In 2019, the City of Batac received a massive number of 51,648 tourist arrivals as per Ilocos Norte Provincial Tourism Office. The city is always included in an Ilocos Tour itinerary. The attractions that can be found within the city are the Batac Riverside where in tourists can taste the famous Ilocano empanada, Marcos Museum and Mausoleum where the corpse of the late President Ferdinand Marcos was laid before it was buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, and Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) which is classified as a Level 4 University (SUC Level IV).

 

MMSU’s mandate is to provide advanced instruction in the arts, agricultural and natural sciences, and technological and professional fields. Its mission is “To develop virtuous human capital and sustainable innovations in a knowledge-driven global economy” and the institution is committed to providing quality education and initiating innovations. MMSU has a 7-point Agenda called “ACHIEVE” which stands for: A – Academic Excellence; C - Creative, Relevant and Innovative Research Programs; H - High Impact and Transformative Extension and Outreach Programs; I - Improved Revenue Generation and Resource Management; E - Expanded External Linkages and Partnerships; V - Vibrant and Engaging, Culturally-Focused University Campus; and E - Effective and Efficient Management.

 

In recent years, MMSU has received various national and international awards and recognitions. The University was awarded a 3-star rating by the QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) Stars, ISO 9001:2005 Certification, ranked 401st-600th in the whole world and second in the country in the recent 2022 THE (Times Higher Education) Impact Rankings, among others. Moreover, it is also a partner to many international, national and regional institutions. The University also boasts its licensure examinations as these are consistently above national passing rate, producing board topnotchers, and hurdles to be always one of the top performing schools in the country.

 

Being in the limelight, the University has been receiving visitors from various public and private universities and colleges all over the country to benchmark on its best practices such as in academics, research, extension, internationalization, accreditation, and among various other fields. The visitors are usually housed at the university’s accommodation establishments and accommodated by the MMSU Travel and Visitors’ Bureau (TVB). The University Mansion, University Review Center (URC) and MMSU Hostel and Function Hall are lodging establishments offered to the visitors where they stay for a short-term period. On the other hand, the Student Residence Dormitory, Ladies and Men's Dormitory and MMSU Magnolia Residence Hall are being rented by students and faculty for a long-term stay. Rooms and its amenities vary in prices and service quality depending on what is availed. A more elaborate type of service is extended to guests staying in the mansion, URC and Hostel, while a meager and economic type of service is extended to the dormitory residents.

 

While these accommodations have differences, providing customer satisfaction by being meticulous with service quality must be duly considered. Thus, the study is conceptualized to show the difference between the perceived level of perception and expectation on service quality of the university accommodations. Considering that the tourism industry is a service industry where it is more than the tangible products that are being offered, service quality, therefore, becomes an indicator of tourism satisfaction. Hence, the conduct of this study.

 Publication. Publication of the output in a reputable journal
Policy. Provide development strategies that can be adopted by MMSU
People Services. Provide training and workshop on service quality to MMSU accommodation establishments personne as an extension activity
Places. Improvement of the MMSU accommodation establishments through the development strategies proposed.
Paper for Presentation