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1 REVISITING DAVAO AS A LIVABLE CITY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY
SAIDAMIN P. BAGOLONG
ABSTRACT Over time, the effect of urbanization has given rise to a number of developments making city a better place to live in. With this, economic growth and social change may lead to people’s understanding of their socio-economic status which is sometimes can be attributed to income, wealth and prestige. This study aimed to revisit Davao as a livable city based on the responses of people’s experiences as well as their understanding on the concept of livability. This study used descriptive-phenomenological design using mixed methods. The respondents were categorized based on their length of stay as well as those who were transient residence and visitors of this city employing content analysis. Findings showed that the awards, distinctions and attributes are valuable assets of the City as these can be a proof that the city is doing its best to attain its goals in improving people’s economic and social conditions. With the leadership qualities of the leader through the Mayor, ordinances and policies are strictly followed and implemented without creating a negative image of his character. Public safety is a must so that quality of life is achieved and people may be assured of their life-satisfaction. Like any other city, satisfaction on the availability of facilities, amenities and visual and aesthetics attractions are necessary in tourism as it is like a crowning glory of the city because it gives people a total experience. Thus, making a city a livable place to live in depends upon the satisfaction of people they get from it. But quality of life still relies on the subjective interpretation and appreciation of people because condition of people is a subjective reality. And to be objective, one must see quality of life or life-satisfaction as normal human and social processes.
Keywords: Public Administration, Livability, Livable City, descriptive-phenomenological study, Davao City, Philippines
INTRODUCTION Over the last few decades, the rapid urbanization has transformed the world's development patterns through a combination of economic growth and social change (Tilaki, et. al., 2014). This economic growth and social change may lead to people’s understanding of their socio-economic status which is attributed to income, wealth and prestige. Over time, the effect of urbanization has given rise to a number of developments making city a better place to live. If we examine how people view city, we may mean a city worth living because of so many things it offers to the people.
Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2520428
2 Perhaps the city most famous for livability-driven economic development is Portland in the United States. It is America’s amenity apex, and a recent study showed it attracts the young by the boatload due to a certain leisure-lifestyle it affords. Making a city livable these days largely means appealing to a select group of folks so as to form an attractive economic place. This notion of livability really came on in the late 1980’s, and was done under the presumption that certain cities offered higher quality of life (Piiparinen, 2012). This is the reason why cities are increasingly expected to provide impetus to the growth and development of their surrounding areas as well as to compete for economic activity with other cities. (Saitluanga, 2014). Livability is defined as a collection of characteristics that explain the attractive elements of a place for people to live and rest. Regarding the concept of livability, the environment is the basic aspect of the community to increase livability as it assembles other aspects of the community and affects people's behavior (Linden, 1996 as cited by Tilaki, 2014). In the Philippines, cities are typically centers of consumption, resource use, and waste. But they are also key growth drivers of regional economies, particularly when a number of cities and municipalities are clustered. Traditionally, our economy has been viewed as mainly agricultural, with much of the business and investment focus on three key cities: Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao (Luz, 2014). Locally, Davao City has been recognized as the most livable city in the Philippines. The city also prides as the 87th fastest growing city in the world by the City Mayors Foundation and 10th Asian City of the Future by the FDI Magazine (Uy, 2013). In the annual survey made by Asiaweek on the 40 Best Cities in Asia, Davao City has unfailingly made it to the Top 20 for four consecutive years from 1996 to 1999. Davao City rated high on the survey of livability in the following categories: 2nd in the least number of criminal cases per 10,000 at 0.8; 5th in lesser vehicles per kilometer of city road at 46 vehicles/km; 6th in the ratio of house price to income at 6.18; 14th in lesser volume of suspended particles in the air at 98g/m³; and 14th in value of state education spending per capita/$ at 410.80 It earned high points for measure when it comes to matters of peace and order, a reasonable standard of
Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2520428
3 living, cleanliness and welfare of its residents. In the same survey in year 1999, Davao garnered 56 points and ranked 18th. Cebu acquired 54 points and ranked 19th while Manila plummeted from a previous 56 points down to 49, moving down from no. 14 to 25. If the independent survey by Asiaweek is the basis for such recognition, clearly Davao sustains its quality of livability as a thriving city and is in fact improving on it (davaotourism website). However, the concept of livability does not only mean measuring all these indicators based on survey. Though, there have been studies quantitatively on the livability of people in city measuring people’s satisfaction on the quality of life based on physical, natural and aesthetics aspects. But the concept of livability may differ relatively on how people perceive quality of life. Feelings and perceptions are something to be subjective while objective uses survey to quantify people’s responses on the indicators of livability. This is the reason why this study was conducted in order to revisit Davao as a livable city through people’s responses on their impression about quality of life or life-satisfaction as settler or transient resident.
THEORETICAL LENS This study is anchored on three major theories related to the concept of happiness or life-satisfaction where one person judges the degree of his/her condition based on the quality of one’s life favorably (Veenhoven, 1984 as cited by Veenhoven, 1995). Theories of happiness or life-satisfaction differ in assumptions about the sources of information used in the evaluation of life. The first theory refers to concept of livability by Veenhoven (1993B) as cited by Veenhoven, (1995). This theory is a subjective appreciation of life which depends in the first place on the objective quality of life; the better the living-conditions in a country, the happier its inhabitants will be. People are presumed to be happy in good living-conditions even if they know that others enjoy even better conditions. The livability of one’s society is the degree to which collective provisions and demands fit with individual needs and capacities. It is closely connected to the idea that there are universal human needs, and it sees human societies as collective
4 arrangements to gratify these needs, and assumes that societies can be more or less effective in that respect (Veenhoven, 1995). Second theory is the comparison by Brickman and Campbell (1971) as cited by Veenhoven (1995), Easterlin (1974) as cited by Veenhoven (1995) and Veenhoven (1991), as cited by Veenhoven (1995), which assumes that the evaluation of life is based on a mental calculus, in which perceptions of life-as-it-is are weighted against standards of how-life-shouldbe. Standards of comparison are presumed to be variable rather than fixed, and to follow perceptions of possibilities. In other words, we would judge life by what we think it can realistically be. What life could possibly be is either inferred from observation of other people, or by our own experiences. Therefore, improvement of living conditions in a country would inevitably involve a raising of standards. Conversely, deterioration of living conditions would lower standards of comparison. Because standards follow success, the difference between standard and reality remains the same in the long run. As a result, subjective appreciation of life would be unrelated to the objective quality of it (Veenhoven, 1995). Lastly is the Folklore Theory by Veenhoven (1993B and 1994) as cited by Veenhoven (1995). This theory does not see happiness as an individual evaluation of life, but as the reflection of a body of widely held notions about life, that is part of the national character. These notions are seen to root in tradition, rather than in current realities of life. Consequently, subjective appreciation of life in a country is expected to be largely unrelated to the present quality of life in that country. Say, if hardship in earlier generations has brought on a pessimistic outlook on life in a country, that outlook may persist for quite some time, and will discourage a positive judgment of life in later generations. As a result a later generation can be largely dissatisfied with life, even if living conditions have in fact become quite favorable (Veenhoven, 1995). Thus, in public administration, happiness is a highly valued goal in social policy. It is generally agreed that we should try to reduce human suffering and make life more satisfying for
5 a greater number. As such, happiness is a current output-indicator of policy success (Veenhoven, 1993A as cited by Veenhoven, 1995).
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY This study aimed to revisit Davao as a livable city based on the responses of people’s experiences as well as their understanding on the concept of livability. This study will also discuss about the city’s awards, distinctions and attributes, Duterte’s leadership on ordinances, public safety, and tourists’ satisfaction. This is delimited on other factors not covered in this study which is quantifiable in nature.
METHODOLOGY This study used descriptive-phenomenological design using mixed methods. The respondents were categorized based on their length of stay as well as those who were transient residence and visitors of this city. They were asked to describe their experiences while they were in Davao City. The researcher examined and synthesized their responses employing content analysis. Also, the researcher provided each of the respondents a code name to keep their identity. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The presentation, analysis and interpretation of data gathered regarding the responses of people’s experiences in Davao city as a livable place to live in was categorized based on the objectives posed earlier.
Awards, Distinctions and Attributes Table 1 presents the summary of the awards, distinctions and attributes of Davao City as one of the indicators considered in this study. As shown, from 1997 to 2005, Davao City has
6 achieved various accolades from different sectors of the society. These awards, distinctions and attributes are proofs of city’s developments. Davao City is one of only three areas in world, after the United States and Canada, to have the Integrated Emergency Response System 911, a fully integrated, computerized response system linking the people of Davao City to the emergency resources of the government. It is patterned after the emergency dispatch system of the U.S. and Canada that enables people in need of emergency assistance to summon necessary aid and emergency services from public safety agencies by simply dialing 911. Davao City also received an award of excellence from the Office of the President as the 1st Runner-up in the Cleanest and Greenest Highly-Urbanized City in the Philippines - Gawad Pangulo sa Kapaligiran Awards 2004, and the 2nd Runner-up for three consecutive years in 2001–2003. It recognizes exemplary commitment, awe-inspiring discipline and unparalleled unity in the cause of healthy environment.
Davao City came out the runaway choice for the coveted spot in the first-ever selection of the Most Child-Friendly City in the Philippines in 1988 and 1999 due to its initiative to pass landmark legislation - the Davao City Children’s Welfare Code of 1994, the first of its kind the entire country, specifically geared towards addressing the rights, services and protection of children, therefore upholding their welfare and interests in high regard. In 2002, Davao City was recognized as the Most Competitive City to Do Business in the Philippines by the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Policy Center and the Department of Trade and Industry in their assessment of Philippine Cities Competitiveness. Davao obtained the highest average competitiveness ratings among metro cities based on the cost of doing business, infrastructure, human resource, linkages, quality of life, local governance, and dynamism of local economy. In 2003, Davao was also chosen 3rd Most Competitive Metro City in the Philippine Cities Competitiveness ranking.
7 Table 1: Summary of Awards, Distinctions and Attributes Received by City of Davao Awards and Distinctions Integrated Emergency Response System 911 Cleanest and Greenest Highly-Urbanized City Most Child-Friendly City Most Competitive City to Do Business
Most Gender-Responsive LGU in the Philippines Peace and Order Council in the Philippines
Best Food Fortification Program
Best City Police Office in the Country
Most Outstanding Local Government Unit Regional Green Banner Awardee
Organization League of Cities in the Philippines Gawad Pangulo sa Kapaligiran Awards Country Program for Children of UNICEF Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Policy Center and the Department of Trade and Industry Galing Pook Awards National Peace and Order Council of the National Police Commission Neophyte on Food Fortification Program (R.A. 8976) of the Department of Health Annual Inspection/Operational Readiness, Security Inspection, Test and Evaluation (AGIORSITE) conducted by the National Headquarters. Department of Education
Year 2003 2001 2003- 2004, 2004 2002
2004 2004
----
1997, 1999, 2002-2003
2005
National Nutrition Council of the Department of Agriculture National Library
2004
Department of Finance Revenue Region No. 19 Department of Finance Revenue Region No. 19 Kalakbay Awards
2003
Most Outstanding Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines and in the Asia Pacific Region
Philippine Business Conference
2005
Most Outstanding KBP Chapter in the Philippines
Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
2004
Most Outstanding City Library in the Philippines st
1 in Overall Tax Payments Top Government Withholding Agent Top Tourist Destination in the Philippines
Cleanest Air in the World - Member of the Clean Cities Coalition
2000
2005 1997
2005
Fruit Basket of the Philippines Most Culturally-Diverse City Most Liberal Political Climate in the Philippines Lowest Crime Rate in the Country Most Prepared Emergency Response System in the Country
Source: http://www.davaotourism.com/home/thedavaolife/viewAll/0&subPage=davaoFacts
8 The Gender Mainstreaming Program of the Davao City Government was chosen as one of the Top 10 Most Outstanding Programs in the Galing Pook Awards in 2004. Davao was also recognized by the National Commission on the Rights For Women (NCRFW) for its good practices on gender and development (GAD), specifically for being the first local government to legislate a Women Development Code and create a permanent Gender and Development (GAD) Office in the City Government, and creating other GAD mechanisms such as the Mindanao Commission for Women, Women Correctional Institute in Mindanao, and measures to address violence against women. The National Peace and Order Council of the National Police Commission placed Davao City in the “Hall of Fame” in 2004 for winning “Best Peace and Order Council” in Region XI for three consecutive years (1999–2002. Davao City was proclaimed “Best City to Implement a Food Fortification Program” in Region XI in the Neophyte on Food Fortification Program (R.A. 8976) of the Department of Health. Davao was also declared as Region XI’s pride for successful implementation of the Food Fortification Program by the Nutrition Division of the City Health Office. It was also chosen as the Best City – The “Melting Pot of the Philippines” - the Food Fortification Program Implementor in Region XI. The Davao City Police Office (DCPO) was recognized as the Best City Police Office nationwide for the years 1997, 1999, and 2002. In 2003, DCPO was adjudged as “Best Police Unit” in the Police Regional Office Category during the Annual Inspection/Operational Readiness, Security Inspection, Test and Evaluation (AGI-ORSITE) conducted by the National Headquarters. Its special desk for women and children was also cited as “Best Women’s and Children’s Protection Desk in the Philippines” for 2003. The Department of Education hailed Davao City as the “Most Outstanding Local Government Unit” in the 2005 Regional Literacy Awards, and “2nd Place in the 2005 National Literacy Awards”, all under the Highly Urbanized City Category.
9 The National Nutrition Council of the Department of Agriculture awarded Davao City the “2004 Regional Green Banner” in recognition of the City Nutrition Committee’s exemplary performance in managing the nutrition program of the city, thereby contributing to the improvement of the nutritional status of its constituents. Davao City received its 14th consecutive award in 2000 for having the country’s Best City Library within the administration of the City Government, making it the “Most Outstanding City Library in the Philippines.” The Department of Finance Revenue Region No. 19 in Davao City recognized the City Government of Davao for its invaluable support and cooperation towards the tax collection endeavor of this revenue region by ranking “1st in the overall Tax Payments” for the year 2002. The Department of Finance, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Revenue Region No. 19, Revenue District No. 113, Davao City recognized the City Government of Davao for its invaluable support and contribution to RDO 113 as the “Top Government Withholding Agent” by making substantial tax payment in 2004 and in the first semester of 2005 - an act of patriotism worthy of recognition and commendation. Davao City was chosen “Destination of the Year” by the Kalakbay Awards in 1997, and two of its tourism amenities, Annie’s Restaurant and Hotel Margarita, were acclaimed with the highest honors as “Restaurant of the Year” and “Hotel of the Year”, respectively. The Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) was bestowed the “Most Outstanding Chamber Award for 2005” during the 31st Philippine Business Conference last October 13, 2005, at the Manila Hotel. The award was handed by no less than Her Excellency, Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Aside from this national recognition, DCCCII also bagged the Most Outstanding Chamber in Mindanao Award for the seventh time. The Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) acknowledged its Davao City local chapter as the “Best KBP Chapter for 2004.” During the 8th National Chapter Leadership Conference last October 8, 2005, at Tagaytay City, the Davao City Chapter was once again
10 given recognition for winning “2nd Place for the Best Local Chapter Report.” Both awards were bagged under the leadership of Mr. Giovanni “Bong” Aportadera. On August 22, 2005, Davao City was launched as the second pilot area of the Clean Cities Program (CCP) implemented by the Sustainable Energy Development Program (SEDP), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The City Government of Davao initiated the formation of the Clean Cities Davao Coalition (CCDC) to focus on and coordinate the plans of the CCP in the local arena. Davao City envisions itself in the future as pollution-free, its people working collectively to protect its environment to ensure that the city’s air is one of the cleanest in the world. In support of this vision, the City Mayor approved Executive Order No. 19, “…declaring August 22-29, 2005, and every third week of August of each year thereafter, as the “Alternative Fuels Week” to promote, develop, and utilize alternative fuels.” The CCDC also launched the Fuels for Life Movement (F4L) as SEDP’s flagship IEC project. The freshest tropical fruits are always ripe for the picking in Davao. Whatever your craving might be - mangoes, watermelons, rambutan or those succulent pomelos - you’ll surely go fruit-crazy with the city’s best-tasting fruits. Orchards, groves, and fruit plantations that extend to unimaginable horizons continually produce the freshest fruits that contribute more income to the city and entice our visitors with mouth-watering treats from Mother Earth. Of course, a trip to Davao would never be complete without tasting the “Fruit of the Gods” or the “King of Fruits”- the exotic Durian. Davao is the most culturally-diverse city in the country, finding chemistry in the fusion of the different cultures and traditions of its numerous ethnic tribes, making it a distinctly unique destination in the Philippines.
Among the ethnic groups found in the City are the Bagobo,
Mandaya, Ata, Manobo, B’laan and Muslim groups.
11 In Davao, there is no one group or idea that dominates over the others. The City is touted to have the most liberal political climate in the Philippines where groups are allowed free speech and the display of sentiments.
With these accolades, one respondent mentioned that: “Davao was awarded the most culture-friendly city in the Philippines. It has diverse culture where many tribes originate here. Davao also was regarded as the melting pot of culture in the Philippines”
Anent to this, another respondent observed that: “We may have excelled but we can never deny the fact that the city needs more jobs in order to suffice the people’s living condition”
According to the study of Tilaki, et. al. (2014), with respect to the new urban planning concepts, a large body of literature concerning the built environment has focused on the relationship among people's behavior and their perceptions with urban land use distribution, public space, and urban spatial patterns (Badoe & Miller, 2000; Hostetler et al., 2003; Lee & Moudon, 2006; Barton, 2009; Wilhelmi & Hayden, 2010; and Joh et al., 2012). Studies have revealed that there are considerable connections between people's behavior and the built environment as well as urban land use (Handy et al., 2002; Lee et al., 2006; and Joh et al., 2012). The built environment is formed based on the people's decisions whilst the people's behaviors are influenced by the built environment, especially in cities. The results of several studies indicated that the distribution of landmark land use (public space, shopping complex, traffic junction, square) and urban connectivity through a transportation network are effective elements for shaping people's lifestyle and their perceptions (Krizek, 2003; Boarnet et al., 2011; and Joh et al., 2012). Thus, people's activities in public spaces largely depend on the connectivity and distribution of land use in cities, in as much as these elements have an effect on people's safety and security.
12
Duterte’s Leadership on Ordinances Leadership has been regarded as one of the most important sets of skills in the modern world. It bridges the gap between the organization's ideal world of vision and reality which it intends to attain (Gupta, 2004 as cited by Laya and Marquez, 2012). In a study conducted by Laya and Marquez (2012) about the epitome of Rodrigo Duterte as Mayor of Davao City, they found out that his political leadership is a combination of multifaceted styles and characteristics as perceived by the Dabawenyos. With this, his leadership style evolves depending on the need of the situation.
One respondent observed that: “What makes Davao City a livable city depends upon the leadership of the Mayor. It is best city to live because it’s clean, there’s garbage segregation and ban on smoking.” Another respondent opined that: “I considered it livable city because of the strong political will of the Mayor to implement laws. Because of his good governance, citizens religiously follow the ordinances and policies implemented.”
Similarly, respondent noticed that: “Because the leaders are people-oriented, governance is one of the many things that define Davao City.This is the city where the government officials have the will to uphold the law. The city where landmark legislations were made. This is the city where people are disciplined. There is no hype in Davao City, Everything is true...”
Thus, we can say that the strong-willed character of Rodrigo R. Duterte made him famous as an "action man" and a "hands on" leader. He is a leader that focuses on goals and results, a leader with the ability to accomplish things, and a leader with personality and charisma. He stands firm with his political principles. He leads by example who makes him
13 highly effective in establishing and sustaining a positive influence to the Dabawenyos (Laya and Marquez, 2012).
Public Safety Presented in Table 2 are the crime and safety indices in Davao City based on perceptions of the visitors on this website (numbeo.com) in the past 3 years. Interpretation of data is based on the value of 0, which is perceived as very low, and the value of 100, as perceived as very high. As manifested, level of crime in Davao City is 21.04 or low which means that crime in this City is considered important for the security of its residence and visitors. Apart from this, results revealed also that people in Davao City do not worry about being insulted or being a subject of a physical attack due to race or religion with very low rates of 18.47 and 12.95 mean respectively. An over-all crime index of 21.91 or low and safety index of 78.09 or high. This goes to show that when crime is low, the safety of people is high. In the recent study conducted by the Ateneo de Davao University Research Center about the city-wide social survey on Davao City today, forty-seven percent of the respondents felt that the crime rate in Davao City has been decreasing, as compared to only 20 percent who felt the same trend in all of Mindanao (Lacorte, 2014). In fact, one of the best features that Davao City has to offer in terms of public safety is their high-tech Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) which was created through Executive Order No. 18 Series of 2012 under the Office of the City Mayor. Its main purpose is specifically to provide protection, security, safety and risk management to the people of Davao City. The PSSCC operates through coordinative approach to address the different issues of safety and security relative to Crime, Terrorism, Security, Traffic, Health and Social Services, Emergency Services, and Disaster Risk Reduction by using information, people, technology, and intelligent solutions. This coordination between, but not limited to, the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), the Task Force Davao (TFD), the Traffic Management Center (TMC), the Central 911, the Davao
14 Table 2: Crime and Safety Indices in Davao City Crime and Safety Indices Mean Interpretation Level of crime 21.04 Low Crime increasing in the past 3 years 21.98 Low Worries home broken and things stolen 27.85 Low Worries being mugged or robbed 24.56 Low Worries car stolen 20.09 Low Worries things from car stolen 22.95 Low Worries attacked 21.68 Low Worries being insulted 18.47 Very Low Worries being subject to a physical attack because of your 12.95 Very Low skin color, ethnic origin or religion Problem people using or dealing drugs 26.30 Low Problem property crimes such as vandalism and theft 27.90 Low Problem violent crimes such as assault and armed robbery 21.09 Low Problem corruption and bribery 26.75 Low Safety walking alone during daylight 85.87 Very High Safety walking alone during night 78.26 High Crime Index 21.91 Low Safety Index 78.09 High Source: http://www.numbeo.com/crime/city_result.jsp?country=Philippines&city=Davao
City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DCDRRMC), the Barangay Officials and other law enforcement agencies, plays a vital role in the operations of the PSSCC in furtherance of the peace and order of the city (davaocity.gov.ph). In this light, safety as a basic human right has been emphasized by developed and developing countries, and the safety and perception of safety are involved in assessing the overall health in communities. Usually, safety covers several aspects of people's lives and activities in communities, such as home, public areas, shopping complexes, and private and public organizations. Hence, the needs for a safe physical environment have been highlighted more in urban areas after the cities grow, with the concomitant increase in urban population, and distance social levels which can influence the sense of the quality of life among many urban visitors and residents (Tilaki, et. al., 2014).
15 One respondent said: “Davao has a low crime rate about less than 1%. A curfew on minors is also observed in the city. All business establishments, in particular bars and discos, are mandated by a city ordinance to refrain from selling alcoholic drinks beyond 2:00 am. Also, motorcycle drivers with no helmets and motorists with defective lights are not allowed to enter or drive in the city. Regular checkpoints in key parts of Davao City and at the city boundaries are conducted 24 hours to ensure the strict implementation of traffic rules.”
One added that: “Davao is the most dangerous city among the criminals. At may kasabihan, "Davao life is here, if you are a criminal, your Life will be no longer here.”
Furthermore: “Davao is indeed a very safe and very peaceful city. Taxi drivers are trustworthy. The place is very dangerous for the criminals, absolutely dangerous for them. If you do bad things in Davao, you will either leave the city horizontally or vertically.”
Based on these observations, one may say that urban public safety has become a primary concern of urban sustainability due to escalated potential loss if urban public safety is severely breached (Yu, et. al., 2014). Consequently, the continuous flow of people in and out of a city poses a longstanding challenge to the property's safety of the people. Given the semipublic nature of the city, it is difficult to distinguish among guests, legitimate visitors, and people who are potential threats. Indeed, maintaining the highest possible standards of safety may stand in conflict with preserving potential negative effects on the people. While the lack of safety standards can be a liability, security that is too strict (or obtrusive) may also ruin people experiences. People may say that they prefer city with high standards of safety, but at the same time they may be irritated when such standards that may cause inconvenience (Enz and Taylor, 2002).
16 Tourists’ Satisfaction Davao is an anchor tourist destination and one of the 7,107 times more islands that make up the Philippine archipelago. It is a natural haven for both sedate and daring pursuits, endowed with variety of picturesque landscapes, fruit plantations and orchid farms coupled with mantle volcano- fed hills and valleys and with its virgin forests nurture rare wildlife. A city that’s bustling yet peaceful, modern yet rustic. Davao City is a place like no other. Offering the best of urban amenities and rural pleasures, it is a place where business and leisure are interchangeable (davaotourism website).
One respondent said: “Davao is not as developed as Cebu or Manila. It doesn't have as many tall buildings or grandiose highway systems. But what makes Davao the best city is its collection of world-class social services and its offering of modern cosmopolitan living for all.”
Another respondent passionately expressed that: “Davao City is probably younger than Cebu or Manila. But like a youthful lady, she whispers you softly with warmth and excitement. She is full of energy and vibrancy and very promising as a young city. Her lovely white-sand beaches is akin to a young woman's skin that dazzles like gems when sun-kissed.”
She added that: “Davao City possesses a very sweet charm that invites a growing number of tourists and investors alike. Her simple laid-back ways of living invites many people from other cosmopolitan cities in north of the country to live and settle, and her growing presence in the country's list of most improved cities provides a gateway for other cities in Mindanao to also flourish and will economically improve.”
Truly, the number of and the amount of revenue from the tourists reveal how vital the role of this industry is in development. The idea is only achievable when tourists and residents have high satisfaction with their quality of life (Tilaki, et. al., 2014). Muller (1996) as cited by Tilaki et. al. (2014) explained that improving the livability also modifies the level of tourist satisfaction. Kruger and Petzer (2008) as cited by Tilaki, et. al. (2014) argued that livability can
17 influence the level of tourist satisfaction based on four different components: satisfaction with travel/tourism services, satisfaction with travel/tourism experiences, satisfaction with leisure life, and satisfaction with life in general. Referring to the aforementioned components, tourism service is a unique component that is objective and tangible, while the other components are subjective such as fear of well-being (Tilaki, et. al., 2014). Hersh (2010) mentioned that tourism is a highly competitive industry, and tourism enterprise sector can no longer compete on the basis of cost alone. Quality of life is, therefore, a key element for the competitiveness of the tourism industry. It is also important for the sustainable tourism development of the industry and for creating and improving jobs. Therefore, promoting quality in tourism and tourist products is a priority in different tourism activities.
CONCLUSION Based on the findings of the study, the researcher concludes that the people of Davao City consider their place as a livable city. Livability may be figured out by people as subjective because quality of life or life-satisfaction can be determined on the City’s growth and development. But still, it relies on how people understand their current condition based on economic, social and political. The people may see awards, distinctions and attributes as valuable assets of the City but at a halt may look at their condition more important than any others. Leadership plays a vital role in the development of a City especially in the implementation of the ordinances or policies. People’s idea of leadership is mostly dependent on the leadership style of the Mayor. With his strong character may mean not just power or influence but authority to stand firm to lead as a good example. To become livable may be equated with public safety, and public safety may also mean assurance of people to achieve quality of life. With the pressing threat of terrorism and violence, livability is at stake. In effect, may also suffer people’s experiences in the city. Life’s satisfaction can also be attributed in their satisfaction on the availability of facilities, amenities and visual and aesthetics attractions.
18 Tourism is not just for the people to see what the city can offer but also an indicator towards attainment of a livable city. Tourism is like a crowning glory of the city as it gives people a total experience. Thus, making a city a livable place to live in still relies on the subjective interpretation and appreciation of people because condition of people is a subjective reality. And to be objective on the basis of quality of life or life-satisfaction can either be quantifiable or not for so long that people see they themselves as contended or happy then it doesn’t matter. Subjective appreciation of one’ economic condition is not directly a subjective appreciation of social condition and even a subjective interpretation on political situation. Standard of living cannot just attain in economic, social and political but can also be through cultural.
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Internet Sources http://www.davaocity.gov.ph/psscc/Home/about.aspx http://www.davaotourism.com/home/thedavaolife/viewAll/0&subPage=davaoFacts http://www.numbeo.com/crime/city_result.jsp?country=Philippines&city=Davao
