This project will serve as vital input for the sustainable management of resources in the tourism areas of Ilocos Norte that would benefit nearby communities and the tourists in terms of maintenance and protection of resources against human exploitation. Also, conservation and optimization of resource use will be strengthened and emphasized through regulations and policy recommendations that will be derived from the researches.

The activities in study 1 & 2 will be done during the 3rd and 4th quarter of 2018 which consist of site visits and gathering of secondary data in various sources such as LGUs and CENROs to accurately characterize the physical, biological, sociological and ecological condition of the identified ecosystems and tourist areas and assess the ecosystem services in such areas. Distribution of communications in the LGUs and barangays where the sites are located will be done in order to have permission from the local authorities to conduct the project. Data analysis, discussion of the results and interpretation will be done afterwards. Reports will be presented during the University In-House Research Review for on-going and completed researches towards the end of the year.

The study 3 & 4 will be done in the first half of 2019 which consist of activities to determine the valuation of ecosystem services by the vendors/business operators and tourists. Residents nearby will also be included as participants. Pre-testing will be done before floating the questionnaires and conducting interviews. Contingent valuation method will be used to determine their willingness to pay ecological services. For the second half of the year, data analysis, discussion of the results and interpretation will be done. Reports will be presented during the schedules University In-house Research Review for on-going and completed researches towards the end of the year.

Preparation and submission of terminal report will be done by the end of the year. Journal articles for publication will also be prepared as well as paper for external presentation in conferences/fora upon recommendation.

Methodology:

A. Locale of the Study.

The project will be conducted within the municipalities of Paoay, Badoc and Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte particularly the tourist spots in the area. Specifically, the Sand Dunes, La Virgen Milagrosa, and Paraiso ni Anton will be the areas of the studies.

B. Research Design

Descriptive research design will be used for characterization of the tourist areas, ecotourism activities, and willingness to pay ecological services of tourists and vendors/business operators.

C. Research Instrument

Survey questionnaire will be used to gather data. Questions will be translated in vernacular (Iluko dialect) if necessary. Three sets of questionnaire will be used, one set for the tourists, vendors/business operators and residents nearby. Furthermore, some items in the questionnaire will vary for the respondents in the three target areas located in different municipalities.

D. Respondents of the Study

The respondents of the study are the tourists, vendors/business operators and residents in the selected areas. 50 respondents will be randomly chosen for each of the three category namely tourists, vendors/business operators and residents nearby. Informed consent will be signed by the respondents as proof of their willingness to participate and understanding what the research is all about.

E. Data Gathering Procedure

Request letters will be sent to the Municipal Mayors and Barangay Chairmen to ask permission for the conduct of the studies. Furthermore, secondary data will be gathered from the LGUs and Community Environment and Natural Resources Offices (CENROs).

F. Data Analysis

Descriptive statistics such as frequency counts and percentage will be employed in analyzing the different variables of the study. 

For the determination of payment for ecosystem services, the following valuation method will be used Contingent Valuation.

Average number of tourists per day = no. of individuals / no. of sampling day

Contingent Valuation (CV) = no. of individuals per day x mean value of entrance fee

Yearly Contingent Value (Extrapolated) = Computed CV / day x 365 day/yr

Plan of Work:

Study 1.

Study 2.

Study 3.

Study 4.

 

The result of the studies will serve as a baseline information for the sustainable management of the tourist areas as reflected in the Land Use and Management Plans for the protected/tourist areas. Furthermore, results will also serve as bases for the formulation of policies (i.e. municipal ordinances) on the payments for the ecosystem services through imposing and enforcing payment of fees for entrance and use of facilities by both tourists and operators. Publishable journal articles will be prepared after the project and also papers for external presentation upon recommendation.