INTRODUCTION

Significance of the Study

The tourism sector constantly needs to adapt to its customers'

shifting demands and preferences. According to Tourism Education, the

business is expanding quickly with the emergence of new opportunities and

problems based on consumer demand. Employment opportunities, spending

on the supply of goods and services, the development of links and

partnerships, and similar factors will all substantially impact economic growth.

The market value of tourism-related goods and services may represent

economic expansion, spurring additional sectorial development.

Parks are more than just parks today. They must be the typical park,

but they're also cultural organizations, botanical gardens, and organizations

that offer social services (Hammond et al., 2017). Parks produce an economic

benefit for the government as well as for people, in addition to their many

environmental advantages. Even after accounting for maintenance costs,

creating well-planned parks and preserving enough land can result in financial

gains.
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Indeed, Mango Park serves a significant potential as a tourist attraction

in Libungan because of its refreshing and calming view, foods and beverages,

and entertainment by a live band. According to the owner, Mrs. Yunas, the

Mango Park is continuously being developed and promoted through the

consolidated efforts of the Municipal Tourism Office and the cooperation of the

owner and the food stall owners. In turn, the efforts create an impact to

promote the Mango Park in Libungan and other Municipalities.

Hence, the knowledge and information gained from this study will help

the LGU develop Mango Park into a potential tourist attraction in the

municipality. In addition, mango farmers may also use this study as a source

of knowledge for upcoming activities or choices for tourism. Indeed, this study

will highlight the activities and choices oriented toward the welfare of tourists in

Libungan, particularly in the studied Mango Park.

Objectives of the Study

The general objective of this study is to determine the potentiality of

Mango Park as a tourist attraction in Libungan, Cotabato.

Specifically, it aims to:

1. describe the socio-demographic profile of the respondents;

2. determine the level of awareness of respondents on Mango Park, and

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3. determine the potentiality of Mango Park as a tourist attraction in

Libungan, Cotabato.

Expected Output of the Study

1. Described socio-demographic profile of the respondents.

2. Determined level of awareness of respondents on Mango Park.

3. Determined potentiality of Mango Park as a tourist attraction in

Libungan, Cotabato.

Place and Time of the Study

This study will be conducted at Mango Park, Libungan, Cotabato in

October 2022.

Scope and Limitation

This study will only be limited to the potentiality of Mango Park as a

tourist attraction in Libungan, Cotabato.

Operational Definition of Terms

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Awareness – refers to the knowledge or perception of the respondents of the

potentiality of Mango Park as a tourist attraction.

Cooperation – refers to working together to promote and develop the mango

park.

Leisure – refers to taking a break from daily routine life.

Parks – refers to land use usually in a largely natural state, for the enjoyment

of tourists, facilities, and recreation, often owned and managed by a

municipality or a city.

Potentiality – refers to the ability to develop the Mango Park as a tourist

attraction in Libungan.

Refreshing – refers to agreeably stimulating because of freshness or

newness, a refreshing change of pace.

Tourist – refers to a person traveling or visiting Mango Park for pleasure.

 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Mango Park

The new craze of town in Libungan, which was previously unwanted

and secluded for four decades, mango trees with an area of one hectare

suddenly came to life and gave birth to Mango Park. That also gave way for

this hidden hideaway to develop as the owner started to welcome food stallers

that serve different foods like barbecues, sizzling pork sisig, chicken inasal,

grilled pork chop, turkey lechon, bulalo, and more. Moreover, Mango Park

became a leisure area for those who need recharging and wants to unwind

because of the calm embrace of the breeze of the river and the cool shades of

mango crowns that gives a super relaxing place. The famous Mango Park in

Libungan is located at the Subaywalk Riverview Libungan Bridge. According

to Lerio Yunas, every twice a month there is events in Mango Park like live

band, motor show, foam party and other, and it depends on the stall owners

because the stall owners are the organizers of all the events in Mango Park.

Tourism

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Tourism is described as the activity of spending time away from

home for entertainment, relaxation, and pleasure while utilizing commercially

arranged services. A destination is a location to which a person travels or to

which something is transported. A traveler's or visitor's destination is a location

or region with tourism-related resources, including attractions, lodging options,

and options, and other places to spend time, along with well-established

management, physical and administrative divisions, and a recognizable

image. Over the years, tourism has had a significant impact on the world and

has grown to be the most significant economic sector in the majority of

nations. (Walton).

Many nations are currently creating tourist destinations, and the range

of options for travellers to choose from is growing. In addition, customers

today have a considerably wider range of options because to expand leisure

time, a rise in disposable money, and improved transit infrastructure. As a

result, in today's more complex and competitive global market, tourism

marketers are challenged with influencing customer decision making. One of

the most significant marketing issues resulting from these conditions is the

requirement for a convincing positioning strategy for a tourism location. A

location significant marketing issues resulting from these conditions is the

requirement for a convincing positioning strategy for a tourism location. A

location needs to be clearly differentiated from its rivals or well-positioned in

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the thoughts of the consumers in order to be promoted in the targeted

markets.

Promoting Tourist Attraction

Promotion of travel destinations is an important component that

influences the growth of the tourist attractions. Every place has its own identity

because of the resources that go into creating it. Tourists typically perceive

this identity by the images that are presented to them. According to Arellano

(2019), this research focuses on promoting unknown tourist destinations in the

Philippines and its challenges and strategies to improve the tourist

destinations. Its goal is to determine how unknown tourist destinations will be

presented in the tourism market between international tourists and domestic

tourists and to detect potential differences as well as reasons for these

differences. The country is an archipelago with more than 7,600 islands; it is

uncountable if there are locations that are unknown or unfamiliar to local and

foreign travellers. The country is one of the top travel destinations in the globe,

and this fact cannot be disputed.

There are many tourist attractions in the Philippines, and some of them

have a great chance of becoming well-known and possess what it takes to

rank among the best in the nation. It's intriguing to realize that the Philippines

has more to offer than we realize. Every marketing involves the rapid
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construction of facilities in order to guarantee the greatest possible operation

of the tourist attraction. Promoting is essential for achieving this goal.

Effectiveness, competence, and healthy growth are ensured through

appropriate means of promotion. The success of tourist destinations these

days depends primarily on their promotional actions and the use of technology

in these activities. On the one hand, some destinations are more or less

equally popular tourist destinations for decades, and on the other hand, there

are less popular destinations (not so familiar destinations, destinations in

developing countries, or one with negative country image). A lot of countries

have made promoting tourism their top priority due to its rapid growth. It is

necessary to comprehend what the Philippines can actually offer in order to

better understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of

tourism promotion strategies that have been implemented.

Tourism has grown into one of the largest industries in the world,

making it also one of increasing importance. This may lead to strategies on

how to promote the chosen undiscovered tourist destinations in the country by

utilizing the technological proliferation in engaging with other media like

television, radio, and the like aside from social networks which has been an

effective arena of the campaign through social media. With this aim, the

enticing factors that may transform the Philippines into a country that offers

different unknown tourist destinations are presented. The world economy's

largest and fastest-growing sector appears to be tourism. This sector could

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play a crucial part in improving a nation's trading performance. So many

people nationwide Governments have worked to strengthen their position in

the global tourism sector in order to be more competitive. Tourism is one of

the cornerstones of the Philippine economy, so governments have begun

setting up local groups that are focused with promoting their destination locally

and internationally. It is also a significant source of income and foreign

exchange. Historically, tourist destinations have increased their marketing

spending in response to a fall in visitor numbers. With less outcomes, more

and more locations are increasing their marketing and promotion budgets,

suggesting that this technique is ineffective. Tourism has overtaken

manufacturing as the world's most significant economic activity in the new

millennium (World Health Organization). The travel and tourism business

makes a major contribution to the global economy.

Experience and Expectations

Travel is done for many reasons, such as escape, exploration,

comprehension, and participation. The surroundings of the attractions give

guests the opportunity to have a memorable experience or could raise their

expectations. Environment, atmosphere, transportation, tourism services, and

activities all enhance or maximize the favorable effect on the survival of the

attractions. The success of attractions is greatly influenced by the high levels

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of happiness and notable experiences that visitors have. As a result, it might

motivate tourism management to ensure service quality and infrastructure

improvement with even more passion.

The excellent seascape, inland water, and the beautiful Taal Volcano

that sits at the middle of the lake are just a few of the natural attractions that

make Batangas a destination that is said to be eco-friendly. Furthermore, the

province is full of historical, cultural, and heritage artefacts. Natural, cultural,

and historical attractions are abundant in the province of Batangas. When

traveling, tourists have the highest expectations for better value in a noticeable

way. As stated by Kucharsky, he discrepancy between expectations and

experiences will be perceived as underperforming versus the experience.

The most popular attractions are the subject of many people's travel

fantasies, but occasionally, the actual experience falls short of what tourists

had hoped for. The website or brochures show the tourist attractions as they

might appear to visitors, followed by a picture of how they are in reality

(Coffey, 2017). A trip with high expectations, however, turned out to be

incredibly disappointing when the travelers evaluated their actual experiences.

The degree to which their actual experience lives up to their preconceived

expectations will determine how satisfied they are. According to Wang, the

standard, choice, and accessibility of goods and services at the destination, as

well as the degree to which they are available to travelers, are what determine

whether or not their experiences meet or exceed expectations.

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People who live in metropolitan areas and yearn for a real ecosystem

and a cleaner atmosphere but are unable to do so in their normal environment

due to many forms of pollution from water, air, and human activity have

developed psycho-physiological disorders. In this way, the environment

influences people to leave urban areas in search of isolation and respite from

societal stress. Tourists travel in harmony with nature because they want to

experience and learn from the surrounding environment, interact socially with

others who share their interests, and actively participate in the park's

resources and activities while they are there (Wolf, Croft, & Green, 2019). The

experience, which offers chances for visitors to interact with park resources in

a way that is both safe for visitors and leaves the resource undamaged, is

what visitors take away from the park. Since a positive visitor experience may

eventually lead to support for nature and conservation interests, it is crucial

that it address personal feelings, impressions, and relationships that should be

related to the park's purpose, relevance, and desired outcomes.

Awareness of tourist on Cotabato

Province destinations

The ancient Cotabato Province, also known as the Empire Province of

Cotabato, used to have the biggest land area in the nation. The new provinces

of Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao were established on November 22, 1973,

by Presidential Decree 341 On December 19, 1983, Batas Pambansa 660

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renamed what had previously been north Cotabato Cotabato and segregated

south Cotabato. The Maguindanaon "Kutawato" or "Stone Fort" is where the

term "Cotabato" originates. Cotabato province is strategically situated in the

center of Mindanao, on the eastern edge of Region XII. The provinces of

Lanao del Sur and Bukidnon, Davao City, Davao del Sur, Maguindanao

province, and Sultan Kudarat form its northern, eastern, southeast, western,

and southwest borders, respectively.

One of the most potential sources of such essential foreign exchange in

Cotabato is undoubtedly tourism. This fascinating province is filled with

numerous popular tourist attractions. The uncommon freshwater lake at

Venado, the monkey-eating eagle, and the "Waling-Waling" on Mount Apo are

all of great interest to tourists from around the world. Lake Agko also draws

attention because of its unusual blue boiling water. While there are many more

tourist destinations in places like Kabacan, Carmen, Makilala, and Magpet,

they are located in Kidapawan. Many domestic and international visitors,

including geologists and other experts looking to find new species of flora and

wildlife, have visited the Mt. Apo National Park over the years. Agencies have

been established, and facilities for travel and lodging have been promoted, all

in an effort to support the tourism business. The locals are accustomed to

engaging visitors by imparting information about their distinct history, way of

life, and culture.

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Parks

Daniel Burnham revealed his grand design for Manila in 1905, with the

goal of making it resemble a city in the American tropics. The civic center

north of a tiny grassy area at the time known as "Luneta," which is Spanish for

"half-moon," served as the centerpiece and spirit of his magnificent design. In

the Philippines, Rizal Park is famed for being the big civic center designed by

Daniel Burnham that never materialized. The current drive for spatial justice is

fueled by disappointments with urban designs created to alleviate social evils

and injustices. The political zoning of a region based on social control and

residential segregation is one cause of spatial injustice. Every park visitor has

a unique experience with the relevance of social and spatial boundaries in

parks since they are created and contested spaces. Thus, people who visit

parks create and destroy them. Accordingly, departures from urban designs

intended to solve social problems and disparities, at least as understood

during the time of the Burnham Plan and the Frost-Arellano Plan, can result in

the needs they were intended to address not being met. As social disparity

deepens through time, this in turn feeds the current drive for spatial justice in

the city. The goal of spatial justice is to distribute resources that are highly

valued by society fairly and equally, as well as to provide access to them (Soja

2009). Politics is one factor that contributes to spatial inequality.

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According to IBI Insights 2021, "inclusive green spaces provided a

place where the lower classes of society could learn appropriate social

behaviors by observing upper class citizens," growing more refined, civic-

minded, and law-abiding in the process. Therefore, Burnham planned for five l

public green spaces because they were seen as integrated public meeting

places where rich and poor, elite and workers would meet and mingle. In

addition, the once-watery moat that surrounded Intramuros (and had turned

into a mosquito breeding ground) was drained and turned into Manila's first

golf course. Unfortunately, only one of the five planned parks—Harris Park—

was actually constructed; it was later converted into a business district. As a

result, there is a definite class component to the development of green spaces

in Manila (and the rest of Metro Manila): none of the planned public-access

parks survive or exist today, whereas upscale recreation areas like the

Intramuros Golf Club are still going strong and operating today, despite only

being open to a wealthy elite and not to average Filipinos.

Public parks were not seen in the Garden City concept as a means of

"moral development," but rather as a practical and social amenity for the

working class' leisure and entertainment. According to the 1949 Frost-Arellano

design, the 400-hectare "Diliman Quadrangle," which featured a zoological

and botanical park, a golf course, and a sports complex, was meant to

function as one massive "green lung" (Camagay 2019). East, West, North, and

South/Timog Avenues would form a quadrilateral that would be about the size
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of Central Park in New York. The University of the Philippines, Diliman

campus and smaller nearby parks were meant to enhance this "central park."

When the government center was moved from Quezon Memorial Circle to

Constitution Hill and the Diliman Quadrangle was given over to private

developers, government offices, hospitals, and a planned central business

district, the experience of Manila's Rizal Park was replicated in Quezon City,

while the Quezon Memorial Circle, which was to house the capitol building

(which at the time was only partially built), became the green lung.

Only roughly 19 hectares of the 400 hectares of green and recreational

space that were once part of the Quezon City Quadrangle are now located in

the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center. The majority of the remaining

open areas in Metro Manila are now golf courses or cemeteries (with a few

notable exceptions like Balara Filters Park). For Manila City and Quezon City,

almost none of the green spaces that were initially intended or built still exist,

or only a very small portion of them. Nine square meters of open space per

resident is recommended by the World Health Organization, and a green area

shouldn't be more than a 10-minute walk away.

Categories of a Potential Tourist

Attraction

Tourist attractions play a vital role in the tourist economy and the travel

and tourism sector. They frequently gain economically from tourism and/or
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advertise the local culture, heritage, and environment. The local society,

economics, and (most frequently) nature can all suffer from poorly managed

tourist attractions (Tourism Teacher, 2022). As stated in Tourism Guidebook

2017, Tourism Sites (TSs) are the unique locations that visitors travel to see

and experience. A TS can be an existing natural attraction (such as a

volcano), an area of stunning natural scenery (such as a national park), or an

artificial attraction (such as a heritage building or a beach or golf resort). It can

also be a location or area with the potential to be developed or improved for

tourism, such as a green field resort site or a coastal area that could be

declared as a marine park.

Natural tourist attraction- are those that occur naturally. In other words,

they are not man-made. Natural tourist destinations come in a wide variety of

forms. Because of the available natural features, areas near them have

frequently been created for tourism. A national park is a place that is

preserved because of its rich cultural history, diverse species, and/or

picturesque landscape. Where the park starts and ends is delineated by

distinct boundaries. Laws are in place to safeguard wildlife and the

environment so that present and future generations may enjoy them all.

Nature-based tourism, commonly referred to as "the travel industry," depends

on how people view nature and how it affects the environment. This benefits

the community socially and economically. Since nature is well-managed, many

economic sectors flourish. For instance, agribusiness benefits from excellent

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soil and water, significant gains are made in fisheries, and beachfront urban

populations are better protected from hurricanes. One of the well-known

tourist attractions that offers appealing, enthralling, and beautiful places to

explore is Batangas. It is also excellent for nature-based tourism, where

activities like stargazing, bird watching, scuba diving, camping, and trekking

can be found and done in specific parts of Batangas province. We must

maintain and responsibly manage the natural attractions because we must

consider the footprints we leave in every location we visit (Nature based

tourism, n.d.)

Man-made tourist attractions- man-made structures and features are

fascinating aspects built or made by humans. There are many different kinds

of constructed tourist attractions. This suggests that the attractions are artificial

rather than natural. The two types of man-made tourist destinations are those

created especially for tourism and those created for other purposes but now

utilized for tourism. Purpose-built attractions are those that have been made

with tourism in mind. A wide range of tourist attractions, such as theme parks,

zoos, or art galleries, may fall under this category.

Events - the event sector is a vibrant and quickly expanding one with

clear connections to the tourism industry. Events can boost the economy of

visitors, give media exposure, encourage growth, and energize infrastructural

improvements, including the formation of new partnerships, when they are well

hosted. According to Van Eck (2018), because they work as change agents
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and promote destinations for both business (conventions, trade shows, etc.)

and leisure tourism, events are valuable tourist attractions (sports events and

cultural festivals, etc.). Major events and tourism have obvious ties to one

another, which is why event tourism has been prioritized in long-term tourism

policies by many cities, regions, and nations.

Entertainment venues or Sports tourism- UNWTO stated that, Sports

and tourism are complementary to one another. Traveling is a significant part

of playing and competing in sports, whether it is professionally, recreationally,

or for fun. Significantly boosting the host city's status as a top tourist

destination are major athletic events like the Olympics, football and rugby

championships, which have evolved into powerful tourism draws in and of

themselves. Sport tourism is one of the tourism sectors that is growing the

quickest. Whether or whether sports are the main motivation for a trip, an

increasing number of travelers want to take part in sporting activities while

they are abroad. Sports events of various shapes and sizes draw visitors as

participants or spectators, and the venues try to stand out and provide

authentic local experiences by adding local flavors into them. Mega sport

events like the Olympics and World Cups have the potential to be a driving

force for tourist growth if they are used successfully in terms of destination

branding, infrastructure development, and other economic and social benefits.

 METHODOLOGY

Research Design

The study will utilize a descriptive-research design to determine the

potentiality of Mango Park as a tourist attraction in Libungan, Cotabato.

Location of the Study

The study will be conducted in Mango Park in Libungan, Cotabato, as

shown in Figure 1.

Respondents of the Study

The study's respondents will be the 100 tourists in Mango Park in

Libungan, Cotabato.

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Mango Park

Fig. 1. Map of Libungan, Cotabato

Legend:

Libungan

Mango Park
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Sampling Procedure

Using the convenience sampling procedure, the researcher will

determine the tourist selected in Mango Park based on the respondents'

availability and willingness during the study.

Research Instrument

As an instrument of analysis, the researcher will be use a validated

questionnaire, which will be distributed among the respondents. The

questionnaire generally aims to study the potentiality of Mango Park as a

tourist attraction in Libungan. The research instrument will be divided into

three (3) parts: Part 1: the socio-demographic profile of the respondents; Part

2: the level of awareness of the respondents on Mango Park; and Part 3: the

potentiality of Mango Park as tourist attraction in Linungan.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researcher secure a letter to the Dean of the College of Human

Ecology and Food Sciences at the University of Southern Mindanao,

Municipality of Kabacan. Upon approval, the researcher will request

permission from the owner of Mango Park to conduct research. Then, the
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researcher will distribute the questionnaire directly to the respondents. After

the respondents accomplished the questionnaires, the researcher will collect

them for data analysis.

Statistical Analysis

The respondents' answers will be tallied, tabulated, and analyzed for the

individual items in the questionnaire using the frequency counts, percentage

distributions, and weighted mean.

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Part I. Socio-Demographic Profile of the Respondents

INSTRUCTION: Please provide the needed information or check (/) the space
provided which corresponds to your answer.

Name (optional):_________________________________

Age:_____

Gender:
[ ] Male
[ ] Female

Civil Status:

[ ] Single [ ] Married [ ] Separated [ ] Widow

Tribe:
[ ] Cebuano [ ] Ilongo [ ] Tagalog [ ] Ilocano
[ ] Others, specify_____________

Religion:
[ ] Roman Catholic [ ] INC [ ] Baptist [ ] Full Gospel
[ ] Others. Specify_____________

Occupation (specify):_______________________

Part II. Level of awareness of respondents on Mango Park.

Direction: Kindly check (/) on the space provided using the rating scale below.

Numerical Rating Descriptive Rating

1 Not at all aware
2 Slightly aware
3 Moderately aware
4 Extremely aware

Statement 1 2 3 4
1. Mango Park is in Libungan, Cotabato,
and is located in Subaywalk Riverview
Libungan Bridge.
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2. Mango Park is a newly tourism site in

Libungan. They offer entertainment
and food for tourists' delight.
3. Mango Park is a spot that offers
refreshing drinks, and it is ideal for
bonding with friends, family, and
colleagues.
4. Mango Park in Libungan is a spot with
lots of mango trees, benches, and
tables.
5. Mango Park features a scenic view of
nature, a river view, and a pleasing
ambiance that is perfect for leisure.
6. Walking, chilling, and eating are just a
few activities in Mango Park.
7. The Mango Park has a beautiful view
which is ideal for instagrammable
pictures.
8. The Mango Park has food stallers that
cater to tourists.
9. Mango Park is best for night time
leisure.
10. Mango Park's opening was on
September 18, 2021.
11. Mango Park is an eco-friendly
attraction.
12. Mango Park has diverse plants and
trees like mango trees.

Part III. Potentiality of Mango Park as a tourist attraction in Libungan,

Cotabato.
Direction: Kindly check (/) on the space provided using the rating scale below.

Numerical Rating Descriptive Rating

1 No Potential
2 Potential
3 Moderately Potential
4 Highly Potential

A. Entertainment 1 2 3 4
1. The Mango Park has a
fascinating landscape.
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2. The Mango Park provides

entertainment and satisfaction to
the tourist because of their
activities and events.
3. Mango Park offers delicious
foods at an affordable price.
4. There are live bands and motor
shows that help promote Mango
Park.
5. The Mango Park has an
instagramable view.

B. Safety and accessibility 1 2 3 4

1. The site is accessible via public
transportation.
2. Mango Park is safe for tourists.
3. Mango Park is friendly for
motorists.
4. Mango Park is 3-5 minutes away
from the town.
5. The Mango has cellular signal
and data access.

C. Economic value 1 2 3 4
1. Mango Park offers employment
opportunities to the residents.
2. Mango Park gives additional
income to the residents because
they can sell their goods in
Mango Park.
3. There are souvenir items in
Mango Park.
4. Raw materials are soured out
from the community.
5. The Mango Park provides
residents with entrepreneurial
opportunities.