Iloilo City Research Articles

School Heads’ Mentoring Practices And Supervisory Skills: Their Influence On Teachers’ Performance

This descriptive-correlational study investigated the relationship between school heads’ mentoring practices, supervisory skills, and teacher performance in Iloilo City, Philippines. Data from 350 randomly selected elementary and secondary teachers revealed that school heads prioritize fostering a positive attitude in teachers, while their overall supervisory skills are perceived as exceeding expectations. Interestingly, teacher performance also exceeded expectations, but no significant correlation was found between mentoring-supervisory skills and teacher performance. This suggests that other factors beyond school leadership might influence teacher effectiveness. However, mentoring practices were consistently valued by teachers, highlighting their importance in creating a supportive school environment.

School Heads’ Decision – Making Styles And Educational Leadership: Their Influence On School Culture

This study investigated the influence of school heads' decision-making styles and educational leadership on school culture, as perceived by teachers in the Schools Division of Iloilo City, Philippines. Utilizing a descriptive-correlational design and stratified random sampling, 350 teachers assessed their school heads' decision-making styles, educational leadership levels, and the prevailing school culture. Findings revealed a predominance of the Planner decision-making style among school heads, with no significant variations observed across teacher demographics. The level of educational leadership was generally perceived as very satisfactory, although differences emerged based on school level and teacher experience. While the dominant school culture wasn't explicitly identified, significant variations were found based on school level and length of service. Importantly, both decision-making styles and educational leadership were found to significantly influence school culture, highlighting the crucial role of school heads in shaping a positive and effective learning environment. The study underscores the importance of context-specific leadership approaches and collaborative decision-making in fostering a conducive school culture.

School Heads’ Decision – Making Styles And Educational Leadership: Their Influence On School Culture

This study investigated the influence of school heads' decision-making styles and educational leadership on school culture, as perceived by teachers in the Schools Division of Iloilo City, Philippines. Utilizing a descriptive-correlational design and stratified random sampling, 350 teachers assessed their school heads' decision-making styles, educational leadership levels, and the prevailing school culture. Findings revealed a predominance of the Planner decision-making style among school heads, with no significant variations observed across teacher demographics. The level of educational leadership was generally perceived as very satisfactory, although differences emerged based on school level and teacher experience. While the dominant school culture wasn't explicitly identified, significant variations were found based on school level and length of service. Importantly, both decision-making styles and educational leadership were found to significantly influence school culture, highlighting the crucial role of school heads in shaping a positive and effective learning environment. The study underscores the importance of context-specific leadership approaches and collaborative decision-making in fostering a conducive school culture.

Effects of Rainfall Intensity, Kinetic Energy and Slope Angle to the Upslope, Downslope, and Lateral Slope Components of Splash Erosion in Hillslope Agriculture: A Case in Badiangan, Ajuy, Iloilo

This study was conducted in Barangay Badiangan, Ajuy, Iloilo City, Philippines (11°10’N, 122°58’E) to determine the effects of rainfall intensity and other rainfall-derived parameters on the directional components of splash erosion in hillslopes. There are five experimental set-ups with slope angles ranging from 0% to 48% were tested under natural rainfall conditions using a modified splash collector. The data collected shows that kinetic energy, slope, and rainfall intensity have shown significant effects on splash erosion. The models obtained using regression analysis are 𝑄𝑄𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑=0.0093(𝐾𝐾𝐾𝐾0.80) and 𝑄𝑄𝑡 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡=0.060(𝐾𝐾𝐾𝐾0.107)(𝑆𝑆0.700)(𝐼𝐼200.700) . The model equation performance has been validated using the Standard Error of Estimates with values of 12 and 9.4 for splash detachment and splash transport, respectively. The constants used for kinetic energy in detachment and slope in transport align with the research by Quansah (1981) for sandy soil, which is similar (the characteristics) to the soil at our research site. Additionally, rainfall intensity, especially with a 20-min duration, generated the best model as it yielded the lowest SEE value for all cases.

Redefining Coaching in a Pandemic: A Qualitative Exploration of Physical Educators' Responses to Sports During COVID-19

A sports coach is a total package individual who is competent and well-equipped for the role we are demonstrating. Coaches with the best level of training and the most years of experience in the sport have invested more in their education and are better at adjusting the content of the training to the developmental stages of children and adolescents. The main purpose of the study is to explore the experiences of PE teachers is sports coaching in times of COVID-19 Pandemic. On the professional aspect, the informants were able to bring their MAPEH teaching skills into practice in their own municipalities and provinces. As a result of the researcher's inability to travel, online communication and interviews were used as data collection methods to elicit the informants' experiences. This part includes the presentation, analysis, and interpretation of data gathered from the six informants from Guimaras, Aklan, Iloilo City, Ajuy, Potatan, and Pavia. It includes (1) Adversities of COVID-19 Pandemic with sub-themes of learning and training modalities and versatility of sports coaching strategies and styles (2) The Resiliency in Virtual Hubs with sub themes of life cycle on social media and (3) Discernments in the Midst of Global Dilemma with subthemes of internal enthusiasm and mind setting. Encouraging athletes to reset their mindsets to see quarantine as a learning opportunity, organizing suitable guidance, educating and motivating athletes to use proper preventive behavior, and establishing acceptable living isolation conditions. Some types of circuit-based body mass resistance training may aid aerobic adaptation. The athlete's needs should be taken into account when organizing sports skills training. The acronym AGAMER was a practical and feasible intervention that can be used by any PE teacher and coach in their respective field of expertise.

National–Local Synergies for Development: How a Local Political Machine Delivered Infrastructure Results in Iloilo City

The upsurge in big-ticket infrastructure projects in Iloilo City for the past two decades owes much to the developmental alliance amongst Senator Franklin Drilon as the national government benefactor, multi-term city mayors, and the local business sector. These government officials’ prolonged tenure in office afforded a stable political leadership that ensured long-term planning around key infrastructure projects and continued access to national government funding. Robust institutional and informal ties between political and economic elites enabled consensus-building on the virtues of market-driven growth for which infrastructure is key. The Drilon political machine orchestrated a diverse but astutely networked group of local businesses by involving them in formal participatory planning processes, thereby facilitating approval of big-ticket items, and by influencing bureaucrats from national government agencies to approve the projects.

Understanding Mathematically Talented Male Learners’ Perception of Teaching Mathematics as a Profession: A Path Analysis

ABSTRACT This descriptive-correlational research aimed to examine the predictive and mediational role of parental support, classroom environment, value, attitude, and anxiety in the perception towards teaching mathematics as a profession of mathematically talented male senior high school learners. One hundred eighteen learners from purposively selected public and private schools in Iloilo City and in the districts of the province of Iloilo participated in the study. Six adapted instruments were used to gather data, which underwent content validation and reliability testing. Means, frequency, standard deviations, Pearson’s product-moment correlations, Multiple Linear Regression and Path Analysis, were the statistical tools used. Results revealed that mathematically talented male learners have moderate parental support, a positive classroom environment, a very useful value of mathematics, a strongly positive attitude, low anxiety, and a moderately high perception towards teaching mathematics. When classified according to parental support, learners who received moderate and high parental support outscored learners with low parental support in their attitude towards mathematics and perception towards teaching mathematics. Also, learners in the positive group outperformed learners in the slightly positive group in their attitude towards mathematics when classified according to the classroom environment. Parental support, value, and attitude can directly predict the perception towards teaching mathematics, but not classroom environment and anxiety. Moreover, parental support, value and attitude were partially mediated while classroom environment was completely mediated on the influence the perception towards teaching Mathematics by the other constructs included in the model. Furthermore, the classroom environment influences the perception towards teaching mathematics. Parental support has the highest contribution in predicting the perception towards teaching mathematics. In conclusion, these findings indicated that parental support has the biggest attribution in predicting mathematically talented male learners’ perceptions towards teaching mathematics.

Awareness and Training Needs of Teachers in Inclusive Education

The primary objective of this research was to evaluate the awareness levels and identify the training requirements of educators in inclusive education. The study encompassed 73 teachers from the Grade School, Junior High School, and Senior High School divisions of a private university within the purview of the Division of Iloilo City, Philippines for the academic year 2023- 2024. An adapted questionnaire was utilized as the primary research tool. The analysis used frequency count, percentage, mean, rank, standard deviation, and ANOVA. The findings revealed that, when collectively considered, the educators demonstrated an intermediate level of awareness concerning inclusive education, mainly focusing on Professional Knowledge Regarding Inclusive Education and Exceptional Children, Knowledge of Instructional Practices and Content, and Knowledge in Planning and Managing the Teaching and Learning Environment. Moreover, the results emphasized the pressing need for training, with respondents emphasizing the significance of being effectively trained in areas such as Assessing Student Needs, Resourcing Classroom Learning, Enhancing Collaboration and Communication with Parents, Colleagues, and the Community, Evaluation of Student Progress, and Goal Setting. Furthermore, the study also explored potential differences in awareness levels across various demographic factors, including age, educational background, grade level taught, length of service, and previous training experiences. The analysis revealed that these demographic factors did not significantly influence the awareness levels among the teachers regarding inclusive education.

Knowledge about cholera and its prevention among household heads in a highly urbanized city in Western Philippines: a cross-sectional study

Introduction: Cholera remains a significant public health threat globally, but its impact can be significantly reduced with the right knowledge and correct preventive practices. Conducting a study to provide baseline data and identify knowledge gaps on cholera will benefit at-risk and vulnerable communities. This research aimed to determine the household heads' knowledge about cholera and its prevention in a barangay in the Western Philippines. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a questionnaire was conducted in an urban barangay in Iloilo City in Western Philippines among 252 randomly selected household heads in May 2023. Data were described, and t-Test for independent samples and one-way ANOVA were used to test for differences. Results: The majority of household heads were generally knowledgeable about cholera and its prevention, but only 51.2% knew that oral rehydrating solution (ORS) could help manage symptoms of cholera. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in knowledge about cholera and its prevention based on sex (t = 2.92; p = 0.004). Conclusions: Household heads understood well and were informed of cholera and its prevention, although there were still some misconceptions. Continuous health education and knowledge assessment are recommended to raise awareness and ensure correct and timely information dissemination regarding cholera.

SUITABILITY ANALYSIS FOR URBAN BICYCLE TOURISM OF ILOILO CITY USING GIS

Abstract. Urban bicycle tourism refers to the recreational and enjoyable use of bicycles in navigating urban cities like Iloilo City. The city has already established an 11-kilometer cycling infrastructure within its boundaries. It is imperative to maximize its use to combat the negative impacts of rapid urbanization and promote safe and sustainable transportation. This paper shows the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to assess the bike lanes network's suitability and accessibility for building a bike-sharing system that also caters to drop-off and ride-on points at each station. Deletion of duplicates and cleaning of road network data and tourist attraction point data was performed prior to any analysis. Service areas were generated to determine the number of tourist attractions catered by each potential bike share station – defined by main road intersections. Point distance analysis was performed to reduce the number of road intersections to just thirty-nine (39). Bicycle route maps and itineraries were produced to visualize the optimal routes tourists can use for exploring the city based on preferred sites category. From here, Route Analysis was conducted to create four (4) itineraries based on tourism categories: Top 10 Most Rated Tourist Attractions, Food and Dining, Museums and Churches, and Shopping and Leisure. The output maps and itineraries can be presented to the City Tourism Office of Iloilo City as a decision support tool for its programs and policies regarding bike lanes.

Status of Implementation of Face-to-Face Classes: Basis for Schools’ Contextualized Policy Formulation in the New Normal

This descriptive-survey research aimed to determine the status of public schools in the implementation of face-to-face classes in the new normal. The independent variables were school classification and school size, while school operations, teaching and learning, well-being, and protection, and home-school coordination were the dependent variables. The study was conducted among 63 school heads in the Schools Division of Iloilo City. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect the needed data. Means, frequency counts, standard deviations, Mann Whitney-U, and Kruskal Wallis were utilized to interpret the results. The findings revealed that the status of public schools in the implementation of face-to-face classes in the new normal in terms of school operations and well-being and protection was “almost implemented”, and “fully implemented” in terms of teaching and learning and home-school coordination. Moreover, there is no significant difference in the status of public schools in the implementation of face-to-face classes in the new normal in terms of school operations, teaching and learning, well-being, and protection, and home-school coordination when grouped according to school classification and school size. It is recommended that the agency concerned should ensure proper implementation and sustainability of face-to-face classes. As an offshoot of the study, a policy formulation was developed by the researcher. It contains contextualized policy on school operations, teaching and learning, well-being, and protection, and home-school coordination.

MSMEs as Catalysts for Growth: Analyzing their Contribution to Food Tour Development and Local Economic Sustainability

This study used a descriptive correlational approach to determine MSMEs' competitiveness and contributions to food tour development in Iloilo City. The study's respondents were entrepreneurs who managed and/or owned micro, small, and medium-sized businesses in Iloilo City, engaged in the food industry, and were either part of or considered part of the tourist circuit. A modified survey instrument addressed the study's concerns and was the primary data source. A validity score of 4.64 and a reliability Cronbach alpha of 0.980 indicates that the instrument is valid and very reliable. Descriptive and inferential statistical tools were used for statistical treatment. Key findings indicate that food-related MSMEs in Iloilo City are moderately competitive in their capacity to compete, connect, and change. A modest contribution to the growth of food tours through job creation and product offering but a low contribution to total monthly sales. A positive direct relationship was found between business competitiveness and contribution to food tour development. Entrepreneurial age and educational level have been shown to influence how much enterprises contribute to food tour development. The findings of this study may be applied to the growth and management of MSMEs in Iloilo City, making them more competitive agents of food tour development. Any organization that wants to be competitive should strategically form good partnerships to get amazing outcomes. Using positioning and uniqueness to catch visitors' attention, food-related MSMEs may leverage tourists who value food in their travel reasons. Appreciating local food resources and paying close attention to how they are presented and promoted to the public would likely attract tourists and increase tourism earnings.

Health Risks and Roles in Medical Surveillance among Nurses Working in BPO Sectors in Iloilo City, Philippines

Health Risks and Roles in Medical Surveillance among Nurses Working in BPO Sectors in Iloilo City, Philippines

Compliance with Business Permits and Licensing System Requirements: Effects on Business Performance and Satisfaction Among MSMEs

This study investigated the relationships and differences among compliance levels, business performance, and satisfaction with the Business Permits and Licensing System (BPLS) requirements among 390 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Iloilo City, Philippines. Using a descriptive, quantitative, and correlational design, the study sampled MSMEs from various industry sectors using the Input-Process-Output (IPO) model. Results show that MSMEs, particularly in sectors C and D, reported high compliance with BPLS requirements. It implies strong adherence to the requirement, suggesting effective engagement with the regulatory system. They also rated their business performance, including changes in gross sales, sales growth, capitalization, capital turnover, employee numbers, and overall satisfaction, as very good to excellent. It suggests they are experiencing strong financial performance, indicating a positive economic impact. High satisfaction with BPLS was also noted, which implies that the system is easy and efficient, leading to improved compliance and more favorable business conditions. T-tests and ANOVA revealed differences and similarities in compliance, business performance, and satisfaction across different business types and sectors, suggesting that these factors are affected by specific attributes of each business group. Pearson's correlation analysis indicated a negligible relationship between compliance and business performance, a very strong positive relationship between compliance and satisfaction, and a weak positive relationship between business performance and satisfaction. It implies that compliance significantly enhances satisfaction and has little impact on business performance. The study's recommendations, such as fully implementing an electronic BPLS and customer feedback system as part of the EODB law and including additional financial indicators in the unified application form, are of utmost importance. Future research should extend the analysis to other cities and local governments in the Visayas to further explore the linkage between compliance, business performance, and satisfaction.

Living with the Pandemic: Experiences of Muslim Micro-Entrepreneurs in Iloilo City

Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the Philippines have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to disruptions in their economic activity. The combination of restricted movement, the need to maintain physical distance, and different degrees of community lockdown and quarantine have caused these businesses to become economically stagnant. This qualitative research explored the experiences of four Muslim entrepreneurs as they continue their daily grind amidst the pandemic. Data shows that Muslim entrepreneurs experience anxiety regarding their health and financial circumstances. Spirituality and innovative marketing strategies were adopted to mitigate the adverse effects of the pandemic. Survival efforts were resorted to by Muslim entrepreneurs despite the local government’s financial assistance and food relief packages. This study advances government interventions by proposing novel solutions and regulations. It also aims to improve access to government relief packages for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), especially those that are informal and unregistered. The study also suggests the introduction of information technology (IT) solutions.

Decoding Success: Assessing the Online Pseudocode Interpreter through Users Insights

Pseudocode is vital in enhancing programming comprehension, making it an essential component of the Programming Logic Formulation (CS1) course. However, many CS1 students from various senior high school strands struggle with this concept, highlighting the need for additional learning resources. This research evaluated a pseudocode interpreter designed for first-year Information and Communications Technology (ICT) students at Iloilo Science and Technology University in Iloilo City, Philippines. Using random sampling, 147 first-year ICT students were selected to evaluate the software's user experience in usability, credibility, appearance, and loyalty using the Standardized User Experience Percentile Rank Questionnaire (SUPR-Q). Likewise, five ICT experts were selected using purposive sampling to evaluate the system's validity as instructional material based on its content and on the material's organization, form, and style using the university's Quality Form for Instructional Materials (IM). The user experience evaluation yielded positive results, with students unanimously agreeing on the software's ease of use, dependability, and user-friendliness. The expert evaluation confirmed the system's validity as instructional material, commending its content, organization, form, and style. These findings suggest that the pseudocode interpreter provides immediate benefits for students, offering a valuable learning tool. Moreover, the software has the potential to be adopted by other faculty members, promoting a more efficient and captivating learning experience. Future research could investigate how interpreters affect student learning and their usefulness in various educational settings.

Adversity Quotient, Leadership Resilience, and Mentoring and Coaching Strategies of Instructional Leaders

To improve the technical assistance strategy, this study evaluated the adversity quotient, leadership resilience, and mentoring and coaching techniques of instructional leaders. Respondents of this study were the 138 public secondary instructional leaders composed of department heads and master teachers chosen randomly from the 210 total population of department heads and master teachers in SDO, Iloilo City. Ethical factors were considered to achieve this overall goal. Respondents were informed of the study's objective, benefits, and risks before being requested for consent to participate as respondents in the survey. The 2012 Data Privacy Act maintained the confidentiality of the respondent’s identity. A descriptive research design with stratified random sampling examined demographic variables such as sex, designation, educational attainment, and length of service. The sample showed a notable sex disproportion, with most respondents being Master Teachers I, holding advanced degrees, and having over ten years of experience. Regarding sex, designation/position, and educational attainment of instructional leaders, there was no significant difference in the level of AQ® among respondents. However, there is a significant difference in the AQ® level of the respondents when grouped by their length of service. Additionally, AQ® analysis revealed "below average" levels for males and females, with significant differences across designations but not by educational attainment. Respondents with less experience showed "higher" resilience than those with longer tenures, while leadership resilience remained consistently high across all demographics. No significant differences were found in mentoring and coaching strategies based on the demographic profile. The findings suggest a need for targeted interventions to improve resilience among more experienced leaders and support more effective mentoring and coaching strategies. These insights inform the creation of a technical assistance plan to enhance instructional leadership.

Awareness and Relevance of Tour Guiding Profession to Hospitality and Tourism Management Students of Iloilo City

Travel and tourism industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy. It is a multi-billion dollar industry that exists in all parts of the world. As a result, the nature of tour guiding and the skills required by an individual guide can vary widely. In order facilitate these demands it is recognizable that there is a need for tour operators and guides who are thoroughly adept in administrative and social aspects.Hence, it is crucial to train and develop the knowledge and skills of tour guiding to tourism and hospitality management students.The purpose of this study is to determine the awareness and relevance of tour guiding profession to hospitality and tourism management students. The convenience sampling was employed in the selection of the participants of the study. A survey instrument was constructed as the data collection tool. This study utilized the non- parametric test for normality using mean scores, rank, and standard deviations were employed as descriptive statistics; while the Shapiro wilk, Kruskal- Wallis test for independent samples, Spearman Rho, and Mann Whitney, were employed as inferential statistics. The criterion for the acceptance or rejection of the null hypotheses was set at .05 alpha level. The study revealed that most participants assess their awareness level to tour guidingprofession as “highly aware.” Furthermore, a greater number of the participants perceived tour guiding profession as “highly relevant.” The test for normality using Mann- Whitney U Test and Kruskal- Wallis shows that no significant differences existed in their level of awareness and perceived relevance to tour guiding professionwhen they were classified according to sex and degree program pursued. However, positive and significant relationships existed between the participants’ level of awareness and relevance to tour guiding profession when they were taken as a whole and further classified as to sex, age, and degree program pursued, (p= . 000, p=> .05) Therefore, the null hypotheses must be rejected. The study concluded that an increase of awareness has a relationship on the relevance of tour guiding as a profession among hospitality and tourism students.

Lived Experiences in Family Business Among Business Graduates of a Private Higher Educational Institution in Iloilo City, Philippines

There has been no academic work dedicated to the discovery of the lived experiences of business graduates from a private higher educational institution in Iloilo City, Philippines in their respective family businesses in terms of their daily lives. This phenomenological study was conducted to explore the lived experiences of business graduates of a private higher educational institution in Iloilo City, Philippines who joined their respective family businesses. Moreover, this study intended to describe the profile of the business graduate participants, family business involvement, family relationships, personal and work-related conflicts, and (4) contributions to their family firms. The qualitative research design was employed for this study, specifically phenomenology. Seven participants through purposive sampling voluntarily joined in this phenomenological study after signing the informed consent form. They came from the class of 2017 to 2019 business graduates. The result showed that the seven (7) participants of this study were all business graduates, who were majority males, aged 23-27 years old from a private educational institution in Iloilo City. They had never enrolled in any graduate school programs. The majority graduated last 2019 with three (3) years of working experience. The majority are into retail and hardware supplies. The operational years of their businesses ranged from nine (9) to 55. Almost all were classified as having medium businesses and only one was classified as small. For their family business involvement, they have experienced early involvement in their businesses, they were trusted to manage, and they feel valued. Strong family relationships also emerged among business graduates. They have experienced parental comfort and advice as well as close relationships with their parents. As to the personal and work-related conflicts, they experienced careless operational mistakes, interpersonal work conflicts, emotional challenges, and limited freedom. When it comes to their contributions to the family businesses, they have contributed to the vision and internal control strategies, social media marketing, sales increase, financial clarity, and lessening the workloads of parents. This study can serve as a basis for involving business graduates early in the family business. Employing them can enable them to contribute success factors earlier. Maintaining strong relationships among family members employed in the family firm must be done to avoid personal and work-related conflicts.

“On becoming a peacebuilder”: narratives of the Grade 10 learners

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how learners view peace and their role in peacebuilding. Peace is widely perceived as the absence of war and violence (Castro and Galace, 2010). The literature revealed that youths play an active role in peacebuilding. This study was designed to look into the journey of Grade 10 learners to becoming peacebuilders. Specifically, this sought answers to the following questions: What are the perceptions of the Grade 10 learners of peace? How do the Grade 10 learners contribute to peacebuilding? What are the learners’ dreams and aspirations for a culture of peace? Design/methodology/approach The research captured stories of the Grade 10 learners of a Filipino-Chinese school in Iloilo City who participated in the study voluntarily. The learners wrote an essay in one of their reflection sessions in social studies class completing the following phrases: Peace is …; I am a Peacebuilder …; My dreams and aspirations for a culture of peace …. The data gathered were analyzed following Creswell’s framework in data analysis in qualitative research which suggests a linear, hierarchical approach. The themes generated were interpreted as the final process of the data analysis. Findings Majority of the participants perceived peace positively rather than merely an absence of war. Peace means freedom. Moreover, peace improves society and brings in a new period of progress. Learners across cultures have common views of peace, and they believed that peacebuilding has to begin in themselves. Through positive action such as setting as a good example and influencing others to do the same, the learners contribute to peacebuilding. In times of conflict and misunderstanding, they act as agents of peace by being a mediator. During crisis in the community, they extended their helping hands to the needy wholeheartedly. Research limitations/implications Consistent with the prevailing views of peace, learners perceived peace positively and negatively. It is interesting to note that most participants had a positive perception of peace, which demonstrated a more profound conception of the topic. Their broader perspectives on peace may have been influenced by the author, who taught the participants for two years and who began as a peace advocate and incorporated peace ideas into class discussions in some instances. The findings from this study might only be the tip of the iceberg and far from being definitive given the small number of participants and the researcher’s relationship with them, which may have impacted their responses and created some concerns about authenticity and anonymity. Practical implications This study upheld the claim of Gandhi that youths are agents of positive change (Del Felice and Wisler, 2007). Young people are potential peacebuilders. This study provided encouragement for the truth that we should not undervalue youth’s ability to effect change. This can prompt greater discussion among scholars about peace in general inside the group, which might be viewed as being ignored on peace studies. Social implications The participants’ dreams and aspirations for a culture of peace went beyond just improving their own lives. They shared Gandhi and Rizal’s aspirations for a better world and a habitable Philippines. Their narratives exhibited that they wished for a common good, which was uplifting. Their expectations and aspirations might have varied because of their economic situation and cultural orientation. Originality/value Literatures revealed that youths play an active role in peacebuilding. In school, for instance, Jabor (2017) concluded that students are enablers and not only the prime recipients of peace process. In a bigger context, Del Felice and Wisler (2007) illustrated in their study how the youths spearheaded various organizations for the benefit of humanity. Despite the many attestations, the contributions of the youth to peacebuilding are still deemed understudied. Most of the studies were based on the dichotomous view of the youth: victims and perpetrators of violence (UNOY Peacebuilder, 2015).