Chapter I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Tourism is the act and process of spending time away from home in pursuit of

recreation, relaxation, and pleasure, while making use of the commercial provision of

services. As such, tourism is a product of modern social arrangements, beginning in

Western Europe in the 17th century, although it has antecedents in classical antiquity. It

is distinguished from exploration in that tourists follow a beaten path, benefit from

established systems of provision, and, as befits pleasure-seekers, are generally

insulated from difficulty, danger, and embarrassment.

The Philippines is one of the well-known countries when it comes to tourist

destinations. One of the most blessed country in terms of location, resources, scenery

all in all aspects. The Philippines is an archipelago. Located over the Philippine Trench,

a plate tectonic boundary which forms part of the Ring of Fire. A region closely

associated with volcanic and earthquake activity it lends a heavy influence to volcanic

activity on the island of Luzon such as Mount Pinatubo. It is bounded on the east by the

Pacific Ocean, on the south by the Celebes Sea, and on the west by the South China

Sea, the archipelagic state comprises about 7,107 islands.  Resulting from this situation

are great variations in climate, geography and vegetation. Also, The Philippines

supports a rich and varied flora with close botanical connections to Indonesia and

mainland Southeast Asia.  The diverse flora includes 8,000 species of flowering plants,

1,000 kinds of ferns, and 800 species of orchids. Philippines is also rich in fauna there
are over 150 species of mammals, they are unique and can only be found here in the

Philippines.

As a tourist destination, the Philippines is loaded with the attractions travelers

dream of: lots of sun, gorgeous beaches, world-class scenery, adventure opportunities,

friendly outgoing locals, fascinating history and lots of little-roamed territory. Yet for all

its advantages, the nation of more than 7,000 islands has a big problem attracting

travelers. The biggest reason for low numbers of tourist arrivals is not the infrastructure,

crime, negative reports in the media about the country or even the cost of flying into the

Philippines. The problem is ignorance. The Philippines is lack of advertisement to aware

the travelers about the beauty of the country. The lack of awareness on the Philippines

as a tourist destination is the biggest obstacle in attracting a bigger volume of visitors to

the Philippines.

The Philippines is a beauty and it is waiting to be discovered. The researchers

build an application where it advertised the beauty of the Philippines. A new direction, a

new way of promoting the Philippines. Raising awareness is the motive in this project.

‘PHILCOUNTOUR’ is the name of the application which means Philippine Country

Tourism. This application has all the undiscovered places, beaches, and a world-class

scenery and reliable hotels in the Philippines. Aside from this it also has a game that

advertised the food, culture, and places. This android application is created to promote

the country’s undiscovered places. It is an android application wherein the purpose is to

help the tourist or the locals to choose a place that is not known yet in an easy way. It
 can give some information about the places and the hotels and even the beautiful

scenery of a certain place.

II. Statement of the Problem

This project seeks to find answer the following questions:

1. What is the main purpose of developing PHILCOUNTOUR?

2. How did the proponents design and develop the mobile application?

3. What are the effects of the mobile application to the proponents?

4. How does the android application function?

III. Conceptual Framework

This part shows the input, process and output for the android application

PHILCOUNTOUR.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

1. The purpose of the

application.
2. The method the
1. Coding with the use
proponents design PHILCOUNTOUR:
of unity and C#
and develop the The Key to Discover the
language.
mobile application. Wonders of the
2. Search for the
3. The effects of the Philippines
information needed
mobile application
to the application
to the proponents.
4. The functions of the
android application.
 The paradigm of this project serves as a guide in the process of developing the

android application PHILCOUNTOUR: The Key to Discover the Wonders of the

Philippines.

The first column states the input which are the purpose of the application. The

method the proponents design and develop the mobile application. The effects of the

mobile application to the proponents. And, the functions of the android application.

The second column states the process on how the researchers develop the

application with the use of unity and C# language.

The last column show the output of the first and second box which is the android

application named PHILCOUNTOUR: The Key to Discover the Wonders of the

Philippines.

IV. Scope Delimitation and Limitations of the Study

This part shows the covered content of the application. It also includes the

content that are not within the extent of the android application.

The application focus on building up the tourists in the Philippines. The

application tends to inform the tourists in terms of places, food and culture. The

application aims to encourage every possible tourist to visit the places in the

Philippines. Lastly to inform the whole world that the Philippines is one of the best

tourist destination.

The application does not include an information of the tourist spot’s location if it

has a high record

Figure1. of criminality
A project and on
paradigm if currently under terrorism.
PHILCOUNTOUR: Thetoapplication
The Key contains
Discover the

Wonders of the Philippines

the main address of the tourist spots. The application only has the possible hotels that

you can stay on in that province.

V. Significance of the Problem

The mobile application will benefit the following:

To the tourist, this application can provide a lot of information about the majestic

places that help the tourists to gain more knowledge about the Philippines.

To the hotel, being included in the application that the whole world can access means

a lot of opportunity to gain a huge of guest who is interested in the certain tourist spot in

the Philippines.

To the government, the rapidly increase of tourist will being an increase of profit to

those business and will also increase the governments profit.

To the locals, the increase of tourists will give a lot of job opportunities to those locals

that are near to the tourists spot.

To the country, this application will make the Philippines to be known worldwide as one

of the best tourist destination.

To future researchers, this will give the future researchers’ insight and a basis their

research.
VI. Definition of Terms

This part contains the words used in the project along with their meanings in

general and in the project.

Advertisement. To Cambridge.org (2001), advertisement is a means of communication

with the users of a product or service. To the study advertisement also used for the

tourist to learn trivial things about the Philippines.

Beaches. According to nationalgeographic.org (2012), a beach is a narrowed, gently

sloping strip of land that lies along the edge of an ocean or lake. In the study the beach

is considered as part of tourist spot and one of the asset of the Philippines

Culture. Zimmerman (2017). Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a group of

people encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. In the

study, culture is mainly about the food and fiesta in the specific place only in the

Philippines.

Food. According to American Heritage Dictionary of the English language (2016) food is

any substance containing nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats, which can

be ingested by a living organism and metabolized into energy and body tissue. In the

study, food is not just something to be ingested and a source of nutrients but also

symbolized a certain places especially in the provinces of Philippines.

Hotels. Cambridge Dictionary.org (2018) states that hotel is a building where you pay to

have room to sleep in, and where you can sometimes eat meals. In this application

hotels are considered as tourist destination as it consists of various activities that is

enjoyable not just the scenery.

Tourism. According to go2HR (2018). Tourism is a dynamic and competitive industry

that requires the ability to adapt constantly to customers’ changing needs and desires,

as the customers’ satisfaction, safety and enjoyment are particularly the focus to

tourism business. In the application, tourism means increasing the popularity of tourist

spots in the Philippine country.

 Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND RELATED STUDIES

This chapter includes the ideas, finished thesis, generalization conclusions,

methodologies and others. Those that were included in this chapter helps in

familiarizing information that are relevant and similar to the present study.

Research Literature

This part of the study contains the researchers gathered research studies to

serve as reference materials.

As stated in Philippine Department of Tourism (2018) The PHILIPPINES

stands at the crossroads of the developed western world and the Orient. It lies in the

heart of Southeast Asia, stretching more than 1,840 kilometers. Composed of 7,107

islands, the Philippines is readily accessible to the different capitals of the world. Its

three main islands are Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

As claimed by Chang, et.al (2016) It is argued that tourism planning should be

about planning for residents as well as for visitors. If tourism is to be a positive force in

the lives of local residents, it is contingent upon local response, involvement and

support. Many tourism plans for developing area destinations give inadequate attention

to human resources development. Furthermore, many tourism plans espouse forms of

tourism that do not fit well with existing human resources capabilities so that local

people find it difficult to participate in tourism and, in consequence, benefit less than

might otherwise be the case. Human resources development often focuses on the

employment needs of large international companies, especially in hospitality, to the

neglect of the employment requirements and opportunities in tourism more broadly

conceived. In an attempt to expand perspectives on human resources development in

tourism planning, a policy–industry–locality framework is proposed together with

associated research questions and data requirements.

According to Puhm (2017), Philippines’ rising appeal as a tourist destination is

undeniable. New hotels and hostels continue to pop up in Manila, catering to an influx of

business travelers and backpackers. More and more international tourists arrive at our

sandy shores, with some even deciding to stay permanently. Even at home, local travel

shows explore lesser known destinations which warrant a trip. The World Economic

Forum’s annual Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report shows that developing our

nation’s tourism industry goes beyond effective social media campaigns extolling our

well-known warmth and ability to deal creatively with everyday challenges. In order to

remain viable, the report notes travel and tourism needs to be supported by an

“enabling ecosystem” which includes modern infrastructure in the form of public

transportation and airports, a suitable business environment, safety and security,

government policies advancing tourism, competitive pricing, and of course natural and

cultural resources.

Even though, having a social media campaign is not enough to encourage all of

the travelers in the world. But having an application that advertise exclusively the

country of the Philippines worldwide. An application that can carry to a pocket by

everyone together with their android phones was a lot more high tech and very near to

the tourists, locals and internationals.

Research Studies

Tourism is a key element of the Philippine economy. According to the World

Tourism Organization, its contribution to the Gross National Product averages 8.8

percent. It brings in the much-needed foreign exchange into the country. The Philippine

Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) highlights tourism as a key industry for the

country’s economic development. As such, it is coordinating the private sector’s

initiative and the government program to leapfrog the growth of the tourism industry.

AKI Economic Research and Development (2008).

Other than its significant contribution to the Philippine economy, tourism also has

an impact on social development, which is broad and deep because it is both labor and

capital intensive. It promotes skills and vocational development that can be exported,

and it promotes a ‘culture of tourism’ through a safer and cleaner environment that

benefits not only tourists but the entire community as well. It also promotes and creates

strong peripheral benefits to other economic sectors and society as a whole through: 1)

tourism infrastructure spending, 2) catalyzing entrepreneurship, and 3) improving the

image of the country in international trade and investment. EDP Sciences (2014).

The Philippines has a rich diversity of attractions, yet its performance as an

international tourist destination remains disappointing and appears to be linked to the

country’s history of political instability. Ongoing uncertainty and possible turbulence

ahead associated with a change of government raise questions about future prospects.
An examination of tourism, focusing on obstacles to overcome within the context of

wider conditions, is thus timely and the subject of this paper.

After an opening section which provides background information about the country and

tourism there, critical determinants of the effective functioning and growth of countries

as tourist destinations are identified. Such considerations are then discussed within the

context of the Philippines with particular emphasis on questions of politics and their

consequences. The analysis highlights distinctive qualities of the Philippines.

Henderson (2010).

Land of the sun caressed, Pearl of the Orient seas, our Eden lost! That’s what

Dr. Jose P. Rizal wrote in My Last Farewell about his beloved country, the Philippines.

The country has a total land area of 300,000 square kilometers and these are

distributed in 7,107 islands (of which only 2,500 have names and 450 are inhabited. The

islands abound with white-sand beaches, exotic tropical vegetation, and beautiful lakes

and rivers, wrote the All-Asia Travel guide. What makes the Philippines truly distinct

among other countries is the fact that it has unique places and things that can be found

only in the country. Much less, it is paradise for tourists. As the travel guide, published

by the Far Eastern Economic Review, puts it: The places in the Philippines worth

visiting are so numerous that the tourist can only hope to see a few of them. Tacio

(2018).
Synthesis

This part of the paper represents the comparison of the studies in this research

paper.

The study of AKI Economic Research and Development (2008) and Puhm (2017)

is similar in terms of how tourism affect the economy. AKI Economic and Development

research states that tourism is the key element for the country’s economic development

while Puhm states the effectiveness of social media campaigns in advertising the

tourism. PHILCOUNTOUR relates in both studies in aiming for the growth of the

country’s tourism. The PHILCOUNTOUR relates the most in AKI Economic Research

and Development which consider advertising as a great tool to increase the tourism in

the country which is the main goal of this study. The PHILCOUNTOUR consider

advertising the Philippines tourism through technology unlike the study of Puhm which

only tackles the improvement of the country tourism.

Meanwhile, the study of Tacio (2018) and EDP Sciences (2014) similar when it

comes on providing information about the tourism of the Philippines. The two studies

differs in their content, EDP Science contain the ideas and benefits from country tourism

while the study of Tacio (2018) describes the beauty of the country and provides

information relevant to country tourism. In relation to the PHILCOUNTOUR, just like the

two study its main purpose is to advertise the Philippines to increase the tourism and
increase the popularity of the country. Unlike the two studies, PHILCOUNTOUR is an

application that the main purpose is to advertise not only the majestic scenery of the

tourist destinations but also the culture of the Philippines.

PHILCOUNTOUR: THE KEY TO DISCOVER THE WONDERS OF THE PHILIPPINES

A Project Presented to

The Faculty of STI College Batangas

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for

Inquiries, Investigations and Immersion

By

Andal, Irish Andrei

Aurelio, Chelsea Kyla

Belino, Mark Kevin

Cayabat, Girlie

Comia, Christian Paul

Dimalibot, Judy Ann

Eleda, Louisse Laine

Luna, Mark Loyd

 Pinsan, Nico

Tumambing, Nheil

January 2019

Chapter III

PROPOSED MOBILE GAME

]
LOGO

NAME OF APP

SLIDESHOW

Game Button

SETTINGS

INSTRUCTIONS

BUTTONS
 This is the main menu screen of the proposed android application

PHILCOUNTOUR: The Key to Discover the Wonders of the Philippines. Which contains

the following buttons:

Logo. This is where the logo of the android application is placed.

Name of the App. It is placed in the main menu for the user to see the title of the

application.

Slideshow. This part is used to show the various images of the tourist spot that is

advertise.

Settings. The user can manipulate the functionally of the application that the setting

contains.

Game Button. This is the passage to enter the new activity where the games of the

application were placed.

Instructions. This contains the procedure on how to use the application.

Buttons. The three buttons are used to enter the other activities that contains the

categorize provinces and the tourist destination inside them.

 Chapter IV

PERESENTATION AND DISCUSSION MOBILE APPLICATION SCREENSHOTS

This part includes the screenshot per activity on the researchers’ mobile
application PHILCOUNTOUR

First activity screenshot

Figure 1. Main Menu

This is the main part which consist all of the main function of the application.

Second activity screenshot

 Figure 2. Settings

This contains the part in which the user can change and manipulate some part of
the application. In this part include the sound system.

Third activity screenshot

Figure 3. Instructions

This part contains the instructions on how to manipulate the application. This also
contains the policy of the app.

Fourth activity screenshot

 Figure 4. Games

This part contains the games that is related to the main purpose of the
application. This part includes the culture and food of the Philippines

Fifth activity screenshot

Figure 5. Selection of province

This is a fragmented part that is categorize per province in which is considered

as passage to go to the activity that handle the information of the tourist spot based on
the chosen province.

Sixth activity screenshot

 Figure 6. Tourist spot choices

This part conatain the list of the tourist spot inside the province. In the upper part
of the list will filled with trivia about the Philippines.

Seventh activity screenshot

Figure 7. Tourists Spots

This part consists of tourist spots including their information. This is where the
user can see the address and the description of each places.
 Chapter V

SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This section summarizes the findings of this research effort and provides

suggestions for future research.

Summary

The main objective of this research is to seek for a better way to advertise the

tourist spots in the Philippines.

The main purpose of PHILCOUNTOUR application is to advertise the discovered

and undiscovered tourist spot, specifically in the Philippines. Also, to advertise the

hotels and resorts near to those tourist spots. It was intended to be done using this

application which contains the information of the places.

The application made was designed related to the Philippines itself. A

combination of red, blue, yellow and white color as the Philippine flag is. The application

was built with a programming language C# in Unity and Visual Studio.

Tourist will learn a lot of information about the country. They will discover places,

learn about the Philippines culture and the Filipino food. The things they will learn did

not stop with that, there are also trivia that is included, so the learnings they may have
are endless. PHILCOUNTOUR, the best new way to advertise the tourism of the

Philippines.

This application will help to boost the number foreign tourist and even locals

whose searching for a tourist destination. Having a big number of tourists means a

higher profit for the government. For the hotels and resort nearby means higher

possibility of customer and also means profit. This will help the Philippines to gain

popularity all over the world and attracts more tourists. Along, with the three major

button in the main menu are: Settings, where you can edit some function in the

application such as the music fx; Instructions, where you can see the terms and

policies; Games, that contain two games such as multiple choice and four pics one

word; And music button that contains Filipino songs.

Recommendation

Based on the study’s findings, the following are recommended by the researcher:

1. Allow the user to give information about the undiscovered places they discover while

staying in the Philippines, that is not yet included in the application. In that case the

information in the application will increase and the undiscovered places will be known

by the other tourist.

2. Add a function which allow user how many people have seen the places in the

application. This will help the user to know that they are not the only one searching for a

place.

3. Add a function that can save the places they like to go. The user will be reminded on

the places that get their interest.