International Journal of Management Sciences and Business Research, July-2023 ISSN (2226-8235) Vol-12, Issue 7

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Impact Factor: 6.049
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.8224265
An Empirical Analysis to Investigate the Influence of 5A’s on the Tourists Satisfaction to
the Celebration of Banatu Festival in the Philippines
Author’s Details:
Dr. Fhrizz S. De Jesus1, Dr. Rasha Amira Subido-Khalil2
1
Asst. Prof 3, Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, Atate Campus
2
Instructor 1, Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, Gabaldon Campus

Abstract
In Cabanatuan City, the most progressive city in Nueva Ecija celebrated their festival every first week of
January with a five-day celebration wrapped around the first ever “Banatu Festival,” which showcased the
history, culture, talent, beauty and creativity of local folks. It is important to determine the satisfaction of
tourists as it is one of the leading factors which assists to deal with the competitiveness of the tourism industry
where the festival arranged. The general objectives of this study are to assess tourist satisfaction and to identify
problems with the 5A's which could have feasible solutions in order to provide a development strategy for the
Philippine Banatu Festival celebrations.This study utilized a descriptive research design with quantitative
approach and with help of ready-made questionnaire in gathering all information to investigate the tourists’
satisfaction using 5A’s on the celebration of Banatu Festival. This study was conducted at Cabanatuan City,
Nueva Ecija, Philippines, where the respondents are identified. The respondents of this study came from the
tourist of Banatu Festival to give the researchers enough data to find out the result. Statistical tools such as
Percentage, Frequency Distribution, and Weighted Mean were used in analyzing the data gathered. Majority of
the respondents were female, the age range of most of the respondents is between 15-24 years old. Most of the
respondents agreed that the accommodation was adequate, safe, and provided the best conditions for the event.
It is recommended to pursue the activities that bring entertainment to the tourist. Moreover, the researchers
recommended to initiate events or activities that suitable for all ages including teenagers and children.
Keywords: 5A’s of Tourism, Satisfaction, Banatu Festival

Introduction
A festival is known to most people as a day of celebration or festivities. s (1987) defines a festival as an
event, a social phenomenon, encountered in virtually all human cultures. The colorful variety and dramatic
intensity of its dynamic choreographic and aesthetic aspects, the signs of deep meaning underlying them, its
historical roots, and the involvement of the ―natives" have always attracted the attention of casual visitors, have
consumed travelers and men of letters alike. Furthermore, Falassi explained that festivals in the social sciences
are simply taken from common language, where the term covers a constellation of very different events, sacred
and profane, private and public, sanctioning tradition and introducing innovation, proposing nostalgic revivals,
providing the expressive means for the survival of the most archaic folk customs, and celebrating the highly
speculative and experimental avant-gardes of the elite fine arts.
Festivals are being held for a variety of causes, since the interest in planning them has grown in recent
years in many locations. From a tourism standpoint, a special event is brief and has a significant influence on
the host region in terms of, for instance. A greater awareness of and a more favorable perception of the city or
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region may result from increased tourism numbers, visitor spending, and publicity. There are many festivals
celebrated throughout the world and the Philippines is no exception. Often, a province, town, or municipality
celebrates a festival in the Philippines. A festival is viewed by the researchers as a means of sharing the history,
identity and values of the place and people to others and the younger generations. A festival is also a way to
attract visitors to come to the province, town or municipality therefore a festival has an impact on the hosting
place. The impact may be good or bad but none the less a festival has an impact. Since festivals are celebrated
throughout the world it is very important to learn, understand, and measure its impacts on the hosting
community.
In Cabanatuan City, the most progressive city in Nueva Ecija celebrated their festival every first week of
January with a five-day celebration wrapped around the first ever ―Banatu Festival,‖ which showcased the
history, culture, talent, beauty and creativity of local folks. This year‘s celebration of the so-called Banatu
Festival 2023 carries the theme ―Bagong Sigla at Pag-Asa ng Isang Lungsod na Nagkakaisa.‖ The activities
include the two-night Sayaw Cabanatuan (Jan. 27 and 28), DepEd Night for the City Schools Division (Jan. 29),
Barangay and SK Night (Jan. 30) celebration of Holy Mass, opening program for Banatu Festival and Ginoong
Tricycle Driver 2023 (Jan. 31), Wellness Check Up by the city health office and Ms. Gay Cabanatuan
Coronation Night (Feb. 1), Pet Day by city veterinary office and Bb. Cabanatuan 2023 Coronation Night (Feb.
2), Longganisa Festival and Araw ng Magsasaka, Zumbang Gabi and Gawad Parangal (Feb. 3). The whole
week of celebration of the festival was enjoyed by the tourist from different places.
Festivals as a part of tourism, it is important to determine the satisfaction of tourists as it is one of the
leading factors which assists to deal with the competitiveness of the tourism industry where the festival
arranged (Meng et al, 2008). When evaluating the tourist satisfaction, a priority should be given to the factor,
Accommodation, Amenities, Attractions, Activities and Accessibility. It is one of the reasons why local tourism
is growing; tourists who experienced these festivals keep coming back to see more. Popular festivals attract
millions of tourists and have become a major source of income for some areas.
Thus, the general objectives of this study are to assess tourist satisfaction and to identify problems with
the 5A's which could have feasible solutions in order to provide a development strategy for the Philippine
Banatu Festival celebrations.
Specifically, the researchers aim to investigate the influence of 5A‘s on the tourists‘ satisfaction to the
celebration of Banatu Festival.
This study aims to answer the following questions:
1. How may the profile of the tourists be described?
2. How may the tourists‘ satisfaction be assessed?
3. What are the problems encountered by the tourists during the celebration of Banatu Festival?
4. What tourism enhancement plan may be proposed to address the problems of the respondents?

Festival
Festivals are instruments for tourism and culture development branding (Palupi et al., 2019 Gusti et al.,
2021; Hastuti, 2005; Balirwa & Waholi, 2019). The festivals are carefully planned to create the appropriate
"first impression" to make a place an acceptable tourist destination (Bulu et al., 2020 ; Soleha et al., 2020).
Some festivals are clone to commemorate events in history (Soleha et al.,2020)or show gratitude‘s for good
harvest ((Valck et al., 2021; Palupi et al., 2019:Bakhtiar et al., 2020). Festivals in the Philippines are celebrated
to boost tourism and attract tourists. In the Philippines, people love big and colorful celebrations that mark their
culture and homage to history, religion, and customs. As the country‘s tourism slogan says, it‘s really ―more fun
in the Philippines‖ tourists from all over the world and even local tourists, travel around the Philippines not just
to experience its beaches and picture sights, but also to catch the country‘s greatest festival that can give new
meaning to merriment, feasting, music, dancing, and colorful parades.
In Nueva Ecija there are numerous festival that are being celebrated. Those Festivals are events, a social
phenomenon, encountered in virtually all human cultures. The colorful variety and dramatic intensity of its
dynamic choreographic and aesthetic aspects, the signs of deep meaning underlying them, its historical roots,

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and the involvement of the o'natives" have always attracted the attention of casual visitors, have consumed
travelers and men of letters alike.
Therefore, festival shows as an expressive way to celebrate glorious heritage, culture, and traditions. They
are meant to rejoice special moments and emotions in our lives with our loved ones. They play as an important
role to add structure to our social lives and connect us with our families and backgrounds. They give us a
distraction from our day to day, exhausting routine of life, and give us some inspiration to remember the
important things and moments in life. Festivals were started to pass the legends, knowledge, and traditions onto
the next generation.
Tourism
Tourism as a product and service-oriented industry, could generate widespread benefits and impacts to the
economy and society. It could contribute to the achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
particularly those concerning poverty alleviation, environmental conservation, and generation of employment
opportunities for women, indigenous communities, and young people. Further, tourism could be a source of
revenue (foreign exchange earnings, tax revenue) to the government and because of its multiplier effect, could
provide opportunities for local economic development (LED). The direct, upstream, and downstream industries
involved in tourism activities have the potential for creating sectorial linkages and economic opportunities in
the localities.
Nowadays, tourism is a part of the infrastructure of any country‘s economy the growth and development of
tourism is of great importance. Tourism is one of the most profitable and lucrative industries, which create a
bastion of economical (fiscal growth), private business, society, and human resources, direct and indirect, full-
time, and seasonal employment growth. It continues to grow as a significant industry generating economic
growth and development in the Philippines. Associated with its success is the participation of communities
surrounding tourist destinations.
Tourism plays an important role in establishing a nation like in the Philippines and serves as one of the
state‘s contributors. Lickorish and Jenkins (2007) stated that the government has often played a supporting but
largely background role in the development of tourism, particularly in the developed countries. Further, Rodolfo
(2009) cited as one of tourism‘s benefits is that the achievement of tourism development will heighten their
national identity and sense of unity. According to Said (2008), tourist spots boasts 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.
Hence, Tourism offers great opportunities for emerging economies and developing countries. It creates jobs,
strengthens the local economy, contributes to local infrastructure development, and can help to conserve the
natural environment and cultural assets and traditions, and to reduce poverty and inequality.

Banatu Festival
According to the City Government of Cabanatuan, In the previous years, the Banatu Festival had been a
tradition to call the annual fiesta as "Araw ng Cabanatuan". It had brought a lot of smiles to Cabanatueños but
was never famous nor advertised nationwide.
Through the leadership of Mayor Julius Cesar V. Vergara together with the newly established City
Information and Tourism Office, the committee decided to search for a more suitable name that can be
compared to the Panagbenga of Baguio, Sinulog of Cebu, and Ati-atihan of Kalibo, Aklan - a word that would
truly describe the growth and progress of Cabanatuan throughout the years, a word that will signify the rich
history and prosperous future of the city. Lastly, a name for a festival that will not only bring joy to
Cabanatuaños but rather attract thousands of tourists from around the globe.
The Banatu is a type of vine that grows amidst struggling conditions. It is used as a binding rope for
Baklads, Bunuhan and Palukso.
Just like the Banatu, Cabanatuan started as a small barrio in the town of Gapan. It may have faced a lot of
challenges but through the efforts and "bayanihan" of its people, it has risen to be the center of economy of the
province of Nueva Ecija.

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Cabanatuan has become a sturdy pillar for national growth and advancement, and at present, the people are
striving to be more self-reliant- harnessing all potentials as the city is endowed with considerable natural
resources; its farmlands are rich and productive; the people are imaginative and hardworking; and the
Cabanatueños' spirit had remained firm and strong.
This research study focused on the celebration of Banatu Festival through survey in the participation of
tourists using the 5A's of tourism.

5A's of Tourism
Dickman (1996) stated that Tourist Destination and Tourism Product is required to consist of 5 main
elements or 5As as follows:
1. Attraction is a very important element as it attracts tourist to travel in such places. The tourist attractions can
be classified as religious sites, beaches, mountains, national parks, festivals, or beautiful and unique places.
Generally, the famous tourist attractions must have more than one attraction. For example, Phuket has various
tourist attractions such as beaches, water activities, entertainment places including interesting architecture.
2. Accessibility means the convenience that make the tourists or travelers reach the places rapidly, safely, and
conveniently. The tourist sites must provide the transportation system consisting of transportation routes,
vehicles, and stations. The transport operators have the aim in transporting people and goods to the destinations.
3. Amenity means basic facilities and infrastructures for tourists such as public utilities, electricity, water supply,
telephones, toilets and needed facilities for tourists such as hospitals, banks, post offices, and emergency
services which are important as well.
4. Accommodation: The tourist sites should provide sufficient number of lodgings with the variety in prices and
service provisions suitable for the places. Moreover, the lodges should not be located too far from the tourist
sites.
5. Activity means what the tourists can do in the duration of rest and travel in such places to make the travel and
rest time of the tourists more interesting. The activities should be various and match the demands of the tourists;
for example, activities related to expenditures, marine activities such as scuba diving, swimming, etc.

Materials and Method

Research Design
This study utilized a descriptive research design with quantitative approach and with help of ready-made
questionnaire in gathering all information to investigate the tourists‘ satisfaction using 5A‘s on the celebration of
Banatu Festival. According to Ary (2016) descriptive research portrays the researcher‘s plan to proceed to gain
an understanding for some relevant aspects of the phenomena of interest from an individual, organizational, and
industry-oriented perspective. It includes an accurate profile of persons, events, or situations.

Research Locale
This study was conducted at Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, where the respondents are
identified. The respondents of this study came from the tourist of Banatu Festival to give the researchers enough
data to find out the result.

Respondents of the study

The respondents of this research are the selected tourists who attended the celebration of Banatu Festival
in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija in 2023 Celebration. After gathering the estimated number of tourist attendees
of the said event from the Tourism of Cabanatuan City. With the aid of the Raosoft Sample Size Calculator, the
study's target respondents were determined. This has a 95% confidence level and a 5% margin of error. With a
50% response distribution and a total population of 625, the researchers arrive at 239 responders.

Sample and sampling procedure

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The researchers used purposive sampling to collect the data needed. According to Patton (2015),
purposive sampling is the subject selected because of some characteristics. The respondents of this study are the
selected visitors of Banatu Festival in Cabanatuan City.

Research Instruments
The finding of this study conducted was through an online survey form, with the database can collect
and store data, it also provides statistical software analysis of the findings. Survey research is the most
fundamental tool for all quantitative outcome research methodologies and studies.
Survey questionnaires are a set of questions to accomplish the objectives of the study participants encourage to
complete them over the internet via a google form. The online survey questionnaires constructed in the google
form consisted of three parts. The first part contains the demographic profile of the respondents. The second
part contains the variables that affect the tourists‘ satisfaction using the 5A‘s of tourism which is
accommodation, amenities, attractions, accessibility, and activities and their satisfaction towards the festival.
While the last part is consisting of questions to know the other variable that will affect the results of the study.

Data Gathering Procedure

The research study entitled ―An Empirical Analysis to Investigate the Influence of 5A‘s on the Tourists‘
Satisfaction to the Celebration of Banatu Festival in the Philippines‖ will be conducted by asking for approval
of the school subject teacher of Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, and the permission of the
selected tourist of Banatu Festival which are the respondents of the study. The researchers will use survey
questionnaires and interview as a research tool, which serves as a medium to collect data. This paper formulated
semi-interview questions and survey questions that are depth analysis and focus group discussion to further
describe and explore each variable and the topic.

Data Analysis Techniques

The data collected from the respondents was encoded, tallied, and analyzed. Statistical tools such as
Percentage, Frequency Distribution, and Weighted Mean were used in analyzing the data gathered. The scale
below was employed to interpret the result.

Table #1. Scales for Interpretation

Scale Mean Range Interpretation Description
4 4.00-3.00 Strongly Agree Highly In Favor
3 2.99-2.00 Agree In Favor
2 1.99-1.00 Disagree Highly Not in Favor
1 1.0-0.99 Strongly Disagree Not In Favor

The table shows the factors by the researchers in the interpretation and description of data under the help of
tourists during Banatu Festival. To determine the favorable using a 4-point Likert scale. The purpose of the
researchers is to know the influence of 5A‘s on the tourists‘ satisfaction to the celebration of Banatu Festival in
the Philippines. Aside from the said scale, the researcher used the following statistical tools to classify, tabulate,
and analyze the data in connection with the objectives of the research study:
1. In describing the socio-demographic profile of the respondents, the researchers used frequency and
percentage.
2. To investigate the influence of 5A‘s on the tourists‘ satisfaction with the celebration of Banatu Festival; the
researchers employed a weighted mean and ranking.
3. In describing and analyzing the problems and possible solutions encountered by respondents during the
celebration of Banatu Festival, the data was treated with frequency and percentage.

Results and Discussion

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Profile of the Respondents
1. Percentage Distribution of the respondent’s profile variable
1.1 Percentage of the respondent’s variable in terms of Sex.

Table #2 present the percentage distribution of the respondents in terms of Sex.

Table #2 Sex
Sex Frequency Percentage
Male 87 36%
Female 152 64%
Total 239 100%
The majority of the respondents were Female with the frequency of 152 or 64% of the total respondents. The
results shows that female is more engaged in attending festivals events, it is because female find social
interactions to be more rewarding than male.
According to LaTina Emerson (2019) Females find same-sex social interactions to be more rewarding than
males, and females are more sensitive to the rewarding actions of oxytocin (OT) than males, according to a
research study led by Georgia State University on the brain mechanisms that determine the rewarding properties
of social interactions.
1.2 Percentage Distribution of the respondent’s profile variable in terms of Age.
Table #3 presents the percentage distribution of the respondents in terms of Age.
Table #3. Age
Age Frequency Percentage
15-24 years old 186 78%
25-34 years old 33 14%
35-44 years old 8 3%
45-54 years old 10 4%
55-64 years old 2 1%
Total 239 100%
The distribution of age ranges of the respondents is presented in the table. Most of the respondents range from
the age of fifteen (15) to twenty-four (24) years old. The results indicate that many teens or adolescents are in
the phase of their lives whereas they are going out for entertainment, learning, and socializing with their peers.
As stated by United Nations, there is no universally agreed international definition of the youth age group. For
statistical purposes, however, the United Nations—without prejudice to any other definitions made by Member
States—defines ‗youth‘ as those persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years who's more engaged in going out
with friends for entertainment.
2. Investigate the satisfaction of the tourist on the Celebration of Banatu Festival using the 5A’s
of Tourism.
2.1 Investigating the Tourist Satisfaction of the tourist in terms of Accommodation.
Table #4 Presenting tourist satisfaction in terms of Accommodation.
Verbal
Accommodation Weighted Mean Verbal Interpretation Rank
Description
Enough accommodations around the
3.00 Strongly Agree 1 Highly in favor
destination.
Accommodation prices are
2.8 Agee 2 In favor
affordable.
Facilities in accommodations are in
3.00 Strongly Agree 1 Highly in favor
the best condition.
Accommodation is safe and secure. 3.00 Strongly Agree 1 Highly in favor
Average Weighted Mean 2.95 In favor

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Table #4 shows the overall tourist satisfaction of the respondents in terms of accommodation, it has a weighted
mean of 2.95. The enough, secured, safe, and the best condition of accommodation got the highest weighted
mean of 3.00 as the verbal interpretation of “Strongly agree”. However, the ―accommodation prices are
affordable‖ got the lowest weighted mean of 2.8 and interpreted as “Agree”.
The results convey that the respondents on the day of the celebration are well accommodate by the hotels or
facilities where they stay after the celebration and spent the night. The hotels and facilities meet the needs of the
respondents who need accommodation overnight or longer.
According to Akyeampong (2007) tourist accommodation as an establishment which offers its facilities and
services to individuals or groups. Examples include, but are not limited to hotels, motels,guesthouses, and
company apartments/chalets. However, in its entirety, it can be defined as any facility that provides a
psychological base for tourists or individuals who are temporarily away from their usual place of residence or
work (Mensah et al, 2013). Basically, bedrooms are the primary products that accommodation facilities offer to
their clients. This, notwithstanding, a host of other facilities and services offered for sale include restaurants and
bars(food and beverage), recreational amenities (swimming pools, tennis courts, horse riding), health facilities
(spas) and conference and meeting facilities among others for use by visitors. In modern times,accommodation
facilities place great emphasis on conferencing and meetings as a result of the growth in business tourism.
2.2 Investigating the Tourist Satisfaction of the tourist in terms of Amenities.
Table #5 Presenting tourist satisfaction in terms of Amenities.
Verbal
Amenities Weighted Mean Verbal Interpretation Rank
Description
Proper sanitary facilities in
2.94 Agree 3 In favor
destination.
Ample parking spaces in destination. 2.71 Agee 4 In favor
ATM facilities are available around
2.97 Agree 2 In favor
the destination.
Proper medical treatments and other. 3.10 Strongly Agree 1 Highly in favor
Average Weighted Mean 2.93 In favor

The overall satisfaction of the respondents in amenities has a weighted mean of 2.93. The table shows that
proper medical treatments got the highest weighted mean of 3.10 verbally interpreted as “Strongly Agree”. In
comparison to ―Ample parking spaces in destination‖ got the lowest weighted mean of 2.71 as the verbal
interpretation of ―Agree".
This demonstrate that during the celebration of Banatu Festival, the Local Government Unit (LGU) of
Cabanatuan City prepared and paid attention on giving proper medical service during the celebration if
something unexpected event happens.
One of the most common problems with large-scale events such as festivals is inadequate medical services and
facilities. Without these, attendees won‘t be able to get the aid they need if an emergency arises. It could cause
tragic outcomes. According to Khalid A. (2013), Health care providers need to be aware of the health hazards
that are prone to occur in festivals to be able to manage them effectively. They also need to be aware of the
types of festivals, habits, and traditions done of the majority or minorities residing in their area so that they
expect the potential health problems and ready to deal with them. Health authorities should initiate a targeted
health education program and campaign to alert the people about expected hazards, before each occasion, with
advice and instructions on how to avoid them. The hospitals should be properly staffed and equipped before
each festival and be vigilant for the risk of mass accidents.

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2.3 Investigating the Tourist Satisfaction of the tourist in terms of Attraction.

Table #6 Presenting tourist satisfaction in terms of Attraction.
Attraction Weighted Mean Verbal Interpretation Rank Verbal Description
Natural attraction in destination. 3.12 Strongly Agree 3.5 Highly in favor
Cultural attraction in destination. 3.12 Strongly Agee 3.5 Highly in favor
People who live in destination are
3.18 Strongly Agree 2 Highly in favor
warm welcoming.
Variety of food and beverages in
3.28 Strongly Agree 1 Highly in favor
destination.
Average Weighted Mean 3.17 Highly in favor

The overall satisfaction of the respondents in attractions is 3.17 verbally interpreted as ―Strongly Agee.‖
Among the items cited, the variety of food and beverages in destination got the highest weighted mean of 3.17
with the verbal interpretation of strongly agree, while cultural and natural attraction in destination both got the
lowest weighted mean of 3.12 verbally interpreted as Strongly Agree.
The results indicates that there are variety of food and beverage that the respondents can choose from during the
celebration of Banatu Festival. The said event location has a diversity of food offered by the locals that
motivates tourist to visit the destination.
Historically speaking, because food has been a key attraction for travelers, many destinations have tried to offer
special culinary experiences to tourists (Cohen et al., 2004; Tsai et al, 2017). Local food can enhance the image
of a destination because it is a representation of national, regional, and personal identities (Bessière,1998).
Exploring how the use of local foods contributes to the value of tourist food consumption is an important issue,
because it helps to understand tourists‘ perceptions of a destination and to predict their future behaviors (Choe
et al., 2018). Quan et al., 2004 believe that people today are open to the experience of consuming a variety of
foods, which is a factor that inspires their travel plans (Cheng et al, 2015). To promote their local food, tourism
marketers must determine every possible strategy for improving the value of tourists‘ local food consumption
(Choe et al.,)
Investigating the Tourist Satisfaction of the tourist in terms of Accessibility.
Table #7 Presenting tourist satisfaction in terms of Accessibility.
Verbal
Accessibility Weighted Mean Verbal Interpretation Rank
Description
Good road network to reach the
2.80 Agree 3 In favor
destination.
Travelling cost is affordable. 2.67 Agree 4 In favor
Adequate information and documents
about the destination are available. 3.00 Strongly Agree 2 Highly in favor
You can reach the destination
2.57 Strongly Agree 1 Highly in favor
without traffic congestions.
Average Weighted Mean 2.94 In favor
The overall satisfaction of the respondents in terms of accessibility is 2.94 as the verbal description of “In
favor”. Among the cited items, reaching the destination without traffic congestions got the highest weighted
mean of 3.27 verbally interpreted as ―strongly agree‖. In comparison to ―travelling cost is affordable‖ that got
the lowest weighted mean of 2.67 as the verbal interpretation of agree.
The table shows that respondents do not face any difficulties entering the City of Cabanatuan, the tourist sites,
goods, and services are accessible to all people—regardless of age, physical restrictions, or disabilities.

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AlKahtani et al. (2015) define accessibility as the ability of tourists to conveniently reach a destination, and
individual differences among them (e.g., gender, income, and education) may affect the perceptions of
accessibility among tourists and their subsequent travel decisions. Ceccato et al. (2020) demonstrated that
accessibility can be defined in terms of high geographical connectivity among regions as provided by a smooth
travel experience and efficient transport modes, and designs indices based on tourist perceptions of travel time
accessibility.
2.5 Investigating the Tourist Satisfaction of the tourist in terms of Activities.
Table #8 Presenting tourist satisfaction in terms of Activities.
Verbal
Activities Weighted Mean Verbal Interpretation Rank
Description
The activities at the festival are
enjoyable, relaxing, and 3.28 Strongly Agree 1 Highly in favor
entertaining.
All activities at the festival are
3.00 Strongly Agee 4 Highly in favor
suitable for all ages.
The activities at the festival are
worth the time, effort, and money 3.11 Strongly Agree 3 Highly in favor
spent.
All the activities are remarkable
since they show history, cultures, 3.18 Strongly Agree 2 Highly in favor
talent, beauty, and craftmanship.
Average Weighted Mean 3.14 Highly in favor
The total satisfaction of the respondents in terms of activities got average weighted men of 3.14. Among the
cited items ―the activities at the festival are enjoyable, relaxing, and entertaining‖ got the highest weighted
mean of 3.28 verbally interpreted as “Strongly Agree”.
However, ―All activities at the festival are suitable for all ages‖ got the lowest average weighted mean of 3.00
has the interpretation of Strongly Agree. Based on the findings respondents are entertained by the events or
recreational activities offer by the destination.
Festival guests are seeking uniquely authentic, experientially oriented festivals and events with more
meaningful opportunities to participate in activities. They simultaneously seek to satisfy desire for relaxing, and
entertainment in esthetically desirable locations. It is more than merely a tourist attraction since they also assist
in positive image building for a place (Prentice & Andersen, 2003).
The guests who undergo a positive experience tend to become loyal, long-term, and repeated guests (Cole &
Illum, 2006). Festivals also provide a place for tourists to escape from their everyday life, experience
enjoyment, and create extraordinary events that can be appreciated alone or shared with others (Morgan & Xu,
2009).
3. Problems encountered by the respondents.
3.1 Problems encountered in terms of Accommodation.
Table #9. Problems with Accommodation.
Accommodations Frequency Rank Percentage
Not too organized 40 3 16.7%
High cost of hotels 129 1 54%
Limited hotels/rooms to 70 2 29.3
stay
Total 239 100%
Table 9 shows that 54% or 129 of the frequency of the respondents encountered a high cost of the hotel
accommodations. And 70 of the respondents experience limited hotels/ rooms to stay as their problem
encountered on the day of the celebration of Bantu Festival. Moreover, 16.7% of the respondents experience not

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too organized hotels accommodations. A lot of effort has been made in the last decades to reveal, which hotel
attributes guest care about. Due to the high costs that are typically involved with investments in the hotel
industry, it makes a lot of sense to study. Hotels are one of the most energy intensive facilities, with
correspondingly high energy costs. They are ranked among the top five in terms of energy consumption in the
tertiary building sector (Solutions, Citation 2011). During the period up to the date of stay, the room rate may
change, and the room might become unavailable if the hotel sells out. With or without reservation, consumers
sometimes actively seek better room rates during the period before their arrival to the hotel. That means that for
hotel guests, the information search and the evaluation phases could be repeated for the same product (room
night) several times before the date of stay.
3.2 Problems encountered in terms of Amenities.
Table #10. Problems with Amenities.

Amenities Frequency Rank Percentage

Crowded parking 114 1 47.7
spaces
Limited comfort rooms 66 2 27.63
Unclean surroundings 40 3 16.73
ATM machines are far 19 4 7.94
from destinations
Total 239 100%
In
amenities, crowded parking spaces obtain the highest frequency of 114. Limited comfort rooms have 66. While
Unclean surrounding has 40 and ATM machines are far from destinations got the lowest vote of 19. Commuters
in some busy stretches of roads in the city are having a harrowing time due to the ongoing festival rush. Long
traffic snarls and haphazard parking on roadsides are the order of the day. With limited parking space, traffic
congestion is expected to grow as the festival season progresses. Several shopkeepers in major market areas say
that the civic authorities have failed to provide adequate parking facilities, because of which shoppers often
leave without making any purchases. As there is a lack of sufficient parking space in the city, several parts of
the city continue to witness long traffic snarls daily as motorists park their vehicles on roadsides. The road
space gets narrow due to haphazard parking, thereby hindering smooth flow of traffic stated by Khan M. (2017)
3.4 Problems encountered in terms of Attractions.
Table #11. Problems with Attractions.
Attractions Frequency Rank Percentage
Expensive foods 47 3 19.67
Less attractions 132 1 55.23
Crowded environment 60 2 25.10
Total 239 100%
In attractions, less attractions got the highest vote of 132. Crowded environment has 60 while expensive foods
have the lowest vote of 47. According to Jeyamugan (2018). The uniqueness of a place attracts more visitors.
Therefore, if there is a variety of natural and cultural attractions the tourers will attach to visit that place again
and again. Also, the tourist satisfaction increases if the people who live in that destination are warm welcoming
and if there is a variety of food and beverages.
3.5 Problems encountered in terms of Accessibility.
Table #12. Problems with Accessibility.
Accessibility Frequency Rank Percentage
Encountered too much
120 1 50.20
traffic

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Expensive transportation 45 3 18.8
Road is not in proper
74 2 31
condition
Total 239 100%
In accessibility, encountered too much traffic has the higest vote of 120. While road is not in proper condition
got 74 and expensive transportation has the lowest vote of 45. As studied by Eck, R. & Montag, D. (2019),
special events, including sporting events, concerts, historical reenactments, and fairs and festivals, can generate
large volumes of traffic such that congestion and associated problems occur on low-volume roads.
3.6 Problems encountered in terms of Activities.
Table #13. Problems with Activities.

Activities Frequency Rank Percentage

Program start out of time 39 3 16.3
Insufficient space for events 64 2 26.7
Lack of activities that are
136 1 57
suitable for all ages
Total 239 100%

In activities, lack of activities that are suitable for all ages got the highest vote of 136. Insufficient space for
event has 64 while program start out of time has the lowest vote of 39. Age has frequently been recognized as
one of the key attributes and indicators in creating an advertising system. In any case, it has been infrequently
discovered the moderating effects of age on the links between attractions and accessibility as well as tourist
satisfaction.
According to Omar et al. (2015), age did not influence tourists‘ inclination for a specific kind of lodging
for delight travel. Nonetheless, others contended that tourist 's age was probably going to fundamentally impact
on behaviour pattern and satisfaction (Assaker et al., 2015). There may have indirect effects of tourist age in
measuring their satisfaction level (Assaker et al., 2015; Chi, 2011).
4. Summary of the 5A’s of Tourism to the Celebration of Bantu Festival
Table #14. Summary of 5A’s
5A’s of Tourism Total Average Weighted Mean Rank
Accommodation 2.95 3
Amenities 2.93 5
Attractions 3.17 1
Accessibility 2.94 4
Activities 3.14 2

Among the 5A‘s of tourism, Attraction got the highest total average weighted mean of 3.17 and rank 1 of the
5As of tourism. It simply concludes that the tourist attendees of Banatu Festival are satisfied on the Attraction
that they spot in Cabanatuan City during the celebration.
Particularly, variety of food and beverages in the said destination influenced the satisfaction of the
tourist attendees. In Cabanatuan City, there are variety of food and beverage that the respondents can choose
from during the celebration of Banatu Festival. The said event location has a diversity of food, specifically both
street food and Filipino cuisine offered by the locals that motivates tourist to visit the destination. The variation
of refreshment become one of the attractions that Cabanatuan City can offer to its visitors. It has been
recognized that food is a main activity or even an important factor in attracting tourists to a location. The desire
of the travelers to taste and experience the local cuisine of the location become the motivation to visit a
particular tourist destination.

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To conclude, among the 5As of tourism Attraction is the most influential factor on the tourist satisfaction to the
celebration of Banatu Festival in the Cabanatuan City, Philippines.
5. Proposed Tourism Enhancement Plan addressing the problems encountered by tourist.
The researchers used the data gathered to establish an interpretation that might be contributed to the formulation
of the development plan and will serve as a reference for the tourists and the Local Government Unit of
Cabanatuan.
Table 15 is the proposed tourism enhancement plan for the industry. It contains different columns. The 1st
column is the ―Marketing problems‖ which shows the result of the survey from the respondents; 2nd column
refers to the solutions, strategic initiatives , and project that will answer the items on the 1st column, the items
presented on this column were the results of the interview or the data gathered from the respondents; 3rd
column contains objectives of the strategy or the project related to the problems that need to be addressed; 4th
column displays the suggested marketing activities based from the 2nd column; 5th column refers to the budget
needed for the implementation of the activity; column 6 displays the players, agencies involve in the strategy or
the project who are the responsible persons in the implementation of the activities; 7th column refers to the time
frame where the plan should be implemented which refers to the length of the project from the date of its
implementation up to the date it will be completed; lastly, the 8th column refers to the signs or signals or
measures on how the project was successfully implemented.

Table # 19. Proposed Enhancement Plan

5A’s of PROBLEMS SOLUTION OBJECTIV SUGGEST BUDG PERSONS TIME SUCCES
Tourism IN 5A’s OF / E OF THE ED ETARY IN FRAME S
TOURISM INTERVE SOLUTIO MARKETI REQUI CHARGE INDICA
NTION N/ NG REME TOR
INTERVEN ACTIVITY NTS
T ION
Accommo 1.Providing 1.Promoting 1.Expand the 1. The 300,000 Owner of 3-4 1.Monitor
dation adequate alternative range and suggested Pesos Accommod months the
accommodation is accommodati quality of marketing ations occupanc
crucial for any ons, such as accommodati activity is a y rates of
tourism homestays or on social media accommo
destination. ecolodges, options to promotion dation
However, many with much meet campaign facilities
destinations affordable different with the collect
struggle to cost touri purpose of feedback
provide enough compared to st needs and presenting from
accommodation in hotels budgets. the other guests on
an affordable accommodati budget their
price to meet the on. 2. The friendly experienc
satisfaction of the number of accommodati e and
tourist is a hotels in on options satisfactio
challenge. 2.Establishin Cabanatuan include n with the
g more are limited so hotels, accommo
hotels/rooms the owner motels, dation
in the tourist can control lodges, and options.
destination the price of homestays.
accommodati 2.Evaluat
on, building e
more hotels t
can affect the he
control number of
power of rising
already accommo

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established dation
business by option
forcing them t
to lower their o ensure
price to there are
retain and enough
attract new accommo
customers dations
for
tourists.

Amenities 1.The said 1.Developi 1. 1. Investing 100,000 Tourism 1-2 1.Colle

location where the ng and Encourage in right pesos Sites Months ct data
celebration was implement the amenities Owner on the
conducted was ing developme and assessing availab
lack of parking regulations nt of local if these Cabanatuan ility
spaces whereas to ensure businesses amenities are LGU and
tourist find it as a that to provide right for your quality
major problem in amenities amenities tourist by of
terms of meet and their basic
amenities. minimum services to feedbacks. ameniti
quality and tourist. es in
safety tourist
standards. 2. Provide areas
amenities
2. For the that the
tourist to tourist
have needed to
deviance ensure
and to avoid their
the convenien
disorganizat ce and
ion of the security.
event it
recommend
ed to
Provide
enough
space for
parking of
vehicles.

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Attraction 1.The availability 1. 1.Enhance 1. Providing 100,000 Cabanatuan 2-3 Collect
s and quality Developing the cultural a unique pesos LGU months data on
of cultural and attractiveness cultural the
attractions enhancement of the tourist experience number
in the area. culturally of location. for the of
the tourists. visitors
attractions in 2. Increase to each
the location. the number attracti
of quality on and
attractions to their
2.Encouragi the spot and feedbac
ng private preserve the ks.
investment in existing
attraction attractions.
development
through
public
private
relationship.

Accessibil 1. The tourist 1. Giving the 1. Improve 1. Providing 300,000 Cabanatuan 4-5 Collect
ity amidst of their tourist an Transportatio information, pesos LGU months data on
travel to the alternative n options and advice and the
destination route to the infrastructure help to the DPWH number of
encountered too destination to make accessibility tourists
much traffic on and choosing destinations of the using
their way. the right more destination it different
transportatio accessible. can be on modes of
2.Poor n to use. social media transporta
infrastructure and 2. Make platforms. tion to
transportation tourist access the
systems can make 2. Improving attractions destinatio
it difficult for transportatio and facilities n.
tourists to reach n more Monitor
their desired infrastructure accessible to the
destination. and people with condition
connectivity disabilities. and
through maintenan
investment ce of
in roads, and transporta
public tion
transportatio infrastruct
n systems. ure.
Evaluate
the
accessibi
lity of
tourist
attractio
ns and
facilities
to
people
with
disabiliti
es

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Activities 1.Major problems 1.Ensuring 1.Increase 1.Effective 250,000 Cabanatuan 2-3 Collect
encountered by that activities the promotion of pesos LGU months data on
the tourist during and range and the upcoming the
the celebration is attractions quality of activities to number of
the lack of meet activities social media tourists
activities that are satisfaction and platforms participati
suitable for all standards of experiences manage by ng in
ages. the tourist available the LGU different
and are to Cabanatuan. activities
regulated tourists. and
appropriately experienc
. 2.Promote es
cultural and
heritage
activities
to
showcase
the
local culture
and
appropriate
to all ages.

Based on the findings, the researchers were able to present the following recommendations.
In Cabanatuan City where hotels and accommodations are limited, business owners, enterprises and franchise
business offering accommodation should enter the marketplace of Cabatuan City. Potential guest or tourists will
be impacted by the awareness of the hotel brand to visit the location if there are enough and affordable
accommodations around the destination. Moreover, it will attract many travelers as possible.
The next celebration of Banatu Festival, it is recommended to pursue the activities that bring entertainment to
the tourist. Moreover, the researchers recommended to initiate events or activities that suitable for all ages
including teenagers and children. Furthermore, in regard to parking space it is recommended to manage and
allocate a personnel that will control the parking space for the tourist to experience less hassle and prevent
unfortunate events.
In regard to the accessibility of the location, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) should
efficiently maintain the construction of national roads for the access of all Filipinos pursuing economic and
social activities in Cabanatuan City. Therefore, fast transportation and comfortable travel will be achieved by
the tourists.

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