall weighted mean of 3.37, overall verbal interpretation “Strongly

Agree” stating that the level of tourists’ satisfaction on their experiences in Mt.387 is
“Highly Satisfied” in terms of assurance.

2.6 Empathy

With an overall weighted mean of 3.52, overall verbal interpretation “Strongly

Agree” stating that the level of tourists’ satisfaction on their experiences in Mt.387 is
“Highly Satisfied” in terms of empathy.

2.7 Natural Resources

With an overall weighted mean of 3.66, overall verbal interpretation “Strongly

Agree” stating that the level of tourists’ satisfaction on their experiences in Mt.387 is
“Highly Satisfied” in terms of natural resources.

Summary of Results- It presents the summary of assessing the level of tourists’

satisfaction in Mt.387. Based on the survey results, Responsiveness obtained the highest
weighted mean of 3.74 with the verbal interpretation “Strongly Agree” and a qualitative

LXXVII
description of “Highly Satisfied” followed by Natural Resources the weighted mean is 3.66
with the verbal interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a qualitative description of “Highly
Satisfied” the next is Price with a weighted mean of 3.62 and a qualitative description of
“Highly Satisfied”, next is Tangibles with a weighted mean of 3.55 and a qualitative
description of “Highly Satisfied”, next is Empathy, the weighted mean is 3.52 with the
verbal interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and a qualitative description of “Highly Satisfied”,
the next is Assurance, the weighted mean is 3.37 with the verbal interpretation of “Strongly
Agree” and a qualitative description of “Highly Satisfied” and the variable that received the
lowest is Communication with a weighted mean of 3.30 and a qualitative description of
“Strongly Agree”. “Highly Satisfied”.The obtained total average weighted mean is 3.54, with
a verbal interpretation of “Strongly Agree” and qualitative description of “Highly Satisfied”.
It resulted in the level of tourists’ satisfaction being “satisfied” on their experiences in
Mt.387.

3. Challenges encountered by the tourists’ in Mt.387

The results are given for the common challenges encountered by the tourists' such
as (1) Lack of signal for communication. (2) Accommodation facilities are limited. (3) Lack
of nearby shopping centers. (4) Lack of security in case of emergency threats. (5) Lack of
information about the tour package offered.

4. Significant difference between the demographic profile of respondents (sex) and

their satisfaction in Mt.387.

Significant difference between the demographic profile of respondents (sex)

and their satisfaction in Mt.387 in terms of responsiveness, tangibles, and natural
resources.

LXXVIII
 There is no significant difference between the demographic profile of respondents
(sex) and their satisfaction in Mt.387 in terms of responsiveness, tangibles, and natural
resources. However, there is a significant difference between the demographic profile of
respondents (sex) and their satisfaction in Mt.387 in terms of price, communication,
assurance, and empathy.

Significant difference between the demographic profile of respondents (type

of tourist) and their satisfaction in Mt.387 in terms of responsiveness, tangibles,
price, communication, assurance, and empathy.

There is no significant difference between the demographic profile of respondents

(type of tourist) and their satisfaction in Mt.387 in terms of responsiveness, tangibles,
price, communication, assurance, and empathy. However, there is a significant difference
between the demographic profile of respondents (type of tourist) and their satisfaction in
Mt.387 in terms of natural resources.

5. Significant relationship between the demographic profile of respondents (number

of visits) and their satisfaction in Mt.387.

Significant relationship between the demographic profile of respondents

(number of visits) and their satisfaction in Mt.387 in terms of responsiveness, price,
communication, assurance, and empathy.

There is no significant relationship between the demographic profile of respondents

(number of visits) and their satisfaction in Mt.387 in terms of responsiveness, price,
communication, assurance, and empathy. However, there is a significant relationship
between the demographic profile of respondents (number of visits) and their satisfaction in
Mt.387 in terms of tangibles and natural resources.

LXXIX
II. Conclusion

Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions are drawn:

1. The number of male respondents are greater than female respondents and the majority
of them are from inside Nueva Ecija . The respondents were most likely visiting Mt.387 for
about 1-2 times only.

2. The researchers concluded that the tourists’ in Mt.387 were highly satisfied with their
experiences in terms of responsiveness, tangibles, price, communication, assurance,
empathy and natural resources.

3. The results given are the top 5 common challenges encountered by the tourists such as
(1)Lack of signal for communication. (2) Accommodations are limited. (3) Lack of nearby
shopping centers. (4) Lack of security incase of emergency threats. (5) There are some
amenities that are inaccessible to tourists.

4. For the difference between sexes, the researchers concluded that in terms of
responsiveness, tangibles, price, and natural resources, there is no significant difference,
therefore, the researchers accepted the null hypothesis. On the other hand, the researchers
concluded that there is a significant difference in terms of communication, assurance, and
empathy, therefore, the researchers rejected the null hypothesis. For the difference
between type of tourists, the researchers concluded that in terms of responsiveness,
tangibles, price, communication, assurance and empathy, there is no significant difference,
therefore, the researchers accepted the null hypothesis. In terms of natural resources the
researchers rejected the null hypothesis.

5. For the relationship between frequency of visits, the researchers concluded that in terms
of responsiveness, price, communication, assurance, and empathy, there is no significant
difference to tourists’ satisfaction in Mt. 387, thus, the researchers accepted the Null

LXXX
Hypothesis. In terms of tangibles and natural resources, there is a significant relationship
as to tourists’ satisfaction, therefore, the researchers rejected the null hypothesis.

LXXXI
 III. Recommendations

Table 19. Proposed Alternative Courses of Action Plan to Improve Tourists Satisfaction in Mt. 387

Areas of Concern Statement with the Lowest Specific Recommendation Responsible Timelin Outcome
Weighted Mean Party e

1. Responsivenes
Mt.387 is open at convenient Mt.387 should continue their Management April Continuously satisfying
s
hours. opening hours, 24hrs open for 2023 customers by being open at
tourists who want to go anytime convenience hours that
as it can highly satisfy the could attract more visitors.
tourists.

Continuation of Table 19. Proposed Alternative Courses of Action Plan to Improve Tourists Satisfaction in Mt. 387

LXXXII
2. Tangibles
Mt.387 is evidently clean and The management should put Management April Tourists will produce less
sanitized. more signs around reminding trash and will not spoil the
2023
tourists to bring their garbage beauty of Mt. 387. Air
out with them. They can also pollution will also be
post on their social media eliminated this way.
platforms about bringing less
trash and packaging when
hiking. Also, the tour guides
should make sure to remind the
tourists during the hike.

Continuation of Table 19. Proposed Alternative Courses of Action Plan to Improve Tourists Satisfaction in Mt. 387

LXXXIII
3. Price
The pricing of services The management should utilize Management April Tourists will be satisfied in
provided in Mt.387 is the payments being collected 2023 what they pay for and
acceptable. from the tourists by making sure maybe even more generous
that Mt. 387 is in a great about it. This can attract
condition. They can improve the more visitors because at
stairs and trailing in the way up the same time they are
and down the mountain and enjoying the beauty of
provide more resting area. Also, nature, they know that they
they can be more transparent as are helping in taking care
to where the payments are being of it at the same time.
used by posting some
information about it on their
bulletin boards or social media
platforms.

Continuation of Table 19. Proposed Alternative Courses of Action Plan to Improve Tourists Satisfaction in Mt. 387

LXXXIV
4. Communication
There are available Mt.387 should provide complete Management April It will enlighten visitors'
brochures in Mt.387 for detailed information on 2023 knowledge about Mt. 387
guidance of the tourists. brochures or flyers about the and also, they can easily
services they are offering, and pass information about it if
also relevant information about they have hard copies as
the mountain as the survey the brochure or flyers.
shows that this is where they are
lacking.

5.Assurance
The hospital is located Mt.387 should have a health Management April To have immediate
near Mt. 387 in case of clinic or at least make sure that 2023 execution of first aid incase
emergency and accidents. tour guides have a first aid kit of emergency.
along with them during the hike
incase of emergency.

Continuation of Table 19. Proposed Alternative Courses of Action Plan to Improve Tourists Satisfaction in Mt. 387

LXXXV
6. Empathy
There are good and Since there are only limited Management April Tourists will be
comfortable facilities facilities available in Mt. 387, the 2023 comfortable in utilizing
available in Mt.387 for management should make sure these facilities and make
tourists to enjoy. that it is well taken care of. The the best out of their
comfort rooms and shower experience in Mt. 387.
areas should always be cleaned
and sanitized. The registration
and waiting area should be
spacious and free from any
unnecessary garbage. They
should see to it that it is pleasant
and welcoming to the tourists.

Continuation of Table 19. Proposed Alternative Courses of Action Plan to Improve Tourists Satisfaction in Mt. 387

LXXXVI
7. Natural
Mt. 387 is a good venue to The management of Mt.387 Management April Having new activities for
Resources
gain new experiences and should provide more activities 2023 the visitors to enjoy, this
learn more things through besides hiking, tree planting, could provide new
new activities sightseeing, camping and experience for them and
swimming at aloha falls that could improve the visitors
could be done by the visitors. satisfaction.
ATV mountain trail, bonfire
during camping, is good for
other activities. If possible, they
can also try providing mountain
biking to tourists if the place is
further improved.

Continuation of Table 19. Proposed Alternative Courses of Action Plan to Improve Tourists Satisfaction in Mt. 387

LXXXVII
Ranking Challenges Specific Recommendation Responsible Timelin Outcome
Party e

1 Lack of signal for Request with telecom providers Private April To have a signal connection
communication. if they can build cellular towers companies/ 2023 for better communication
to provide better signal. Telecom
providers

2 Accommodations are Mt.387 should have proper Owner/Private April To accommodate guests
limited. accommodation facilities inside companies 2023 properly and more
or outside its vicinity; they can conveniently.
provide more camping tents
available for rent if the tourists
don’t have camping tents.

Continuation of Table 19. Proposed Alternative Courses of Action Plan to Improve Tourists Satisfaction in Mt. 387

LXXXVIII
3 Lack of nearby shopping Mt. 387 should have souvenir Management April To promote products and
centers. shops for souvenirs and other 2023 tourism of San Jose City.
products that they can possibly
promote or small convenience
stores near the registration area,
or near the entrance.

4 Lack of security incase of Making sure that the visitors are Management April To provide a safe tour
emergency threats. safe and secure by installing around Mt.387, because
2023
CCTV/ security cameras in their tourists' safety should be a
entrance and registration area if priority.
anything unexpected happens.

Continuation of Table 19. Proposed Alternative Courses of Action Plan to Improve Tourists Satisfaction in Mt. 387

LXXXIX
5 There are some amenities The management should make Management April The visitors will make the
that are inaccessible to sure that all the amenities are 2023 best out of their experience
tourists. available and can cater more by having access to all the
tourists by providing more amenities available in
.
comfort rooms and shower Mt.387.
areas. Also, they can provide
more resting area especially at
the top of the mountain so that
more tourists can access. They
can also see to it that the kitchen
is accessible to the tourists if
they need anything there.

XC
For the Future Researchers

In order to fully assess the satisfaction of tourists visiting Mt. 387, the future
researchers can include in the scope the falls nearby Mt. 387, especially the Aloha Falls, as it
is the famous side trip after the hike on the mountain. Future researchers can also seek to
create a development plan for Mt. 387 as the House Bill. No. 677 of the 18th congress aims
to declare Mt. 387 as a tourist destination to come up with a comprehensive development
plan for the improvement of this mountain, all areas attached to it, and all roads leading to
and from it.

For the School

Promote conducting more research on mountainous areas around the province as

Nueva Ecija is known as the Gateway to the Mountains, and mountains as tourist
attractions are less likely to have attention in terms of further improvement for the
satisfaction of its visitors.

XCI
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

An Assessment of Visitors Satisfaction with Nature-Based Tourism Attractions by Perunjodi

Naidoo, Prabha Ramseook-Munhurrun and Premita Seegoolam, 2011
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
228312598_An_Assessment_of_Visitor_Satisfaction_with_Nature-
Based_Tourism_Attractions

Problems encountered by tourists by Madhavi Chockalingam, A. Auroubindo Ganesh

(2010)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
227470686_Problems_encountered_by_tourists

The influence of Service Quality on Satisfaction: Does gender really matter? by See Ying
Kwok, Ahmad Jusoh, Zainab Khalifah, 2016
https://www.intangiblecapital.org/index.php/ic/article/view/673?
fbclid=IwAR1ZmOIatwUH7UxpRFBHlrhzRDWkFzUU7sDuVF5aWqk3fXNnXjpCuijmguc

An Ecotourism Development Plan for Minalungao National Park, General Tinio, Nueva Ecija
by Mariel Jel D. Bautista, 2021
https://www.ijams-bbp.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Marie-Jel-D.-Bautista.pdf?
fbclid=IwAR3LUupvzxCMd72wxrgKfVJFaDeWzfGGo2ClaY60COvv_h8SnvRxuPAOr5I

Assessment of Dapitan City’s Tourism Resources: Basis for the Development of Tourism
Plan by Lovelle Pallega, 2022
https://ijsrm.in/index.php/ijsrm/article/view/3660?fbclid=IwAR2-VSn3Zkrd9-
3pMvn9rcZpHQ_c4SU6xJiYs2eqHDb2DtxgX6GqVm72Kvo

Assessment of Tourism Industry in Nueva Ecija by Aileen Y. Vigilia, 2020

http://journal-repository.com/index.php/ijaems/article/view/1851?
fbclid=IwAR3LUupvzxCMd72wxrgKfVJFaDeWzfGGo2ClaY60COvv_h8SnvRxuPAOr5I

The tourism Industry: An overview by Mark Anthony Camilleri, 2018

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?
abstract_id=3289462&fbclid=IwAR2CftNIRUVPe4epn5n_YQyB312LMo4RugGYKgjHS2ZIRp
twxOygpJY7Rf8

Factors that Influence Tourist Satisfaction by Rafat Beigpoor Sharivar, 2017

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
284969853_Factors_that_influence_tourist_satisfaction

XCII
The Essence of Tourism Development Plan by Paarl, Wellington, Gouda, Saron, Simondium,
2018
http://www.drakenstein.gov.za/docs/Documents/SMME%20Support%20Tourism
%20Development%20Plan_20190930.pdf?
fbclid=IwAR3LUupvzxCMd72wxrgKfVJFaDeWzfGGo2ClaY60COvv_h8SnvRxuPAOr5I

The Impact of Service Performance in Package Tours to Slow Cities on Tourists’ Satisfaction
and Behavioral Intention: The Gökçeada Case by Prof. Dr. Azize Tunc Hassan, 2018
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
329949574_The_Impact_of_Service_Performance_in_Package_Tours_to_Slow_Cities_on_Tou
rists'_Satisfaction_and_Behavioral_Intention_The_Gokceada_Case_Yavas_Sehirlere_Duzenle
nen_Paket_Turlardaki_Hizmet_Performansinin

Tourist’s Satisfaction in Terms of Accommodation: A Case Study in Vlore, Albania by Elenica

Pajero, 2019
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
335021824_Tourist's_Satisfaction_in_Terms_of_Accommodation_A_Case_Study_in_Vlore_Al
bania

The Influence of Tourism Development Strategies on the Attractiveness of Mountainous

Destinations: A Case Study of the Aures Mountains in Algeria

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
364331187_The_Influence_of_Tourism_Development_Strategies_on_the_Attractiveness_of_
Mountainous_Destinations_A_Case_Study_of_the_Aures_Mountains_in_Algeria

Hiker Demographic and Statistics in the US

https://www.zippia.com/hiker-jobs/demographics/

XCIII
 APPENDICES

Appendix A: A Letter to the Respondents

February 4, 2023

To the respondents

Greetings!

We, the students of Phinma Araullo University Main Campus with the course Bachelor of
Science in Tourism Management are conducting a study entitled Nueva Ecija, A Gateway
to the Mountains: An Assessment of Tourists' Satisfaction in Mt. 387, Brgy. Puncan,
Carranglan, Nueva Ecija. The study aims to assess the satisfaction of tourists who visited
Mt. 387 in Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan, Nueva Ecija. The researchers are asking for your
cooperation to answer the following questions with all honesty. You can rest assured that
all the information that will be gathered will be utilized only for education purposes and
will be kept confidential.

Thank you and God bless!

Sincerely,

Mendoza, Angelique S.

Research Leader

Nolasco, Nicole Adrian G.

Research Adviser

XCIV
 APPENDIX B

QUESTIONNAIRE

Nueva Ecija, A Gateway to the Mountains: An Assessment on Tourists' Satisfaction in

Mt.387 Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan, Nueva Ecija.

PART I. PERSONAL DATA CONSENT:

By accomplishing this survey form (1) Certify that the information provided is
genuine and complete, (2) Acknowledge that the confidentiality of the information is
protected by the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (R.A. 10173). And authorize the release of
all information from the survey for the researchers to achieve its purpose the
information will be available until the research is done.

I agree

Have you ever visited the Mt.387 in Brgy. Puncan Carranglan, Nueva Ecija in the year
2022 ?

Yes No

If YES, continue answering the next questions. If NO, do not proceed.

PART II. The Demographic Profile of the Respondents

Name (Optional): _______________________________

Sex: Male Female

Type of Tourist: Inside of Nueva Ecija (local) Outside of Nueva Ecija

(domestic)

Number of Visits: 1-2 times 3-4 times 5 times and above

XCV
 PART III. QUESTIONNAIRE

Instruction: Please put a checkmark (✓) as appropriate in the space

provided.

Responsiveness

Statements 4 3 2 1

Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree

1. The staff of Mt.387 are

always helpful and
courteous during my visit.
(Ang staff ng Mt.387 ay
laging matulungin at
magalang sa aking
pagbisita.)

2. The staff of Mt.387 are quick

to react to customers’
requests when asked. (Ang
staff ng Mt.387 ay mabilis
tumugon sa mga kahilingan
ng mga turista kapag
hiningi.)

3. The staff of Mt.387 are

willing to take time with
tourists’ concerns by
listening and responding.
(Ang mga staff ay handing

XCVI
 maglaan ng oras na
alalahanin ang mga turista
sa pamamagitan ng
pakikinig at pagtugon.)

4. Tourists feel welcome when

visiting Mt.387 with warm
greetings from the staff.
(Malugod na tinatanggap ang
mga turista kapag bumibista
sa Mt.387 na mainit na
pagbati mula sa mga staff.)

5. The staff of Mt.387 is well

informed to answer
customers’ requests because
of their knowledge of the
attraction and service
provided. (Ang mga staff ay
may sapat na kaalaman
upang sagutin ang
kahilingan ng mga turista
dahil sa kanilang kaalaman
at atraksyon at serbisyong
binibigay.)

6. Tourists in Mt.387 are free

to explore the whole site and
attraction without any
restriction. (Ang mga turista
ay malayang tuklasin o
galugarin ang buong lugar
ng walang paghihigpit.)

7. The waiting time for service

in Mt.387 is acceptable

XCVII
 because tourists are
accommodated immediately.
(Ang oras ng paghihintay ng
mga turista ay katanggap-
tanggap dahil sila ay
inaasikaso kaagad.)

8. Mt.387 is open at convenient

hours. (Ang Mt.387 ay bukas
sa napapanahon o
maginhawang oras.)

Any comments or suggestions to improve the responsiveness in Mt.387?

________________________________________________________________________

Tangibles

Statements 4 3 2 1

Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree

1. Mt.387 is well kept and

restored because it is
evidently taken care of and
maintained in order.
(Mahusay na napapanatili ang
kaayusan ng Mt.387 dahil ito
ay napangangalagaan.)

XCVIII
 2. There is clear and helpful
directional signage around
Mt.387. (Mayroong malinaw
at kapaki-pakinabang na
directional signage sa
paligid.)

3. Mt.387 is uncrowded and

unspoiled. (Ang Mt.387 ay
hindi masikip at hindi sira.)

4. The staff of Mt.387 are

presentable and can be easily
identified because of their
grooming and distinct
uniform. (Ang mga tauhan ay
presentable at madaling
makilala dahil sa kanilang
ayos at uniporme.)

5. Mt.387 is evidently clean and

sanitized. (Ang Mt.387 ay
malinis.)

Any comments or suggestions to improve the tangibles in Mt.387?

________________________________________________________________________

XCIX
 Price

Statements 4 3 2 1

Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree

1. The entrance fee in Mt.387 is

affordable. (Ang bayad sa
pagpasok Mt.387 ay nasa
abot-kayang halaga.)

2. The pricing of services

provided in Mt.387 is
acceptable. (Ang halaga ng
mga serbisyong ibinibigay ay
katanggap-tanggap)

3. Mt.387 offers value for

money as the site meets the
expectations of tourists.
(Sulit ang halagang
ibinabayad dahil ang
desisyon ay nakatutugon sa
mga inaasahan ng mga
turista.)

Any comments or suggestions to improve the prices in Mt.387?

________________________________________________________________________

Communication

C
 Statements 4 3 2 1

Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree

1. There are available

brochures in Mt.387 for the
guidance of the tourists.
(Mayroong mga brochure sa
Mt.387 ay nasa abot-kayang
halaga.)

2. The information offered is

sufficiently detailed and
available for all to enjoy
Mt.387. (Ang mga
impormasyon ay detalyado at
magagamit ng lahat.)

3. The information about

restrictions and limited
behaviors in Mt.387 are
provided through signages.
(Ang impormasyon tungkol
sa mga paghihigpit at
limitadong kilos ay
ipinababatid sa pamamagitan
ng mga signage.)

4. There are guides in order to

obtain relevant explanations
about the Mt.387 and safety
reminders in some activities.
(Mayroong mga bagay upang
makakuha ng impormasyon
tungkol sa Mt.387 at mga
paalala sa kaligtasan para sa

CI
 ilang mga aktibidad.)

Any comments or suggestions to improve the communication in Mt.387?

________________________________________________________________________

Assurance

Statement 4 3 2 1

Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree

1. The tourists feel safe and

secure every time they visit
Mt.387. (Ang mga turista ay
nakadarama ng kaligtasan at
seguridad sa tuwing sila ay
bumibisita sa Mt.387.)

2. The police station is located

near Mt.387 in case of
security threats. (Ang
istasyong ng pulisya ay

CII
 malapit sa Mt.387 kung
sakaling may banta sa
kaligtasan.)

3. There is enough parking

space available on Mt.387.
(May sapat na parking space
na magagamit sa Mt.387.)

4. The hospital is located near

Mt.387 in case of emergency
and accidents. (May malapit
na ospital sa Mt.387 kung
sakaling magkaroon ng
emergency at aksidente.)

5. Health and safety protocols

especially for COVID19 are
monitored and implemented.
(Ang mga protocol sa
kalusugan at kaligtasan lalo
na para sa COVID-19 ay
sinusubaybayan at
ipinapatupad.)

Any comments or suggestions to improve the assurance in Mt.387?

________________________________________________________________________

Empathy

CIII
 Statement 4 3 2 1

Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree

1. Mt.387 provides attention to

the tourists’ needs. (Ang
Mt.387 ay nagbibigay pansin
sa mga pangangailangan ng
mga turista.)

2. The facilities and equipment

being offered in Mt.387 are at
a convenient location. (Ang
mga pasilidad at kagamitan
na inaalok sa Mt.387 ay nasa
maayos o maginhawang
lokasyon.)

3. There are good and

comfortable viewing facilities
available in Mt.387 for
tourists to enjoy. (Mayroong
maayos at komportableng
pasilidad na nagagamit para
sa mga turista ng Mt.387.)

4. Mt.387 considers the needs of

elderly and disabled visitors.
(Isinasaalang-alang sa Mt.387
ang mga pangangailangan ng
mga bisitang matanda at may
kapansanan.)

CIV
Any comments or suggestions to improve the empathy in Mt.387?

________________________________________________________________________

Natural Resources

Statement 4 3 2 1

Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree

1. There is fauna and flora in

Mt.387 for the tourists to
discover or learn. (Mayroong
mga halaman at hayop sa
Mt.387 para matuklasan at
matutunan ng mga turista.)

2. Mt.387 is a tranquil (calm)

rest area for tourists who
need a short escape from
their daily routine. (Ang
Mt.387 ay payapa (tahimik)
upang maging pahingahan ng
mga turista sa kailangan ng
pahinga mula sa kanilang
pang araw-araw na gawain.)

3. Mt.387 is a good venue to

gain new experiences and
learn more things through
new activities. (Ang Mt.387
ay isang magandang lugar
para sa mga bagong
karanasan at matuto mula sa
mga bagong aktibidad.)

CV
 4. Mt.387 is free from air and
noise pollution. (Ang Mt.387
ay walang polusyon sa hangin
at ingay.)

5. Mt.387 exhibits the

environment in its natural
beauty to be enjoyed by
tourists. (Ipinapakita ng
Mt.387 ang natural
kagandahan ng kapaligiran
para sa mga turista.)

6. The environment in Mt.387 is

attractive because of the
nature-based sceneries. (Ang
kapaligiran ng Mt.387 ay
kaakit-akit dahil sa mga
tanawin tulad ng bundok at
lawa.)

Any comments or suggestions to improve the natural resources in Mt.387?

________________________________________________________________________

PART IV. Challenges Encountered by the tourists in Mt.387

Direction: The statements listed below are about the challenges encountered by the
tourists in Mt.387. You can answer more than one depending on the problem you
encountered. [Multiple Answer]

• Encountered rude staff which was uncomfortable for the tourists.

• Lack of public utilities such as comfort rooms which are non-gender
sensitive.

CVI
 • No direct transportation from the city proper to Mt.387 for the tourists to
avail.
• Lack of security in case of emergency threats.
• Lack of tour guides to accommodate the tourists in getting there and
during their stay.
• There are some amenities and services that are inaccessible to tourists.
• Lack of medical facilities and trained personnel to respond to the safety
and health concerns of the tourists.
• Accommodation facilities are limited.
• Lack of nearby shopping centers.
• Lack of provision of waste disposal (material recovery facility).
• Lack of information about the tour package offered.
• Lack of signal for communication.
• Lack of directional signages, information boards and guides on how to get
to the site.
• Lack of evacuation plan and facilities in case of emergencies.
• Insufficient implementation of health and safety requirements.
• Others, please specify _________________________

Thank You!

Rest assured that the information that you provide will be used for educational
purposes only.

CVII
 APPENDIX C

Summary of Data

PART II: The Demographic Profile of the Respondents

VARIABLES
ITEMS FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

Male 74 56.06%

Sex

Female 58 43.94%

Total 132 100%

Inside Nueva Ecija 95 71.97%

Type of Tourist
Outside Nueva 37 28.03%
Ecija

Total 132 100%

CVIII
 1-2 times 12 90.91%

Number of Visits 3-4 times 7 5.30%

5 above 5
3.79%

Total 132 100%

PART III: TOURIST SATISFACTION

VARIABLES ITEMS WEIGHTED VERBAL QUALITATIVE

MEAN DESCRIPTION DESCRIPTION

CIX
 1. The staffs of
RESPONSIVENESS Mt.387 are
always helpful
and courteous
during my
visit. Highly
3.89 Strongly Agree Satisfied

2. The staffs of
Mt.387 are 3.77 Strongly Agree
quick to react
to customers’
Highly
requests when Satisfied
asked.

3. The staffs of
Mt.387 are
willing to take
time with
tourists’
concerns by
listening and
Highly
responding.
3.72 Strongly Agree Satisfied

4. Tourists feel
welcome when
visiting Mt.387
with warm
Highly
greetings from 3.79 Strongly Agree Satisfied
the staff.

CX
5. The staff of
Mt.387 is well
informed to
answer
customers’
requests
because of
their
knowledge of
the attraction
and service Highly
provided. 3.68 Strongly Agree Satisfied

6. Tourists in
Mt.387 are
free to explore
the whole site
and attraction
without any
restriction. 3.67
Highly
Strongly Agree Satisfied

CXI
 7. The waiting
time for
service in
Mt.387 is
acceptable
because
tourists are
accommodate
d immediately. 3.71
Highly
Strongly Agree Satisfied

8. Mt.387 is open
at convenient 3.67
Highly
hours.
Strongly Agree Satisfied

3.74 Strongly Agree

Highly
TOTAL WEIGHTED MEAN Satisfied

CXII
 1. Mt.387 is well
kept and
restored
because it is
evidently
taken care of
and 3.70 Strongly
maintained in Agree Highly Satisfied
order.
TANGIBLES

3. There is clear
and helpful
directional 3.60 Strongly
signage around Agree Highly Satisfied
Mt.387.

4. Mt.387 is
uncrowded 3.50 Strongly
and unspoiled. Agree Highly Satisfied

5. The staff of
Mt.387 are
presentable
and can be
easily
identified
because of
their grooming 3.51 Strongly Highly Satisfied
and distinct Agree
uniform.

CXIII
 6. Mt.387 is 3.44 Strongly
evidently clean Agree Highly Satisfied
and sanitize.

TOTAL WEIGHTED MEAN 3.55 Strongly

Agree Highly Satisfied

CXIV
 1. The entrance 3.66 Strongly Highly
fee in Mt.387 is Agree Satisfied
affordable.
PRICE

2. The pricing of
services
provided in 3.55 Strongly Highly
Mt.387 is Agree Satisfied
acceptable.

3. Mt.387 offers
value for money
as the site
meets the 3.64 Strongly Highly
expectations of Agree Satisfied
tourists.

TOTAL WEIGHTED MEAN 3.62 Strongly Highly

Agree Satisfied

1. There are
available
brochures in
Mt.387 for the 3.00
guidance of Agree Satisfied
the tourists.
COMMUNICATIONS

CXV
2. The
information
offered is
sufficiently
detailed and 3.33 Strongly Highly
available for Agree Satisfied
all to enjoy.

3. The
information
about
restrictions
and limited
behaviors in
Mt.387 are
provided Strongly Highly
through 3.47 Agree Satisfied
signages.

4. There are
guides in
order to
obtain
relevant
explanations
about the
MTt.387 and
safety
reminders in 3.39 Strongly Highly
some Agree Satisfied
activities.

CXVI
 TOTAL WEIGHTED MEAN 3.30 Strongly Highly
Agree Satisfied

1. The tourists
feel safe and
secure every
time they visit
Mt.387.The
police station is
located near
the Mt.387 in 3.54 Strongly Highly
case of security Agree Satisfied
threats.
ASSURANCE

2. The police
station is
located near
the Mt.387 in 3.24 Strongly Highly
case of security Agree Satisfied
threats.

3. There is enough
parking space 3.49
available in Agree Satisfied
Mt.387.

CXVII
 4. The hospital is
located near
the Mt.387 in
case of 3.19 Strongly Highly
emergency and Agree Satisfied
accidents.

5. Health and
safety protocols
especially for
COVID19 are
monitored and 3.39
implemented. Agree Satisfied

TOTAL WEIGHTED MEAN 3.37 Strongly Highly

Agree Satisfied

1. Mt.387 provides
attention to the 3.61 Strongly Highly
tourists’ needs.. Agree Satisfied

EMPATHY

CXVIII
 2. The facilities
and equipment
being offered in
Mt.387 are at a 3.52 Strongly Highly
convenient Agree Satisfied
location.

3. There are good

and
comfortable
viewing
facilities
available in
Mt.387 for 3.47 Strongly Highly
tourists to Agree Satisfied
enjoy.

4. Mt.387
considers the
needs of elderly
and disabled
visitors.
3.45 Strongly Highly
Agree Satisfied

TOTAL WEIGHTED MEAN 3.52 Strongly Highly

Agree Satisfied

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 1. There are fauna
and flora in
Mt.387 for the
tourists to
discover or 3.59 Strongly Highly
learn. Agree Satisfied
NATURAL
RESOURCES

2. Mt.387 is a
tranquil (calm)
rest area for
tourists who
need a short
escape from 3.58 Strongly Highly
their daily Agree Satisfied
routine.

3. Mt.387 is a good
venue to gain
new
experiences and
learn more 3.56 Strongly Highly
things through Agree Satisfied
new activities.

4. Mt.387 is free
from air and 3.65 Strongly Highly
noise pollution. Agree Satisfied

CXX
 5. Mt.387 exhibits
the
environment in
its natural
beauty to be
enjoyed by
tourists. 3.64 Strongly Highly
Agree Satisfied

6. The
environment in
Mt.387 is
attractive 3.95 Strongly Highly
because of the Agree Satisfied
nature-based
sceneries.

TOTAL WEIGHTED MEAN 3.66 Strongly Highly

Agree Satisfied

PART IV. Challenges Encountered by the tourists in Mt.387

CXXI
 ITEMS FREQUENCY RANKING

 Encountered 4 15
rude staff which was
uncomfortable for the tourists.

 Lack of public utilities such as comfort 9 11.5

rooms which are non-gender sensitive.

 No direct transportation from the city 8 14

proper to Mt 387 for the tourists to avail.

 Lack of security in case of emergency 26 4

threats.

 Lack of tour guides to accommodate the 9 11.5

tourists in getting there and during their
stay.

CXXII
 There are some amenities and services 22 5
that are inaccessible to tourists.

 Lack of medical facilities and trained 18 7

personnel to respond to the safety and
health concerns of the tourists.

 Accommodation facilities are limited. 33 2

 Lack of nearby shopping centers. 32 3

 Lack of provision of waste disposal 9 11.5

(material recovery facility).

 Lack of information about the tour

package offered.

21 6

CXXIII
  Lack of signal for communication 43 1

 Lack of directional signages, information 9 11.5

boards and guides on how to get to the
site.

 Lack of evacuation plan and facilities in 12 9

case of emergencies.

 Insufficient implementation of health and 17 8

safety requirements.

 Others, please specify: __________________

SOP 4:Significant Difference Between The Demographic Profile Of Respondents (Sex)

And Their Satisfaction In Mt.387

SEX T-STAT T-CRITICAL VERBAL DECISION

INTERPRETATION

CXXIV
 -0.366 0.715 Not Significant Accept Null
Responsivenes Hypothesis
s

-0.338 0.736 Not Significant Accept Null

Hypothesis
Tangibles

2.014 0.046 Significant Reject Null

Hypothesis
Price

3.174 0.002 Significant Reject Null

Communicatio Hypothesis
n

2.850 0.005 Significant Reject Null

Hypothesis
Assurance

2.186 0.031 Significant Reject Null

Hypothesis
Empathy

0.940 0.349 Not Significant Accept Null

Natural Hypothesis
Resources

SOP 4:Significant Difference Between The Demographic Profile Of Respondents

(Type Of Tourist) And Their Satisfaction In Mt.387

VERBAL

NUMBER OF VISITS P-VALUE INTERPRETATION DECISION

0.153 Not Significant Accept Null

Responsiveness Hypothesis

CXXV
 0.016 Significant Reject Null
Tangibles Hypothesis

0.061 Not Significant Accept Null

Price Hypothesis

0.917 Not Significant Accept Null

Communication Hypothesis

0.876 Not Significant Accept Null

Assurance Hypothesis

0.405 Not Significant Accept Null

Empathy Hypothesis

0.045 Significant Reject Null

Natural Resources Hypothesis

SOP 5:Significant Relationship Between The Demographic Profile Of Respondents

(Number Of Visits) And Their Satisfaction In Mt.387

VERBAL

NUMBER OF VISITS P-VALUE INTERPRETATION DECISION

CXXVI
 0.153 Not Significant Accept Null
Responsiveness Hypothesis

0.016 Significant Reject Null

Tangibles Hypothesis

0.061 Not Significant Accept Null

Price Hypothesis

0.917 Not Significant Accept Null

Communication Hypothesis

0.876 Not Significant Accept Null

Assurance Hypothesis

0.405 Not Significant Accept Null

Empathy Hypothesis

0.045 Significant Reject Null

Natural Resources Hypothesis

APPENDIX D
DOCUMENTATION

The researchers during the data gathering in Mt.387, Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan, Nueva
Ecija.

CXXVII
CXXVIII
CXXIX
 APPENDIX E
CERTIFICATION

October 10, 2022

Puncan, Carranglan, Nueva Ecija

Mr. Roy Manuzon,
Chairperson of KAPUNCAN

Dear Sir,
Good day!
We, the students of Phinma Araullo University Main Campus with the course Bachelor of
Science in Tourism Management are conducting a study entitled Nueva Ecija, A Gateway

CXXX
 to the Mountains: An Assessment of Tourists' Satisfaction in Mt.387, Brgy. Puncan,
Carranglan, Nueva Ecija. The study aims to develop possible marketing and improvement
plans for different tourist destinations.
In accordance with all this, may we kindly ask for your cooperation in obtaining the
following important data that we require to conduct our study.

1. Average monthly tourists/visitors per destination.

2. List of tourists in the logbook for the year 2022 from January to December
2022.
We respectfully ask for your help and support in making this idea a reality. Rest assured
that the information you provide will be utilized only for education purposes and will be
kept confidential. Thank you!

We are looking forward to your positive response.

Sincerely,

Nolasco, Nicole Adrian G.

Research Adviser
APPENDIX F

WORK PLAN/ACTIVITY SCHEDULE (GANTT CHART)

SCHEDULE TIME
TOPICS

CXXXI
 July Jul July Jul Aug Au Au Feb Ma Ma Mar April
12- y 22- y ust gu gus 4- rch rch ch 1-11,
15, 17- 26, 27- 10- st t 26, 4- 11- 21- 2023
202 20, 202 30, 20, 21- 27- 202 10, 20, 30,
2 20 2 20 202 25, Sep 3 20 20 202
22 22 2 20 30, 23 23 3
22 20
22

Nature and Purpose of Business

Research

Ethics in Research and the

Research Proposal

The Research Problem and

objectives with consultation

Review Related Literature and

Studies

The Research Design

CXXXII
Capabilities of a Good Research
Instrument with Consultation
(Title Approval)

Sampling Design and

Measurement

Data Collection and Techniques

Presentation and Analysis and

Interpretation of Data

Data Preperation and Analysis

Statistical and Analysis and

Data- Statistical Test in
Research

Writing the Summary,

Conclusion and
Recommendation

Mock Defense and Consultation

CXXXIII
Proposal Defense

Revised Proposal Submission

Researcher’s Profile

Name: Kaye Thirdie L. Dionisio

Age: 21 years old

Course: Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management

CXXXIV
Address: Purok #2, Brgy. Umangan Aliaga Nueva Ecija

Kaye Thirdie L. Dionisio is 21 years old, A 3rd year college student taking

Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management under the College of Management and

Accountancy (CMA) at PHINMA Araullo University, Cabanatuan City. She is a NC

III holder in Events Management Services, NC II holder in Tourism Promotion

Services and completed a training in Hotel Immersion in Microtel by Wyndham

Cabanatuan.

She decide to follow her dream of being a Flight Attendant as she grow older

and started to wonder what it would be like to work as one, she started to develop and

spread her wings to encounter experience a variety of things throughout her

perseverance. she works hard and wisely, particularly when making decisions, she is

also eager to learn new abilities that will help her progress towards her goals. As a

student was not easy, she faced some academic challenges, but she was able to

overcome them with the help and support of her family and friends As she grow older

she found her new kills and like to learn more about things that she didn’t do as a kid.

Her Friends like her so much because of her personality.

Name : Eula Mae A. Dela Rosa

Age: 21 years old
Course: Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management
Address: Sto. Domingo , Nueva Ecija

CXXXV
Eula Mae A. Dela Rosa is a Phinma Araullo University third-year student pursuing a

Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management.

As life passes by so fast, she has reached her twenty-first year, and it has been quite a blast

as she has her best memories and some achievements in life. She was quite a dedicated

student who never stops trying and doing as well as she can to survive life. During her

elementary school days, life was quite tough for her, yet she bravely finished school and

proudly graduated after all these quite harsh experiences. During her secondary school life,

she actively participated in several seminars in her school as well as academic and non-

academic activities inside and outside her school. Those moments build her self-confidence

and socialization skills, even though they are quite hard for her because she is quite afraid

of public speaking. She really did her best and bravely graduated from senior high school.

What makes her parents proud is that she decided to continue pursuing a college degree. In

her first and second year of college, life gets tougher as she meets several people who are

quite harsh to her, yet she bravely faces all the struggles and is currently pursuing her

dream to become a flight attendant in her third year of fighting for her dreams.

Achievements aren't defined only by awards ("honors, medals, certifications, etc.") but also

by how bravely you face the challenges in life and how you never stop, not until you see

yourself as capable. Those achievements are worth fighting for and being proud of

Name: Angelica Eustaqio

CXXXVI
Age: 23
Course: Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management
Address: Purok 3 Bertese, Quezon, Nueva Ecija

Angelica Eustaquio is a third year college student at PHINMA Araullo University taking

Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management. Ever since childhood, she already knew she

wanted to be in Tourism and Hospitality industry.

She attended elementary at Tomas Joson Elementary School and graduated junior

high school in Eduardo L. Joson Memorial High School and senior high school in Solomon's

Excellence Academy Inc.

Recently, she attended TESDA training, and she was one of the scholars who took

two distinct fields and is now a National Certificate Holder. The first was Events

Management Services NCIII, followed by Tourism Promotion Services NCII.

Name: Dionisio V. Gantong

Age: 21
Course: Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management
Address: Mabini, Cabanatuan City Nueva Ecija

CXXXVII
Dionisio V. Gantong is 20 years old, hailing from Brgy. Mabini, Cabanatuan City Nueva Ecija.

A 3rd year college student taking Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management under the

College of Management and Accountancy (CMA) at PHINMA Araullo University, Cabanatuan

City.

Life has been hard sometimes you know. You don't always get your way about something

that's how the world works. But you can't just give up right. So, try and try until you get

what you dreamed for. I’m not NClll holder also because I didn't pass other words, I’m

incompetent but maybe next time I'd pass.

Name: Grant Kit E Jacinto

Age: 21
Course: Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management
Address: Lourdes, Cabanatuan City Nueva Ecija

CXXXVIII
Grant Kit E. Jacinto is 21 years old, hailing from Brgy. Lourdes, Cabanatuan City Nueva Ecija.

A 3rd year college student taking Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management under the

College of Management and Accountancy (CMA) at PHINMA Araullo University, Cabanatuan

City.

He participates in a school program Called "Stay and Learn" in Microtel by Wyndham,

Cabanatuan City, where he learns the duties and responsibilities of a Housekeeping Officer
and a Front Office. He had taken part in the Tulong Trabaho Scholarship Program (TTSP) by
TESDA, and he is now a National Certificate holder in Event Management NC III in the year
2022. He is dedicated to gaining knowledge and developing new skills to support his
chosen career.

Name: Russell Kian M. Maligaya

Age: 20 years old
Course: Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management

CXXXIX
Address: Purok Interior, Brgy. Daan Sarile Cabanatuan city, Nueva Ecija

Russell Kian M. Maligaya is a third year college student at PHINMA ARAULLO University

taking a Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management. Being able to find his passion in

working in the field of hospitality and tourism industry is what drives him to eagerly work

hard to achieve it.

He's a simple boy whose dreams is to find a decent job in the hospitality and tourism

industry and have a normal happy family. Throughout his school days he was shy and

introverted but it doesn't mean that he was not active at school and he really cares about

his school works, he participate to a lot of activities including sports, fairs, etc. He later

gained he's confidence and being able to communicate well to people which helps him to

develop his skills and find his interest after he graduated in senior high school.

He attended Tesda training last year and later pass the national assessment and so now he

holds a national certificate in event management NC III.

Name: Angelique S. Mendoza

Age: 22
Course: Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management
Address: Basangan St. San Francisco, San Antonio, Nueva Ecija

CXL
 Angelique S. Mendoza is a 3rd year student at PHINMA Araullo University, studying

for a Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management. Initially, she was studying accountancy

at the same school, reached 2nd year of college in the said course, and decided to shift to

BSTM during pandemic, as her aspiration on becoming a flight attendant dominated.

She graduated elementary at San Francisco Elementary School, a public school in her

hometown, in flying colors. She was first honorable mention back then and was actively

participating in extracurricular activities. She won the district championship in editorial

writing when she was in grade 5 and grade 6. She was also consistently an honor student

during highschool. She joined Filipino Radio Broadcasting from her grade 7 to grade 9 years

at San Francisco National High School, where she won as the best female anchor in 2016,

and their team reached the regional level. Angelique graduated Junior High School at

Nueva Ecija High School and Senior High School at PHINMA-Araullo University.

She has an academic performance, having been an honor student and NCII holder in

Tourism Promotions and NCIII holder in Events Management Services. She has also gained

practical experience through attending “Stay and Learn '' program in Microtel Cabanatuan,

where she learned about front desk and housekeeping. She is very much determined and

motivated in gaining more knowledge and experiences in order to be competitive in the

tourism and hospitality industry.

Name: Jea Pangandian

Age: 21
Course: Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management
Address: Block 5 Lot 4 Cecilia Phase 1, Cabanatuan City, NE.

CXLI
 Jea Pangandian is a third year college student at PHINMA Araullo University taking

Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management. Ever since childhood, she already knew she

wanted to be in Tourism and Hospitality industry.

She attended elementary at Cabanatuan East Central School and graduated junior

high school in and senior high school in PHINMA - Araullo University

Recently, she attended TESDA training, and she was one of the scholars who took

two distinct fields and is now a National Certificate Holder. The first was Events

Management Services NCIII, followed by Tourism Promotion Services NCII.

Name: Rex Jordan C. Rodolfo

Age: 21 years old

Course: Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management

CXLII
Address: 0028, Yakal 1, Bitas, Cabanatuan City NE

Rex Jordan Rodolfo is a third year college student at PHINMA ARAULLO University taking a

Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management. He chose this course because of his passion to

work and enjoy the Hospitality Industry.

He participates in the "Stay and Learn" school program at the Microtel by Wyndham in

Cabanatuan City, where he learns the duties and responsibilities of a Housekeeping Officer

and a Front Office. He is still learning new skill to sharpen himself for the future and

Acquiring Certificate from attending events and participating.

Last year, he participated in a TESDA program and received training for the NCIII Events

Management Service, and he is excited to learn more and earn more National Certificates

from TESDA.

CXLIII