CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 1

Chapter I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Transportation is important of the socioeconomic development. Vital in

towns and cities which caters for the movement of people for the different
human activities. Put simply, if we can’t move people from place to place
whether by air, sea, or land we don’t have an industry but Tourism is also
important because it is one of the largest industries that could boost development
in the countryside. According to Kshitiz Thakur (2015) Tourism contributes
towards complete growth and development of a country: one, by bringing
numerous economic value & benefits; and, second, helping in build country's
brand value, image & identity.

In cities of developed nations, a good transportation mix generally exists,

that is, the presence of non-motorized and private motor vehicles and a good
range public transportation system notably buses in different sizes as well as
choices in trains and monorails. On the other hand, especially with that of
public transportation, the opposite seems to be happening in most cities of
developing countries, particularly in Southeast Asia. The lack of common or
traditional forms of a public transport network and infrastructure such as mass
public transportation is usually substituted with other innovative modes of public
transportation.

The case of the Philippines in Southeast Asia is not an exception. Aside

from the usual buses and taxis, it is a country where all modes of imaginable
means of motorized public transport seem to ply the roads as exemplified by the
presence of jeepneys, multi-cabs, mega-taxis and the three wheeled vehicle
"tricycles."

Tricycle is the most popular and the main service of transportation here
in Tuguegarao City. Due to growing demand and population growth, the numbers
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 2

of tricycles have been increased. The resident, passenger, and tourist of

Tuguegarao City experiencing tricycle driver ask them to pay capacity. One of
the main problem is that the tricycle drivers are over charging the commuters.

Another problem passenger and tourist might encounter here in Tuguegarao

City is traffic, and the tricycle drivers are the one causing this traffic. We cannot
discount the fact that tourist will have negative connotations on transportation.
There are many kind of tourist and passenger are friendly or rude, so that’s
why our tricycle drivers should be aware of this manner.

The purpose why we came up with this research is to let out readers be
aware of what tourist and other passenger think about of our tricycle drivers
and researchers also desired to how tricycle drivers are as the main factors why
we have tourist here in Tuguegarao City.

Tuguegarao City is the most populated place in Region 2 with the total
population of 153,102 as of 2015. With this growing population , there should be
a better plan for the future. Tuguegarao City has the smallest land area
compared to other cities. All government agencies are located at Carig Regional
Center. People from Isabela, Batanes, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino are going to
Tuguegarao City. People are coming here and Carig is very far. If you don’t
know the streets, places and exact fair rate, tricycle drivers will ask you to pay
capacity. One of this main problem is that the tricycle drivers are overcharging
the commuters.

The City of Tuguegarao was called the “City of Capacity”. The tricycle
drivers use the word capacity to collect more than the fare rates and some of
them ask at least 50 pesos for one ride only but some of the tricycle drivers are
still following the fair rate.

Tuguegarao City, a no popular tourist destination is the hottest city in

the Philippines and maybe one of the noisiest cities too because of the use of
its tricycles. Just like any other building country, our city has air and noise
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 3

pollution problem. The pollution is mainly caused because of these poorly

maintained tricycles. And these is one of the factors that tourist doesn’t visit the
place.

Conceptual Framework

1.
1. Profile of the
Profile of the participant
participant
2.
2. Problem encountered by
Problem encountered by
the tricycle
the tricycle drivers.
drivers.
3. Problem
Assesment of the Identified
3. Problem encountern
encountern by by
the tourist and
the tourist and residential
residential perception to the participant
commuters;
commuters; and the effect
and the effect
on it.
on it.
tricycle drivers perception in
Participants and suggestions
Participants and suggestions and tourist by the tricycle drivers and
and recomendations.
and recomendations. selected tourist of
4. Practice Theory explain Tuguegarao City.
how commuters feel while
participant.
commuting.

PRACTICE THEORY

Figure 1. A paradigm showing the framework of the study

This is study supports the practice theory of Schatzki 1996 which explains how
social being/with their diverse motivates and their diverse intensions, make and and
transform the world which they live in.

Shove (2003), seeks to understand the connections between commutingand the

social institutions and material infrastractures that prouduce and sustain them.

The first box includes the profile of the respondents; their perception on
tricycle drivers in Tuguegarao City in terms of services, values and contribution
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 4

to the economy of Tuguegarao City; the problems they encountered with the
tricycle drivers of Tuguegarao City and their suggestions and recommendations to
improve the service of the tricycle drivers in Tuguegarao City. It also contains
the variable “significant difference on the respondents” perception on tricycle
drivers in Tuguegarao City when grouped according to profile variables.

The second box includes the assessment on the perception of the

respondent on the tricycle drivers as perceived by the selected students. In this
phase, the researchers collected data from randomly selected people in
Tuguegarao City.

The third box include the assessment of the respondents’ perception in

tricycle drivers of Tuguegarao City.

In conducting this study, in the end the study focus on the exposure
and activities that can be held in promoting and the perception of the tricycle
drivers. The attitude of the tricycle drivers and its effect in the tourism and
resident commuters of Tuguegarao City need to be studied in order to determine
its prospects for the next year. This study focused on the effect of the attitude
of the tricycle drivers in the tourism and resident commuters of Tuguegarao
City. This study is to determine how it influences the economic growth of
Tuguegarao City. This study well benefit the local government unit which will
give the strategy on how on their going to implement suggestions and
recommendation given by the researchers and participants on the following figure
shows the research paradigm of the study.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to assess the commuting experiences in Tuguegarao City.

Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:

CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 5

1.What is the profile of the respondents in terms of :

1.1 age

1.2 gender

1.3 year and place of residency in the City

2. What are the problems encountered by the tricycle drivers in Tuguegarao

City?

3.What are the problems encountered by the tourist and residential commuter in
Tuguegarao City; and the effect on it ?

4. What are the suggestions and recommendations that can be given to improve
the service of the tricycle drivers of Tuguegarao City?

Significance of the Study

This study may be beneficial to the following:

Passengers. The result of this study will give the passengers information to become
fully aware of the things that tricycle drivers do here in Tuguegarao City.

Tricycle Drivers. To tell whether there is a significant effect in the decreasing number
of tourism that is caused by the number of the tricycle drivers in the city, and to find out
some reasons that have something to do with tricycle drivers.

Researchers. The conduct of the study and its result will be beneficial to the researchers
in realizing and expanding their awareness on the attitude of the tricycle drivers in the
city.

Scope and Limitation

This study will focus on the commuting experiences in Tuguegarao City

and its effects of the people in Tuguegarao City and this study will explain the
experiences of the commuters in Tuguegarao City. This study is based on the
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 6

availability of the participants. The study will be conducted from December 2019
to February 2020. While many were offered the opportunity to participate in the
research study, the results could inevitably be limited to those students and other
individuals who completed and returned the survey. The subjects may also be
their own motivations for participating in the research study. It assumed that all
of the students who partook in the study answered truthfully and without bias.
Several additional limiting factors are present in the study.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined according to their operational use:

Attitude. It refers to the behavior of the tricycle drivers towards the tourists.

Destination. It is the place to which the tricycles is heading.

Pollution. The act of polluting or the state of being polluted by the tricycles.

Profile. It is the characteristics of the participants available in Tuguegarao City which

include age,gender, year and place of residency.

Tourist. Is a person who is travelling.

Transportation. It is the act or way of travelling from one place to another.

Tricycle. A three wheeled vehicle use as the main transportation in Tuguegarao City.
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 7

Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The following studies and literature were accessed and ready by the
researchers to provide them with a better understanding of the concept and
variables which have direct bearing with the present study that will be
conducted.

This portion deals with related literatures and background insights that are relevant to
the study. This review will focus on the presentation of specific variables on the
struggles of the commuting experience of the commuters with regards to their
correspondence, reliability, and availability.

Public transport that is convenient, safe and cheap services that are accessible to
the society are what make the transportation reliable. As a sector that fulfills many
people, the type of public transport vehicles must be operated in compliance with the
road hierarchy, capacity and transportation demand that it served. A reliable public
transportation is believed to reduce the population of private vehicle operators in the
transportation sector. As a result, this would benefit the companies due to reduction of
traffic congestion, reduce fuel wasted, and lessen lost time which will also give benefits
on public health and on the environment. The travelling public has demand for
transport. However, bus services are often not reliable, not pleasant and harmful. It
plays a major role in the provision of public transport (Ab Manaf, L. 2015).

The Psychological Theory, which is used to explain how public attitudes are
formed and impact on the way people behave. It sets out the psychological
model (the theory of planned behavior) that help interpret what people say about
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 8

what they do. The theory of planned behavior is best for explaining conscious
individual behavior where objective, rational factors such as cost and time are
important (Sherwin, Chatterjee, and Jain, 2014) and less good for more
‘automatic’ or habitual behavior’s, where ‘bounded rationality’ (Kahneman, 2003)
limits willingness to re-evaluate an established pattern, or in cases in which
emotions and perceptions are influential in the decision making process (Van Exel
and Rietveld, 2009)

Customer Satisfaction

A study on “Service Supply and Customer Satisfaction in Public

Transportation: The Quality Paradox” was deliberately designed to investigate the
relationship between the objective performance measures of public transport
services and the satisfaction perceived by commuters. Descriptive means of research
was jointly used to collect information and data that completed the study. As a result,
it was found that the lack of correlation between the actual supply of public transport
and the citizens’ overall assessments indicates that the latter are not solely or even
primarily based on the actual conditions of the transport system. Moreover, there might
also be a market effect, as a very small system is likely to be used only by those who are
already enthusiastic about public transport or by those who lack by any real alternatives.
The Related study is similar with the current study since both of it emphasizes on the
public transportations services and satisfaction as perceived by commuters. (Friman and
Fellesson, 2009)

Public transport that is convenient, safe and cheap services that are accessible to the
society are what make the transportation reliable. As a sector that fulfills many people,
the type of public transport vehicles must be operated in compliance with the road
hierarchy, capacity and transportation demand that it served. A reliable public
transportation is believed to reduce the population of private vehicle operators in the
transportation sector. As a result, this would benefit the companies due to reduction of
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 9

traffic congestion, reduce fuel wasted, and lessen lost time which will also give benefits
on public health and on the environment.

Commuters Demand and Provision of Public Transport

The travelling public has demand for transport. However, bus services are often
not reliable, not pleasant and harmful. It plays a major role in the provision of public
transport (Ab Manaf, L. 2015).

Student Satisfaction in Commuting

Aquino et al. (2012) emphasized on university students passenger’s satisfaction

commuting on tricycles in Koronadal City which focuses on drivers’ observance of
speed limit; hygiene and grooming; charging fare; politeness/respect toward passengers;
and familiarity of places. It was revealed that among the indicators, hygiene and
grooming of drivers found not satisfied and it was recommended to the local
government on the said locality to enforced tight rules concerning the matter while the
remaining indicators appeared to be satisfactorily met by the tricycle drivers.

The Behavior and Experience of Commuters and Drivers

Bajado C., Irene E, and Laurilla F.T. (2015) on their study which stressed that
despite some complaints on tricycle drivers, commuters preferred to ride tricycle due to
having a cheap fare, readily available, quiet and friendly environment.

The Commuters Attitude

Empathy. In La Union, the tricycle drivers have given due recognition by the
city government for their honesty in rendering services to the commuters. Moreover, the
government encourage tricycle drivers to sustain and gave extra concern to the
commuters not just only to residents but also to tourists and non-residents as they are
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 10

ambassadors of goodwill and a role model of kindness, obedience and respect (Beleo, T.
2017).

The Reliability of Commuters and Drivers

Reliability. In City of Bohol, the local government spearheaded the resolution of

revocation of tricycle drivers franchise upon accumulation of several traffic violation
and breach of contract of carriage. In fact, the basic responsibility of tricycle for hire is
to transport the passengers safely to their destination. Moreover, extra care is required
from tricycle drivers in conveying commuters as they are entrusted the contract of
carriage without discrimination as provided by transportation and public utility law
(Bohol Chronicle, 2017)

Quality of Services

Summary on services of drivers.Budiono T. (2009) emphasized that in order to

atttract more commuters, public transport must have a high quality of service in order to
satisfy the passenger’s needs.

The Utilization of Public Transport

Moreover, ( Bwisa H.M. & Murambi D.N. 2014 ) stressed that, to level up the
utilization of public transport, the services must be designed and performed in the idea
that satisfy the required services by the commuters. Furthermore, it revealed on his
study that drivers play an important role on the commuters’ satisfaction and
dissatisfaction, and since the drivers are unaware the passengers’ expectations it leads to
the drivers being indifferent. To address the concern, the combination of information
and the drivers is the way to success as the drivers is the main interaction with the
commuters.

A Mode of Transportation
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 11

Similarly, on the study (Godoy, O. 2015) 31 percent of the commuters in Lapa

City had a tricycle ride on daily basis which means that this was the typical mode of
transportation in the locality.

Service Capacity

The basic target of the dimension is to afford more facilities for the current or
potential customers and enhance the services capacity, through personalized or
customized service. (Guga D. & Mudenda C. 2017) describe empathy as the caring,
individualized attention that the firm provides its customers.

Transportation and Routes

On the other hand, the fare of habal-habal cost almost twice than tricycles since it
monopolizes some specific routes (Guillen, M.D. & Ishida H. 2003).

A Characteristics of the Drivers and Transporters

Harr K.K.L. (2008) proposed that service providers should be diligent and
voluntary in helping their customers and in providing timely service. This dimension
demands that the service provider should be more flexible in solving their customers’
problems and requests. Firms even should have a capacity to customize services for
dealing with their customers’ special needs.

Appearance and Disposition of Vehicles Contribute to the Satisfaction of

Customers

Hllabiso G. and Mugozhi F. (2016) revealed that the appearance and disposition
of vehicles contribute to the satisfaction of customers. This view was justified by 89%
of the respondents. This includes the space of the vehicle cannot accommodate their
required number of passengers to board. Another problem is that most of public utility
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 12

drivers are untidy. In addition, being well groomed is imperative in giving comfortable
services to passengers. The absence of tangibles like bus stops with shelters is another
major criticism against this public transport service.

Satisfaction on Commuters Transport Service

Hlabisa G. and Mugozhi F. (2016) in their research on customers’ satisfaction

on commuters’ transport services pointed out those omnibuses public transportation is
not reliable because the conductors are dishonest about their precise destinations
indicated by the high response of 96%.

The Major Problems for Most Respondents

Comparatively on the study of Mammo, F. (2010) is the unfixed time table of

travels is also one of the major problems for most respondents. It means that the first
passenger who board on the vehicle must patiently wait until it is filled up before it will
traverse. As a result, this would delay passengers in getting to their intended
destinations.

Commuters Complaints

Ninety-eight percent of the respondents was revealed in the study of Hlabisa G.

and Mugozhi F. (2016) that drivers, conductors, and operators are unresponsive to the
commuters in attending their complaints. This factor is due to the deficiency of
appropriate approach to do so in handling customers’ complaints. Moreover, no
suggestion boxes and cell numbers of bus operators can be used to address their
complaints. Again, there are no time tables for service delivery for the commuter
omnibuses. The other worth mentioning out coming from this research is that there are
no proper designated service access points for this service sector. Most of the
respondents pointed out that the commuter omnibuses stop everywhere even in the
middle of the road, and in no stopping zones. The other remarkable idea pertaining to
bus stops from the field is that these commuter omnibuses change the customer service
access points very frequently to the inconvenience of their clients. The research findings
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 13

also noted that these commuter omnibuses always shift their customer access points for
several reasons which include competing to get commuters.

Empathy of Drivers Towards their Customer

Another concept came out from the research of Hlabiso G. and Mugozhi F.
(2016) that 95% of the respondents’ complaint is about the least empathy of drivers
towards their customers. In fact, they are courteous to passengers before getting into
their vehicles, however, they become ill-mannered towards passengers when they are
inside and have bought tickets. Also, they do not commiserate when passenger’s
property is lost. With that, they do not pay for it. In fact, on their ticket there is a
disclaimer to that effect. Additionally, the lack of empathy is also manifested when a
commuter forgot to collect his change, they eventually do not mind returning it to their
passenger voluntarily. Sometimes, the conductors of these commuter omnibuses use
subliminal strategies to hood wink their customers in telling them a lower bus fare
figure when one is not yet in the bus and only to be told a higher bus fare figure when
the commuter omnibus is already in transit and when is now problematic for a
passenger to then disembark.

Customers’ Satisfaction and Commuters’ Transport

Furthermore, a research on customers satisfaction and commuter transport in

Southern Africa revealed that 93% of the commuters comparing to only 7% indicated
that many of the drivers in several ways, do not instill assurance in their customers. The
commuter omnibus crew members in most cases do not have the required skills to
perform the required customer service and as such, it is no wonder why very often they
are rude to their customers. The main fact for this impropriety was that most of drivers
as well as conductors are not trained on customer care issues. Besides, some of the
drivers do not have the right driver’s license to operate the vehicles and fleeing at high
speed from the manning road blocks of police because of inhibition. In this same light,
the research exposes that faulty vehicles also push the drivers to use dangerous and
illegal routes to elude the police. The other lack of assurance finding of this research is
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 14

that the drivers pass through red robots as well as driving in the wrong lane and all these
put into imperil the life of the passengers (Hlabiso G. & Mugozhi, F. 2016)

Factor on Customer Satisfaction is the Reliability of the Service

Likewise, Horus E.N. and Yeboah S.T. (2015) in their study on minicab taxi
services in Ghana also revealed that the second highest influencing factor on customer
satisfaction is the reliability of the service. This implied that readily availability of
vehicles at the stations, timely arrival of vehicles, timely arrivals at destination and
notification of delays were measured by commuters. The finding of the research shows
that commuters placed much importance on on-time pledged services and arriving on
destination on the reasonable time frame.

Provision of reliable service

Reliability is an important element of service quality, which determines the level

of passengers’ satisfaction as specified by Iles C. (2005) in his research in London.
Provision of reliable service enables service providers to retain passengers for a long
period. Passengers may be lost and may not be regained if the service is unreliable.
Those passengers who use urban transportation services are increasingly sensitive to
waiting time and they are more satisfied with scheduled service, which habitually
operates exactly according to scheduled departure and arrival times by operating at the
appropriate frequency.

Passengers Favor and Disfavor

Kimwetich C.J. (2012) on his study states that 87 percent of the motorcycles
operators have not given safety tools to the passengers. Thus, 96 percent of the
passenger’s disfavor motorcycles for not abiding traffic rules and regulation that cause
accidents. The remaining more than 4 percent are unhappy with the rude behavior of
motorcycle drivers.
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 15

The Lack of Assurance and Poor Driving Skills

In Pakistan, a study conducted by Khurshid S. et. al (2012) disclosed that poor

customer care is felt by commuters due to poor driving skills of omnibuses drivers
which are regarded as lack of assurance. One of the reasons behind hapless accidents is
the driving manner of the driver. They tend to overtake other vehicles in competing for
customers. Their research also divulged that drivers drive recklessly in desire to board
more and more passengers that would cause a feeling of danger on commuters while on
travel.

The Major mode of Transportation and Destination of each Vehicles

Martinez R. (2013) which states that, in City of Mati, tricycles and habal-habals
are the major mode of transportation which able to travel at any destination within the
locality.

Service Quality and the Characteristics of the Drivers

Mushi, L. (2013) on his study on public transportation proved that this service
quality dimension has the most significant effect comparing to responsiveness and
assurance. He stated that passengers came up with views on some few areas of interest
under this dimension. Physical appearance of drivers is another area which boosted
much the overall satisfaction of passengers.

Willingness to Help Customers

Mushi, L. (2013) states that the willingness to help customers is one of the
statements regarding the responsiveness dimension which happen to be among the most
significant factors influencing customer satisfaction. This statement was rated very low
in the questionnaires results.
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 16

In addition, his study revealed that passengers find it difficult for them to obtain
the reliable information regarding the transport service provided by Dar Express prior to
travel since company does not use user-friendly printed material such area-based
timetables, posters and brochures.

Para Transit

Assurance. Nakamura, F., Okamura, E., and Tanphaisankun, G. (2009) stressed

that para transit would likely suffice the commuters need in terms of mobility.
Unfortunately, the quality of services does not satisfy the commuters though it was
acceptable. This dissatisfaction started from unsafe, uncomfortable, inconvenient and
unreliable serves delivered. Despite, commuters still willing to utilize para transit
services.

Problems Encountered by Tricycle Drivers

Responsiveness. Olea, R. (2016) states that problems encountered by tricycle

drivers is not simple, instead of being disrespectful to the commuters, they just have
their patience and they just let it go without any hesitation.

Fare Matrix

Moreover, in the study of (Rahman, A.R. 2012) states that few tricycles are
moving around due to its mountainous land area. Although fare matrix is regulated by
the local government unit (LGU) in km rate basis, the tricycle drivers in the area are
demanding fare price depending on the frequency of commuters. A commuter will pay
higher if he is the only one inside the tricycle.

Accessible Plain Topography

Since tricycles can only be accessible on plain topography, motorcycle or

natively known as “habal-habal” is the only reachable transportation on the hilly areas
of the island. However, habal-habal fares demand higher price than any other modes of
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 17

transportation. Motorcycle drivers in the island demand their price depending on the
destination of the commuter.

The Build up of Characteristic

Verasamy S. et. al (2013) identifies assurance as knowledge and courtesy and

the ability of the service providers and its people to build trust and confidence.
Competence, courtesy, credibility and security are four determinants of this dimension.

The Tangibility of the Service Providers

Tangibility. Tangibles are the appearance of physical facilities, equipment, and

personnel of service providers (April, J. 2001). Since the tangible and visual elements of
the site will be critical to efficiency as well as to overall perceptions of the firm and the
brand, service providers are likely to use tangibles to enhance their image and convey
quality service to customers. Most providers also combine tangibles with another
dimension to create a service quality strategy for the firm (Zeithaml et al., 2006).

The Quality Paradox

A study on “Service Supply and Customer Satisfaction in Public Transportation”

was deliberately designed to investigate the relationship between the objective
performance measures of public transport services and the satisfaction and commuting
experiences perceived by commuters. Descriptive means of research was jointly used to
collect information and data that completed the study. As a result, it was found that the
lack of correlation between the actual supply of public transport and the citizens’
overall assessments indicates that the latter are not solely or even primarily based on the
actual conditions of the transport system. Moreover, there might also be a market effect,
as a very small system is likely to be used only by those who are already enthusiastic
about public transport or by those who lack by any real alternatives. The Related study
is similar with the current study since both of it emphasizes on the public
transportations services and satisfaction as perceived by commuters. (Friman and
Fellesson, 2009)
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 18

Modal choice and Traffic Assignment

Another study on “An Investigation of Commuter Satisfaction and Experience in
the use of Muthurwa a Terminus, Nairobi, Kenya” was designed to investigate if who
are the satisfied commuters. The major objective of the study, they investigate the
commuter satisfaction in the used of Terminus of Muthurwa. The problem investigated
in this research is derived from a directional theoretical hypothesis. “Muthurwa
terminus does not meet commuter travel needs as per the four stage travel process of
trip origin, trip distribution, modal choice and traffic assignment”. It was found in the
study that the commuters in Muthurwa was not satisfied and it is a challenge to them as
a commuter. Descriptive Method was used in this study to gather data and information.
This study is similar with the current since both of it identifies the satisfaction of
Students. (Wagikondi, 2013)
Experience and Satisfaction of the Impact of Public Transportation
Another study on “Examining the Factors that Impact Public Transport
Commuter’s Satisfaction and Experience” was established to find out the level of
stressed caused by commuting into Dublin City Centre and to determine the value
placed on the comfort and reliability of public transport services. Using online survey
methodology, it was found out those respondents who travel on a crowded transport
experience higher levels of commuting stress, due to increased invasion of personal
space and cramped, uncomfortable condition. It further concludes that long wait times
are most likely caused by services not running according to schedule, which, in turn,
induces stress due to lack of reliability and a diminished sense of control. The longer
this wait-time, the more intense these feelings of stress. This study is comparable with
the current study since both of them explored on the satisfaction as to public
transportation. (Cantwell, 2000)

Customer Reference
On the other hand, a study on “A Study of Customer withReference to Tata
Motor Passenger Vehicles” was design to ascertain the customer satisfaction level Tata
motor passenger vehicles. Using exploratory cum descriptive method with 100
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 19

respondents. It found out that the overall study reveals that it was found that the
costumer are mostly satisfied with price, design, safety, mileage, interior space, status
brand name, comport level, spares part and after sale service. In this study concluded
that mostly Tata customers purchased car on loan, used the Tata car for personal
purpose, having the car from 1-5 year and they are recommended by their friends as
well as take preventive maintenance from authorized dealer. In case of level of
customer satisfaction , it was found that the customer are mostly satisfied with price,
design, safety, mileage, interior space, status brand name, comfort level, spares part and
after s because sale service. Finding pertaining to most influencing show that most
influencing factor for customer satisfaction.
Treating Commuters as Resident Students
Despite the increase in numbers, colleges have not adapted their approach or services
to address these changes (Likins, 1986). Dugan et al. (2008) note that colleges continue
to utilize “programs and interventions designed for residential students with commuter
student populations under the assumption that the effect on learning will be equivalent”
(p. 283). The practice of ignoring or misunderstanding the unique needs of the
commuter student “silent majority” (Wilson, 2003) is evident in a series of myths about
commuters identified by Rhatigan (1986). These myths include the belief that
commuters are “less committed to their education” (p. 4), “are less able academically”
(p. 5), and “have no interest in the campus beyond their classes” (p. 5). Despite the lack
of empirical evidence to support these claims, colleges continue to function under these
assumptions (Dugan et al., 2008; Inman & Pascarella, 1997). Nontraditional students
are at risk of feeling unsafe and unwelcome on campus (Griffin et al., 2008; Munoz,
2009; Museus & Quaye, 2009; Pope et al., 2009). Even though the vast majority of
current college students do not fit the mold of a “typical college student,” colleges
continue to base their physical design and services on a mythical concept of universal
student development (Pope et al., 2009) that excludes 12 many of their students. To
compound the problem, instead of examining the defects in their assumptions and the
structures based on those assumptions (McLauren, 2003), colleges continually view
students from non-dominant groups as operating at a deficit (Davies, Safarik, &
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 20

Banning, 2003; Villalpando, 2003) and in need of adjusting to the institution (Strange &
Banning, 2001; Museus, 2008) – as opposed to the institution adjusting to them.

Comparing Commuters to Resident Students

This negative perception is further strengthened by the fact that most of the existing
research is focused on comparing residential and commuter students (Banning &
Hughes, 1986; Dugan et al., 2008; Jacoby, 1989). Chickering (1974) published the first
major study of commuter students, Commuting Versus Resident Students, which has
shaped and reinforced the misperceptions and negative stereotypes of commuters
(Jacoby, 1989) and the myths identified by Rhatigan (1986). Chickering’s view of
commuters as “the have nots” and resident students as “the haves” (p. 49) on the basis
of pre-college characteristics of lower socio-economic status, limited past
achievements, and less educated parents supports the view that commuters are
functioning at a deficit, instead of simply experiencing college from a unique and valid
perspective (Jacoby, 1989).

Fallacy of Assuming Commuter Population Homogeneity

Along with varying degrees of connection to their families and home communities,
commuter students are a highly diverse group, with significant differences according to
living situation, employment status, educational goals, age, enrollment status (full time
versus part time), and other factors (Rhatigan, 1986). Unfortunately NCES does not
gather data that cross-reference living arrangement with employment status, race, age,
sex, or enrollment status (A. D’Amico, personal communication, October 28, 2013),
therefore national data is not available. However, research on commuter students often
emphasizes the population’s diversity (Jacoby, 2000; Kuh, Gonyea, & Palmer, 2001;
Newbold, Mehta, & Forbus, 2011; Ortman, 1995; Rhatigan, 1986). The significance of
this diversity is emphasized by Banning and Hughes (1986), who note that “commuting
students represent the largest and most complex and diverse aggregation of students in
higher education” (p. 23). 15 Unfortunately, there are few studies that acknowledge the
complexity of the commuter student population (Dugan et al., 2008). In one of these
rare studies, Dugan et al. (2008) found significant differences between independent
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 21

(living on their own) commuters and dependent (living with parents) commuters in
relation to their leadership efficacy.

Commuters as Nontraditional Students

(Choy, 2002)The diversity of the commuter student population is related to its

overlap with students deemed “nontraditional.” In the report Nontraditional
Undergraduates,NCES noted that 73% of students in 1999-2000 met one of the
following criteria for nontraditional status: financial independence, part time
enrollment, not attending college directly after high school graduation, full time
employment, single parenthood, claiming dependents, and having a GED (as opposed to
a high school diploma). However, the report goes on to explain that the term
“nontraditional” is imprecise (Choy, 2002). To illustrate this point, a series of articles
on nontraditional students were reviewed (Bean & Metzner, 1985; Christie & Dinham,
1991; Choy, 2002; Gilardi & Guglielmetti, 2011; Gilman et al., 2006; Ogren, 2003; Tan
& Pope, 2005; Taniguchi & Kaufman, 2005; Westbrook & Sedlacek, 1991; Wolfe,
1993; Wyatt, 2011) to get a sense for the variations in definitions. Bean & Metzner
(1985), who are cited by many other researchers (Choy, 2002; Christie & Dinham,
1991; Gilardi & Guglielmetti, 2011; Ogren, 2003; Tan & Pope, 2005; Wolfe, 1993)
identify age, enrollment status, and residence as the three key markers of nontraditional
students. As such, they define a nontraditional student as “older than 24, or does not live
in a campus residence (e.g. is a commuter), or is a part-time student, 16 or some
combination of these three factors” (p. 489). As this definition appears to have the most
agreement amongst researchers, it is the definition utilized in this study. However, it is
important to explore the other aspects of the various definitions to make a point about
the social construction of nontraditional identity and the difficulty of providing
appropriate services for students.

Growing Commuter Populations

(Attewell & Lavin, 2007). Today’s definition of the traditional college student differs
considerably from the past. According to Attewell and Lavin (2007), less than a quarter
of undergraduate students today fit the description of a full-time student entering
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 22

college straight out of 12 high school, living on campus, and not working due to
financial support from home (Attewell & Lavin, 2007). Not only does today’s college
student likely have a job of some sort outside of his or her classes, but a sizeable portion
of the college student population opts to commute to their college or university from a
nearby area (Newbold, Mehta, & Forbus, 2011). The National Clearinghouse for
Commuter Programs (NCCP) and the Council for the Advancement of Standards in
Higher Education (CAS) both define commuter students as those who do not live in
university-owned housing (Jacoby & Garland, 2004). In other words, one whose “home
and campus are not synonymous” (Commuter Students: Myths, Realities, 2006, p. 1).
According to this NCCP definition, commuter students account for over 80% of the
average institution (Commuter Students: Myths, Realities, 2006). Distinctions can be
made between types of commuter students. Commuters who drive to campus tend to
differ in certain areas when compared to their peers who are within walking distance.
Driving commuters are more likely to be older, first-generation, and students of color.
These commuters are also more likely to be working to support family members. This
may also explain the fact that driving commuters have a greater tendency to be part-
time students. The researchers found that the farther away commuters live from campus,
the less likely they are to take advantage of campus opportunities (Kuh, Gonyea, &
Palmer, 2001).

Increasing Commuter Involvement

(Commuter Students: Myths, Realities, 2006). In order to increase the involvement of

this student population, it is first critical to better understand their needs and common
realities. Reliable transportation is important as this stressor can drain both time and
energy from the student that might have otherwise been placed into a campus event or
program. Institutions must also consider the various life roles a commuter student is
often juggling. Commuter students must be strategic when choosing their involvement
due to time commitments elsewhere. These students must feel a sense of belonging if
institutions hope to retain them. Otherwise, these students may view their campus
experience as a series of pit stops on their way towards a degree .18 Commuter students
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 23

do not typically have high expectations for the institution to provide programs and
initiatives focused on their needs (Newbold, Mehta, & Forbus, 2011). Some colleges
and universities have recently developed new initiatives to reach out to this group. For
example, the University of Massachusetts Lowell has created a commuter newsletter,
commuter lounges to give the students a place to connect between classes, and events
such as commuter breakfasts. The university has also sought to foster relationships
between faculty members and nonresident students (Santovec, 2007). Meanwhile,
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania sought to help bridge the gap between residential
and commuter students. Mansfield University set aside a number of rooms in one of its
residence halls for use by commuters when needed with no charge to the student
(Lorenzetti, 2009). These efforts demonstrate potential opportunities and the ability of
commuter students to be brought into the fold of the institution.

Commuter Students

In the early 1970s, research was conducted among students who lived on campus
versus those who lived off campus or at home with their parents. The results of the
studies showed that students living in residence halls were more likely to graduate in
four years than those who commuted to school (Peltier, Laten, & Matranga, 1999).
Researchers have linked higher graduation rates of on-campus, residential students to
their increased abilities to become involved in campus activities and various social and
academic systems, which is more difficult for their commuter counterparts (Pascarella
et al., 1992). Building friendships in college contributes to feelings of success at school,
greater academic achievement, and connections to the institution (Jacoby & Garland,
2005; Skahill, 2003). Commuter students have difficulty building relationships in
college. For example, commuter students may have more responsibilities within their
family structures and often have difficulty developing social connections on campus.
Nonclassroom interactions with faculty and students are important to persistence and
integrate students’ classroom and non-classroom experiences (Johnson, 1997). Social
connections built through interactions with faculty, staff, and peers allow commuter
students to develop other campus roles that will help them succeed and persist to
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 24

graduation. 20 Commuter students’ on-campus social connections can be formed

through participation in co-curricular activities.

Faculty Factors

Kuh, Gonyea, and Palmer (2009) Commuter student engagement with faculty can be
limited used National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) data to understand
student-faculty engagement. Their findings illustrated that students who lived on
campus were more engaged in effective educational practices than commuter students.
27 Commuters had less contact with teachers and did not take advantage of co-
curricular opportunities. Even if faculty actively engage students, not all students feel
comfortable approaching faculty. Longwell-Grice and Longwell-Grice (2008) found
that firstgeneration and working students are often too intimidated to seek faculty
support. The students included in their study felt a lack of attention and distance from
the faculty and were struggling to negotiate both family and institutional expectations.
Helping firstgeneration students understand ways to communicate and use the
classroom as a means to connect with faculty is an important aspect of student retention.
Longwell-Grice and Longwell-Grice’s study also revealed that students who lived
farther away from campus were less likely to take advantage of educational resources
than students who lived close to or on campus. Faculty need to be aware of the different
student populations that register for their courses and learn ways to use their classrooms
to engage commuter students. Understanding commuter students and their educational
goals requires faculty to take many different approaches (human development theory,
motivation theory, needs theory, and transition theory) to understand this specific
student population (Jacoby, 1989). Faculty members can use their instructional
approaches and curriculum materials as learning tools to engage students. Effective
instruction incorporates clear and organized teaching that helps enhance students’
cognitive abilities and results in greater student satisfaction (Pascarella, Seifert, &
Whitt, 2008). Students who share curricula with both fellow classmates and faculty
enhance their cognitive abilities by connecting 28 their personal experiences to class
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 25

content (Tinto, 1997). Both rigor and effective classroom instruction can help students
progress toward graduation.

Transport System of Every Nation

The transport system in any nation is determined by the socio-economic and political
needs of the society (Ayodele, 2009). Whereas the rate of growth in the nation’s social
and economic sectors far exceeds the provision of transport infrastructure and services.
As such, the available resources in the transport sector cannot cope with the increasing
movement needs of the people.
Commute stress

(Schaeffer, Street, Singer, & Baum, 1988). As early as the 1980s, researchers have
documented the personal stress associated with commuting to work. The factors
influencing commute stress are only partly clear. Early studies focused on impedance,
defined as the difficulty commuters experience in moving from home to work and back
(Schaeffer, Street, Singer, & Baum, 1988). Researchers initially measured impedance as
travel distance or time (e.g. Novaco et al., 1979) but soon focused on travel speed to
capture the effect of congestion (e.g. Schaeffer et al., 1988). Novaco, Stokols, and
Milanesi (1990) differentiated between physical impedance (e.g. speed) and subjective
impedance measured as drivers’ perceptions about inability to avoid traffic, speed
reductions due to traffic jams, exposure to traffic control devices and other
characteristics of the commute.

It has been theorised that impedance contributes to stress through the mechanism of
perceived control: higher impedance causes commuters to feel less control and thus
more stress. One study found control to be “the most powerful predictor of commuting
stress” (Sposato, Röderer, & Cervinka, 2012, p. 581). Control can be operationalised in
a variety of ways. Schaeffer et al. (1988), in comparing stress for commuters driving
alone versus carpooling, differentiated between control over the internal environment of
the car (e.g. controlling the radio) and control over the route taken to work. Lucas and
Heady (2002) showed for workers in Atlanta, Georgia, that flexi-time work schedules,
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 26

which give commuters control over when they commute, are associated with reduced
commute stress. The concept of choice is closely related to the concept of control
(Kluger, 1998; White & Rotton, 1998), but some argue that choice has an ambiguous
effect on stress, particularly if the choices available are not seen as favourable ones
(Koslowsky, Kluger, & Reich, 2013). Others have operationalised control as the
predictability or, conversely, the variability of the commute. While Novaco and
Gonzalez (2009) argued that variability is a moderator of the effect of impedance (i.e.
variability magnifies the effect of impedance) on stress, Kluger (1998, pp. 160–161)
concluded that “commute variability may be the main commuting stressor”

Commuting and physical health

(Audrey, Procter, & Cooper, 2014), cycle (Donaire-Gonzalez, de Nazelle, & Cole-

Hunter, 2015) or use public transport (MacDonald, Stokes, & Cohen, 2010), when
compared to drivers (Wanner, Götschi, Martin-Diener, Kahlmeier, & Martin, 2012). It
is important to understand if increased (or decreased) physical activity from mode
changes are offset by corresponding decreased (or increased) physical activity in other
activity domains. A longitudinal study exploring this in English towns identified a
modest, positive relationship between change in the amount of active travel for work
and change in overall physical activity (Sahlqvist, Goodman, Cooper, & Ogilvie, 2013).

Other determinants of health, alongside those arising from physical activity, should be
considered to fully understand the impact of commuting on physical health. Whilst
commuting duration, unsurprisingly, is positively associated with inhalation of air
pollutants amongst active commuters, one analysis has estimated that the physical
activity benefits, compared to staying at home, exceeded the potential harm from air
pollution for people who cycle up to 3.5 h daily (Tainio et al., 2016). Longer
commuting durations have been shown to be related to fatigue symptoms (Kageyama,
Nishikido, Kobayashi, Kurokawa, & Kaneko, 1998, for male workers in Tokyo) and
poor sleep (Walsleben et al., 1999, for rail commuters in New York), which can induce
cardiovascular abnormalities and dysfunction related to the onset of heart disease.
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 27

Lost of Income

Furthermore, AL-Dubai (2012) in a study conducted in Malaysia showed

that there were high levels of low-back pain and found that taxi drivers were

reluctant to disclose LBP because of fear of loss of income and unemployment

should they be unable to work. In the current study, the respondents also

reported that they experience LBP.

Poor Health Practices

Apontaku-Onayeni (2012) a study conducted among taxi drivers in

Chicago found that their poor health practices contributed to low risk profile.

Drivers Unsafe Sexual Intercourse

A recent study conducted by Ncama (2013) reported that taxi drivers

practiced unsafe sexual intercourse without use or inconsistent use of

condoms. This study became more significant as taxi drivers are a relatively

autonomous and hard-to-reach group, and there is proven paucity in knowledge

about their health. Most taxi drivers were of early adulthood to middle age. Taxi

drivers have proven from other studies in various countries to be a vulnerable

group, leading an unhealthy lifestyle in general with consequential health

effects.

Consequences of Obsity
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 28

In this study of Bray (2009), evidence has shown that taxi drivers were

obese to morbidly obese. They reported to be eating anything they could grab

on the road. This behavior entails unhealthy imbalance diet or poor eating

behavior. The consequences of obesity are that participants were exposed to

conditions such as CV disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus and

other morbidity and co-morbidity. Furthermore, drivers led a sedentary lifestyle

evidenced by lack of exercise which posed to a health risk. Commercial truck

drivers experience all four occupation related risk factors for obesity: sedentary

lifestyle, poor opportunities for regular, healthy meals, irregular hours and sleep

schedules. Some taxi drivers indicated that they are on chronic medications for

HBP, diabetes and joint pain.

The Physiological Assessments

In a study conducted in Singapore by Lim and Chia (2015), similar

results were found suggesting that a high proportion of the taxi drivers were

obese and self-reported diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes mellitus. These

two conditions could lead to fatigue, predisposing taxi drivers and their

passengers to risk of accidents. The physiological assessment also found that

drivers had elevated HBP and sugar level without their knowledge. Implication

of this identification of health risks amongst taxi drivers is that interventions

could be planned to improve the well-being of taxi drivers and avoid lifestyle

illnesses that could be prevented and effectively managed which if unknown

could be life-threatening for drivers, commuters and other road users.

CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 29
CAGAYAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 1

ENGLISH SPEAKER SOCIETY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF

COMMUTING EXPERIENCES IN TUGUEGARAO CITY

by:

Suzea Fayna Lacuesta

Ian Jewel M. Berbano

Rhena Acosta

Loraine Baltazar

Jamaica Cariaga

Angel Mae Tocmo

Isiah Maribbay

Princess Dianne Ancheta

Grade11- Einstein

Practical Research I

Mrs. Charisma A. Frace, Ph. D