Awareness, practices, and preservation of heritage tourism through cultural performance in secondary school in San Joaquin, Iloilo

Abstract

The core of heritage tourism lies within its past, its understanding, oral lore and beliefs handed down from generation to generation that still survives in the locals' daily routines and actions. This study sought to address the existing gap of La Jota San Joaquina dance by looking into its cultural awareness, practices and preservation among one hundred eighty-three (183) students of Don Felix Serra National High School. Employing descriptive-correlational methods, participants were selected according to age and sex using purposive sampling. Validated researcher made data gathering instruments were used through face to face surveys between November-December 2023. With non-parametric statistical tools employed for data analyses. The findings consistently demonstrated remarkable level of awareness, practices and preservation among the secondary students, regardless of the demographics, such as sex and age. In terms of awareness it demonstrated a high level of awareness, in the extent of practices also demonstrated high level of practices as well as in the extent of preservation. Significant differences existed in the level of awareness, extent of practices and preservation when grouped according to sex and it favored to female. However, no significant differences existed when grouped according to age. There is a high correlation and strong relationship between practices and preservation of heritage tourism while there is a negligible correlational and no significant relationship between cultural awareness and preservation of heritage tourism and between cultural awareness and practices of the respondents.