A team of UST Centro Turismo researchers received a commendation for their research work in the 5th International Conference on Responsible Tourism and Hospitality (ICRTH) 2025 on June 18, 2025, at the Auditorium of the Lyceum of the Philippines University Cavite.
Entitled “Buhay ka pa ba, Kultura? (Are you still alive, Culture?)Delineating the Cultural Identity in the Lifestyle of Communal Stakeholders 鈥� The Case of Bi帽an City, Laguna, Philippines”, the work was a qualitative narrative inquiry penned by Asst. Prof. Jame Monren T. Mercado, MACHS; Asst. Prof. Dr. Avi Ben P. Andalecio, PhD; Ms. Catherine C. Mondejar, Mr. Alec P. Bagcus, Ms. Jhoa Nna A. Quinsayas, and Mr. Sean Maynard M. Solis.
The commended work featured the cultural identity of the community stakeholders in the City of Bi帽an, Province of Laguna, Philippines, through the perspectives of developmental and societal stakeholders.
Based on the findings, a Local Cultural Identity Ecosystem was proposed, reflecting the local community’s diverse views and experiences concerning cultural identification, awareness, development, and sustainability.
The research work was one of the project outputs of the Cumpas, Bi帽an!: City Cultural Management and Development Plan 2024-2033, in partnership with the City Government of Bi帽an, Laguna, and the University of Santo Tomas Graduate School 鈥� Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics (GS-CCCPET).
The University funded the conceptualization of the basic research for A.Y. 2024-2025 under the Research Center for Social Sciences and Education (RCCSED).
ICRTH was organized by Responsible Borneo, Sarawak Research Society, Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, Lyceum of the Philippines University Manila and Cavite, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and the Philippine Association of Researchers for Tourism and Hospitality, Inc.
