Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

INTRODUCTION

Rationale
Seaports, either natural or man-made, are the chief doorways of the worlds
international commerce. It serve as the point of intersection to the countrys rivers,
waterways and inland and deep water ports. A seaport is further categorized as
cruise port or a cargo port. A cruise port is to travel on a ship from one place to
another for vacation or business trips while a cargo port is something that is carried
from one destination to another by ships or airplanes. Furthermore, these types of
ports varies upon where it is located. Depending on their size, seaports can
support hundreds to thousands of direct jobs and generate millions of pesos in
economic activity.

The port of Tubigon is the second largest seaport in the province of Bohol.
Being located in the north western part of Bohol and adjacent to Cebu City, it is
one of the major choice of travelers who are bound for Cebu and vice versa
because of its numerous boat schedules, lesser travel time and lower fare rates.
The port attends to more or less 5,000 passengers daily mostly coming from Cebu.

Tubigon seaport has a port area of 13,915 square meters with a rock
causeway of 580 meters long by 6 meters wide which connects the port to the
mainland. The pier is 126 meters x 8 meters with a berth of 120 meters. The port

is currently served by 6 conventional vessels and 2 state-of-the-art fast crafts with

a total of 20 trips daily.

The Tubigon seaport has its expansion program almost complete. Although
some widening and rehabilitations were completed, there are still more projects to
be done. These developments has been halted when an earthquake in the year
2013 struck down the island of Bohol. After the catastrophe, recent developments
have been undertaken and Tubigon is on its way to re-establishing itself as a first
class municipality.

The need to develop more facilities in the seaport is very apparent since
there is a significant increase in economic activity in Tubigon and the governments
goal to achieve the economic peak particularly in trade and commerce. Moreover,
the development is not just for the sake of giving the best service the port can
provide but also making Tubigon seaport as one of the principal economic
gateways in the province of Bohol.

The designers believe that aside from the current condition of the seaport,
developing designs that promotes sustainability, integrating cultural identity, and
ensuring safety as priority will revitalized the second largest seaport in Bohol.

Literature Background

The critical role of maritime transport in ensuring an integrated and

coordinated transport network is incontestable for an archipelagic country like the

Philippines. Since a high percentage of domestic and international commerce,

travel and tourism are by air and sea, the efficiency of aviation and maritime
transportation has become increasingly critical to growth and competitiveness.
Solutions to the numerous challenges involved in creating an efficient modern air
and sea transportation system require addressing policy and regulatory
impediments as well as upgrading and rationalizing airport and seaport
infrastructure and networks. The continuous capacity expansion of seaports and
sea links remains a major development thrust.

The Philippines counts on the maritime industry as a vital component in

attaining inclusive growth and socio-economic progress. Shipping remains the
major infrastructure by which islands are linked to commerce and trade.

A responsible and modern Philippine registered fleet, supported by quality

seafarers and capable shipyards, will pave way for stability of trade, promote
national development and promote national security (The Philippine Maritime
Industry: Prospects and Challenges, 2013).
The 2011-2016 Philippine Development Plan (PDP) envisions a safe,
secure, efficient, viable, competitive, dependable, integrated, environmentally
sustainable and people-oriented Philippine transport system. The main objective
is to ensure an integrated and coordinated intermodal transport network with
backbone links to growth areas.

Principles of Plan Composition

Section 2, Letter a
To coordinate, streamline,
improve and optimize the
planning

A good plan should be organic, that is

should be organized that the

(Presidential Decree No. 857)

composition will be disturbed if one

Chapter XV, Section 66
There shall be available...
(Presidential Decree No. 856)

element is moved.

(Salvan, 1999)

Chapter 5.01.01
Subject to the provisions of the Civil
Code on easement on light and view.

Gaia Charter
Let the design be inspired by nature
and be sustainable, healthy,
conserving, and diverse.

(National Building Code of the

Philippines)

Biophilic Design

Section 1
a. To create, develop, maintain
and improve conditions
b. To fulfill the requirements
c. To insure the attainment of an
environmental quality

Seeks to create good habitat for

(Presidential Decree No. 1151)

(Pearson, 2001)

people as a biological organism in the

modern built environment

Accessibility Law
(Batas Pambansa 344)

(Kellert-Calabrese, 2008)

TUBIGON SEAPORT

Revitalized Seaport

Existing Seaport

ACTION PLAN

Fig.1. Theoretical and Conceptual Framework

Transport is a key component of the logistics system, and should be

planned and performed as part of an integrated logistics process involving all
related activities, and not in isolation. The terms inbound transport and outbound
transport are frequently used to describe respectively the transport of raw
materials and other components from upstream suppliers to the company, as
opposed to the transport of the companys finished goods and products to
downstream customers. The term physical distribution is sometimes used
restrictively to denote goods outwards transport, but physical distribution normally
includes associated activities such as storage and warehousing of finished goods.
In fact, many products are the result of long supply chains where raw materials,
semi-finished goods, and finished goods move from one company (or one location)
to another before reaching the final consumer. Therefore, one companys finished
products may be the raw materials of its customers.

Within this context, ports should be approached as an integral component

of the international logistics and distribution system, and not just as a sub-system
of the maritime transport industry. In this way, ports can integrate and optimize the
various operations and activities so as to reduce costs and add value to customers
and users. The contemporary role of ports often extends from providing services
to ships and cargo at the traditional sea/land interface, to being a good location for
value-added logistics services and standing as a perfect networking site where
various market players can meet and interact. Such a diverse portfolio may require
a redefinition of port's functional and spatial dimensions as it entails a different
strategic and management orientation to accommodate new type of port

customers and users. Today, it is imperative for ports to address issues as

extensive as integrative channel processes and to communicate with as many as
far-reaching and distant channel members (UNCTAD Secretariat, 2004).

With the increasing standards and level of competitiveness in maritime

industry, the seaport management holds a key factor in the efficiency and
development of seaport. In the Presidential Decree No. 857 otherwise known as
the Revised Charter of the Philippine Ports Authority, Section 2, Letter a, it states
that they will coordinate, streamline, improve and optimize the planning,
development, financing, construction, maintenance, and operation of ports, port
facilities, port physical plants, and all equipment used in connection with the
operation of a port.

Based on the decree above, improving and optimizing the port facilities is
one of the major roles of the seaport management. Thus, providing good facilities
that will make the passengers and other port users comfortable while they are in
the seaport and this will make it notable.

As a major gateway in the western part of Bohol, health and security in

Tubigon seaport must not be taken for granted. In the Presidential Decree No. 856
otherwise known as the Code Sanitation of the Philippines, Chapter XV, Section
66, it states that:

There shall be available to as many ports and airports as

practicable organized medical and health services with adequate

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staff, equipment and facilities for the prompt isolation and care of
infected persons, disinfection, disinsecting, deratting, laboratory
examination, collection and examination of rodents for plague
infection, collection of water and food samples for examination.

In compliance to the decree, a building designed solely for medical and

health services will make the travelers feel safer and secured with the facilities
ready to attend to their health care needs.

Building ventilation and lighting has to be considered to give comfort to the

users. In agreement to the standards of the National Building Code of the
Philippines, Chapter 5.01.0, General Letter a, it states that subject to the provisions
of the Civil Code on easement on light and view, and to the provisions of this title,
every building shall be so constructed, arranged, and equipped as to provide
adequate light and ventilation.

Increasing environmental awareness creates new challenges for the

development of ports. In addition, climate change calls for adaptation measures
that aim at minimizing impacts of e.g. rising sea levels and increased flood water
heights but safeguard accessibility of ports and waterways and also safeguard
future sustainability for the social and natural environmental conditions (PIANC
WG 150ENVICOM, 2010).
The development of the seaport entails a major factor in terms of
environmental conditions. Hence, these developments must be in line with the
policies crafted by the government to ensure the environmental sustainability. In

the Presidential Decree No. 1151 or the Philippine Environmental Policy, Section
1, which states:
(a) To create, develop, maintain and improve conditions under which
man and nature can thrive in productive and enjoyable harmony with
each other;
(b) To fulfill the social, economic and other requirements of present and
future generations of Filipinos, and
(c) To insure the attainment of an environmental quality that is conducive
to a life of dignity and well-being.

In the book Architectural Theories of Design by George Salvan in the topic

Principles of Plan Composition, it is stated that good planning is not the placing of
areas together in an aimless way but a good plan should be organic, that it should
be organized that the composition will be disturbed if one element is removed. The
seaport should have a good space planning to provide good site circulation.
Buildings and parking spaces must be designated in order to provide convenience
and efficient service to the passengers.

The demand of sustainable approach to buildings is undeniably prevalent.

The style applied to a building also conforms to its purpose and functionality. In a
book by Stephen R. Kellert entitled The Practice of Biophilic Design, it states the
principles and benefits of Biophilic Design. These are:
1. Biophilic design requires repeated and sustained engagement with nature.

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2. Biophilic design focuses on human adaptations to the natural world that over
evolutionary time have advanced peoples health, fitness and wellbeing.
3. Biophilic design encourages an emotional attachment to particular settings
and places.
4. Biophilic design promotes positive interactions between people and nature
that encourage an expanded sense of relationship and responsibility for the
human and natural communities.
5. Biophilic design encourages mutual reinforcing, interconnected, and
integrated architectural solutions.

According to Kellert, Biophilic design seeks to sustain productivity,

functioning and resilience of systems over time. This also entails the application of
the design through direct experience of nature, indirect experience of nature and
experience of space and place.

One of the most prolific styles in architecture is that buildings and structures
are organic, organic in the sense that it is related to its natural surroundings.
According to a proposed list of rules towards the design of organic architecture by
an architect and planner David Pearson known as the Gaia Charter, it states that
let the design be:

a. be inspired by nature and be sustainable, healthy, conserving, and diverse.

b. unfold, like an organism, from the seed within
c. exist in the "continuous present" and "begin again and again"
d. follow the flows and be flexible and adaptable
e. satisfy social, physical, and spiritual needs

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f.

"grow out of the site" and be unique

g. celebrate the spirit of youth, play and surprise

h. express the rhythm of music and the power of dance.

In this manner, the designers believe that incorporating all the concepts and
legal bases into the seaport will make sustainable and diverse. It will also make
Tubigon seaport as an iconic transport infrastructure and a gateway to more
opportunities in economic growth in the province of Bohol.

THE PROBLEM

Statement of the Problem

The main thrust of this study is to assess and revitalized the Tubigon
seaport during the Academic Year 2015-2016.

Specifically, it aimed to answer the following questions:

1. What is the description of the revitalized Tubigon seaport in terms of its:

1.1 conceptual framework;
1.2 site planning and
1.3 technical plans?

2. What is the level of application of the design in terms of its:

2.1 sustainability;
2.2 functionality;
2.3 economy;

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2.4 security and

2.5 aesthetics?

3. What is the acceptability level of the revitalized Tubigon seaport design?

Statement of Null Hypothesis

There is no significant difference in the acceptability level between the

existing Tubigon seaport design and the revitalized Tubigon seaport design.

Significance of the Study

The following are the beneficiaries of this research study:

Boholanos. This research may help the people find job opportunities
allowing them to contribute to economic growth.

Architects, engineers, and designers. This will give them the opportunity
to apply and share their skills and knowledge and to explore more of their
profession as well.

Port Management. This research may aid them in implementing

progressive seaport management which may lead to delivering high standard
services to the public.

Passengers. This research may provide them easy, comfortable and

organized accommodation and travel.

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Local Government. This research may give them insights and views that
could help the people and boost the tourism industry and gain more revenue.

Future Researchers. The findings of this study could be a reference for

individuals who are to pursue in the same aspects of designing a seaport in the
province of Bohol.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Design
This study employed the descriptive method to gain the necessary
information about Tubigon, specifically its seaport. This involved site evaluation,
gathering of information, read articles and surfed the internet for additional data.

As the researchers executed the study they documented the conditions of

existing structures and the natural environment, interviewed authorities involved in
the project, conducted a research by providing questionnaires to the local
community members and some experts in the field of study.

From the data gathered, the researchers formulated a summary, came up

with conceptual ideas that conforms to the building standards, existing national
codes and local ordinances and presented their draft to an expert for consultation
in the person of Ar. Morris M. Collyer, uap.

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Environment and Participants

The main focus of this study was to revitalize the Tubigon seaport
incorporating sustainable design applications thus making the seaport a prime and
prolific transportation hub in the province of Bohol. To evaluate the level of
acceptability of the study, a questionnaire was made which was answered by
experts specifically architects, engineers, designers and officials of the local
government of Tubigon and Tubigon port management.

Instrument

An observation guide was used to assess the existing conditions of Tubigon

seaport and its natural environment. A questionnaire was used to determine the
acceptability level of the revitalized Tubigon seaport design in comparison to the
existing seaport design.

In the questionnaires, the respondents were instructed to put a check mark

in the column that fits their genuine judgment in terms of its sustainability,
functionality, economy, security and aesthetics.

The questionnaires were collected, collated and interpreted. The answers

on each item were analyzed to determine the trend of the responses.

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Procedure
1. Choosing the Research Problem

While reading some books, scanning some articles, and getting information
from friends, the researchers came up with the idea of revitalizing the Tubigon
seaport to parallel it with the boosting economic activity in the town.

Being also the second largest seaport in the province of Bohol, the port of
Tubigon plays a key role in the economic progress in the town and in the province
as a whole in terms of tourism, trade and commerce. Thus, revitalizing the seaport
will lead to its potential of being an economic and tourism gateway in the other half
of Bohol.

2. Consulting the Thesis Adviser

By the time the topic was chosen, sketches were made and presented to
the adviser and expert for consultation in the person of Ar. Morris M. Collyer,uap.

3. Researching of Possible Solutions

With the experts advice, the researchers came up with design solutions but
decided to research further for an innovative design.

4. Designing the Proposed Design

The design solutions were identified and the concept was then formulated
with a series of technical plans and drawings.

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5. Formulating

Questionnaire

in

Relation

to

the

Proposed

Revitalization of Tubigon Seaport

When the designs were done, it was subject to further evaluation. A

questionnaire was formulated in relation to its significance and level of
acceptability.

6. Analyzing and Interpretation of Data

After the questionnaires have been answered, data were then collated and
analyzed.

7. Formulating the Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations

With the obtained results validated, the researchers formulated a summary,

conclusion and recommendations with regards to the proposed revitalization of
Tubigon seaport.

Statistical Treatment

The gathered data from the respondents in the questionnaire were

collected, collated, and interpreted.

A statistical treatment using T-test was done to validate the claim of the
study. To calculate the independent T-test which is the existing seaport, the
hypothesis was set up first. The first one is the null hypothesis and the second
hypothesis in the independent T-test is the alternative hypothesis.

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To calculate the parameter, this formula was used:

Where,

= independent T-test

= mean score for community members

= mean score for experts

= # of respondents for community members

= # of respondents for experts

After calculating the parameter, the calculated value and the table value
were compared. If the calculated value is greater than the table value, then the null
hypothesis for the independent T-test was rejected. If the calculated value is less
than the table value, then the null hypothesis was accepted and therefore there is
no significant difference between the existing seaport design and the proposed
revitalized seaport design.