Technological Institute of the Philippines

938 Aurora Blvd., Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines

AR 302
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 6

A PROPOSED
INTERACTIVE CULTURAL MUSEUM
IN PUERTO PRINCESA, PALAWAN

SUBMITTED BY:
CUENCA, PATRICIA ANDREA
MORATA, RICHILLE B.
RIOTETA, HANS CHRISTIAN
ARCH32S10

SUBMITTED TO:
AR. CHRISTINE FERRARIS
2.1. Introduction

Philippines is one of the rapid developing countries as the private sector

maintains a positive outcome in terms of wholesale and retail trade, real estate, and

tourism [1]. It was stated that their economic recovery increased in 2022 from 5.7%

to 7.6%. This is why economist are anticipating a higher tourism sector growth this

2023, coming from an 80% drop in GDP in 2021 due to Pandemic, and slowly

recovering in numbers in 2022 due to re-opening of Philippine borders, allowing

international tourism to function again [2]. This causes regions in the country to be

swarmed by visitors again just like how Palawan was flocked by both local and

foreign tourists. the Provincial Tourisms Promotions and Development Office stated

that there are 765 991 tourists visited Palawan in the first half of 2023, marking an

136% increase from arrivals in January to June 2022 [3]. In line with this, the

Palawan Arts Council holds a meeting to discuss the Local Cultural Development

Plan 2024 [4] which addresses different tourism challenges including the

preservation of the Palawan’s cultural identity through engaging the citizens and

tourists in their cultural arts and traditions [5]. And one way to achieve this is to

participate in a structure that specializes in preservation—museums.

2.2. Review of Related Literature and Studies

Museum is a vital part of any country as it represents a significant part of their

heritage and history which enrich its local community and contributes to tourism

growth [6. This is due to the fact that whenever a structure becomes an objective for

tourists that must be visited, they will stay longer in that area causing them to spend

more money thus, giving income to that particular region [7]. One of the best

examples of this contribution aspect is the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain,

designed by Frank Gehry. This building was not designed to be iconic, but to address

the city’s high unemployment rate which reaches up to 25%. Their government

invested in this cultural project to also promote their cultural tourism as well as

increase the life quality of the citizens [8]. This also serves as the hope of the

citizens in this depressed country when the return of investment was greater than

what they anticipated. This structure generated an average of 779 028 overnight

stays every year and made 907 job opportunities. And as of today, over 9 million

people has visited this museum.

Museum also plays a huge part in education as it helps in development of

education itself as they offer interactive learning and hands-on experiences which

causes more engagement and retainment of information [9]. It also promotes critical

thinking and creativity as it serves as a place for innovation and knowledge through

workshops and educational programs while achieving the primary goal of the

structure itself which is the preservation cultures and traditions.

Given the fact that Palawan is one of the most visited places in Philippines, it

is possible to say that cultural erosion might occur. Cultural erosion happens when

communities lost their authenticity due to several factors such as adaptation of

foreign cultures to cater the tourists’ satisfaction [10], and when a community focuses

more on the façade of the culture to advertise it to foreign visitors [11]. One example

is the local language of Hawaii where it was eroded because of the western

missionaries influencing the place [12]. Thus, the Palawan Tourism Council asks the

Local Government Units in Palawan to help preserve their authenticity [13] to protect

the sense of Filipino pride while sharing it to foreigners which contributes to the

richness of the cultural atmosphere in the place.

 However, despite all the information and good intention of making such a

structure, there are posing problems that are needed to be attended. The first one is

the promotion of museum itself. Everything will be futile if the museum will not gain

any visitors. Therefore, integration of Architectural solutions is one of the plausible

actions to take. According to Scerri et al (2018), architecture is the physical asset of

a country in driving tourism towards its borders [14]. As it enhances the beauty of a

destination and helps identify the identity of a place. A structure being iconic and

unique in its exterior qualities helps attracts visitors such as the case of the building

in University of Technology Sydney Business School— the Dr Chau Chak Wing

Building. Due to its bizarre shape and design, people tend to wander in and around

the building just to gaze its architectural qualities making it known and be considered

as a landmark in the area. Another example is the Te Papa Museum in Wellington,

New Zealand, that has an iconic waterfront building, where this structure contributes

to its country by giving job opportunities in line with tourism and gives economic

impact through the expenditures of the tourists.

Another factor that contributes to attracting visitors is the view of the site.

One study in University of Plymouth in England state that the sublime vistas of a

place satisfies both local and international visitors that travels around the Mt. Cook

and Mckenzie’s Basin [16]. Additionally, we are currently living in a generation with a

large social media consumption. According to statistics, there are 1.81 trillion photos

taken every year which corresponds to 4.7 billion photos that are taken every day

[16]. A research conducted by Guell, C., & Ogilvie, D. (2015), there are 19

participants who produced a total of 500 photos from their travels and most of them

are about commuting and beautiful landscapes [17].

 Aside from external factors, the inside planning of a structure also plays a role

in encouraging the tourists to visit the place. A certain study in Thailand museums

concluded that the motivation of people to visit museum is to gain knowledge, [18]

with 67.4% respondents in the Museum of Siam, and 48.5% in Rattanakosin

exhibition Hall. Relaxation is also one of the motivations in people’s visitation. It is

ranked fourth in Museum of Siam with 28.5% votes and second in Rattanakosin

Exhibition Hall with 37.8%. Additionally, since it was stated that knowledge and

information is the primary source of pull factor of tourists, integration of certain

technologies can help to further enrich the experience of the visitors. According to

Camarero, C., et al (2008), the technological advancements play an important part in

gaining increased performance and satisfactions in cultural organizations. It also

provides an edge to other museums through better museum tour experience [25].

Though, it will cost more than traditional exhibition but it will yield more income as a

result of gaining more visitors [26]. On the other hand, according to the study Jiang

Q., et al (2022), there is no relationship between using augmented reality technology

and the overall visiting satisfaction and is more closely related to the information that

was offered displayed [27]. Nevertheless, it was also stated that the exhibitions—in

the form of digital art presented using augmented reality helped visitors to

understand them better.

Tourism may contain positive impacts such as increase in country’s revenue

and increase in job opportunities however, it may also impose negative impacts,

chief of which is the environmental problem. Overtourism is common when an area

does not able to handle the surge of tourists well. Often times, it results in pollution

excessive littering, waste from infrastructures, and waste from construction projects

attempting to reach the demand of the visitors [20]. Designing a sustainable museum
helps in minimizing the man-made pollutions by applying green principles. This is

vital because this structure is a public space where population can become

concentrated. Therefore, some museums installed a sustainable lighting system to

reduce the carbon dioxide emission produced from the structure. One of them is the

Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain which saved them approximately 75% of annual

energy and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 320 tons per year [23]. Another

notable museum is the Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [24]. Its main

feature is the solar panels that moves with the sun and water filtering system that

sources the water from Guanabara Bay. Rainwater collecting system is also present

in the sustainable design system of the museum causing them to save around 9.6

million litres of water every year and an additional 2 400 megawatt-hours of

electricity. Architecture may help reduce the impact of overtourism in an area by

promoting sustainable systems and green principles but, the main problem itself is in

the shoulder of the government.

In summary, Museum preserves our history and culture but its role in places

does not end from that as it also serves as an anchor for tourists if executed

properly. More tourism equals to more job opportunities as more people are needed

if there are surge of visitors that are needed to be accommodated. This can be

achieved through iconic architecture and utilization of natural vistas and landscapes.

It also plays a vital role in education as hands-on experiences enhances learning,

creativity, and critical thinking more effectively and this can be further enhanced

through the use of various technological innovations.

On the other hand, constructing a museum also poses a threat to the

environment. More visitors mean more carbon dioxide emissions, therefore, some
museums integrate green principles in their systems to help reduce the effects of

man-made pollutions.

2.4. References

1. Overview. (n.d.). World Bank.

https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/philippines/overview

2. Economist sees higher tourism sector growth in 2023. (n.d.). Philippine News

Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1203674

3. Palawan News. (2023a, July 13). Palawan records tourist surge in first half of

2023. PALAWAN NEWS. https://palawan-news.com/palawan-records-tourist-

surge-in-first-half-of-2023

4. Talabucon, H. C., & Talabucon, H. C. (2023, October 21). Palawan’s cultural

leaders unite to forge 2024 Local Development Plan. Palawan Daily News.

https://palawandailynews.com/provincial-news/palawans-cultural-leaders-

unite-to-forge-2024-local-development-plan/

5. Palawan News. (2023b, August 1). Palawan arts council holds meeting to thrive

amidst tourism challenges. PALAWAN NEWS.

https://palawan-news.com/palawan-arts-council-holds-meeting-to-thrive-

amidst-tourism-challenges/

6. Talabucon, H. C., & Talabucon, H. C. (2023, October 21). Palawan’s cultural

leaders unite to forge 2024 Local Development Plan. Palawan Daily News.

https://palawandailynews.com/provincial-news/palawans-cultural-leaders-

unite-to-forge-2024-local-development-plan/

7. Palawan News. (2023b, August 1). Palawan arts council holds meeting to thrive

amidst tourism challenges. PALAWAN NEWS.

 https://palawan-news.com/palawan-arts-council-holds-meeting-to-thrive-

amidst-tourism-challenges/

8. Loach, K., Rowley, J., & Griffiths, J. R. (2016). Cultural sustainability as a strategy

for the survival of museums and libraries. International Journal of Cultural

Policy, 23(2), 186–198. https://doi.org/10.1080/10286632.2016.1184657

9. Corbos, R. (2011, November 1). MUSEUMS, MARKETING, TOURISM AND

URBAN DEVELOPMENT. THE BRITISH MUSEUM - A SUCCESSFUL

MODEL FOR ROMANIAN MUSEUMS. | Management & Marketing Journal |

EBSCOhost.

https://openurl.ebsco.com/EPDB%3Agcd%3A4%3A7603876/detailv2?

sid=ebsco%3Aplink%3Ascholar&id=ebsco%3Agcd%3A70244049&crl=c

10. Plaza, B. (2007). The Bilbao effect (Guggenheim Museum Bilbao). Munich

Personal RePEc Archive.

11. El Wareath, O. A. (n.d.). The role of educational museums in the development of

education. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND LANGUAGE

RESEARCH, 5(1, 2022, P36–48.), 2785-969X.

12. Dba, D. U. (2023, August 24). The positive and negative effects of tourism on the

social-cultural environment of a country.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/positive-negative-effects-tourism-social-

cultural-prince-mdusman/

13. Bartolozzi, P. (2023, June 2). Tourism cultural exploitation – Skal Europe.

https://www.skaleurope.org/news/tourism-cultural-exploitation/

14. Stainton, H. (2024, February 4). Cultural erosion: A simple explanation - The

geography teacher. The geography teacher.

https://thegeographyteacher.com/cultural-erosion/
15. Formoso, C. A. (2023, June 19). PTC urges LGUs to promote food and culture in

Palawan. PALAWAN NEWS. https://palawan-news.com/ptc-urges-lgus-to-

promote-food-and-culture-in-palawan/

16. Scerri, M., Edwards, D., & Foley, C. (2018). Design, architecture and the value to

tourism. Tourism Economics. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354816618802107

17. Thompson-Carr, A. (2012). Aoraki/Mt Cook and the Mackenzie Basin’s transition

from wilderness to tourist place.

http://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/handle/10026.1/11585

18. Broz, M. (2024, January 25). How Many Photos Are There? (Statistics & Trends

in 2024). Photutorial. https://photutorial.com/photos-statistics/#:~:text=Users

%20share%206.9%20billion%20images,it%20hasn't%20grown

%20much.&text=The%20number%20of%20images%20shared%20per

%20day%20on%20social%20media.

19. Guell, C., & Ogilvie, D. (2013). Picturing commuting: photovoice and seeking

well-being in everyday travel. Qualitative Research, 15(2), 201–218.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794112468472

20. Chen, K. (2021). The motivations of visitors for visiting museums: a comparative

study of museum visitors in Western countries, Malaysia and Thailand.

APHEIT JOURNAL. https://apheit.bu.ac.th/jounal/Vol4No2JulyDec2015/10-

p100-114.pdf

21. Lens, K. |. O. P. I. M. (2024, February 2). How to reduce the impact of

overtourism on the environment? Our Planet in My Lens • by Kim Paffen.

https://ourplanetinmylens.com/overtourism-impact-environment/#:~:text=Overt

ourism%20can%20have%20a%20significant,chemical%20waste%20from

%20hotels%2C%20etc.
22. Dolatowski, C. (2021, October 4). Calvin Dolatowski.

https://desis.osu.edu/seniorthesis/index.php/2021/10/04/how-interior-design-

impacts-your-mental-health/

23. The Museo Nacional del Prado switches to LEDs. (n.d.). Iberdrola España.

https://www.iberdrolaespana.com/press-room/news/detail/211209_np_01_el_

museo_del_prado_pasa_a_led

24. The Museum of Tomorrow - A case study | U.S. Green Building Council. (2021,

April 23). https://www.usgbc.org/education/sessions/museum-tomorrow-case-

study-4720177

25. Camarero, C., Garrido, M.J., The role of technological and organizational

innovation in the relation between market orientation and performance in

cultural organizations, European Journal of Innovation Management, Vol.11,

No.3, pp. 413-434, (2008).

26. Pop, I., & Borza, A. (2016). Technological innovations in museums as a source

of competitive advantage. Munich Personal RePEc Archive.

https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/76811/1/MPRA_paper_76811.pdf

27. Jiang, Q., Chen, J., Wu, Y., Gu, C., & Sun, J. (2022). A study of factors

influencing the continuance intention to the usage of augmented reality in

museums. Systems, 10(3), 73. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems10030073