I.

INTRODUCTION

The Philippines' tourism and hospitality industry significantly contributes to the

country's economy growth and competitiveness with its 7, 641-island archipelago, rich in

natural resources, habitats, and scenic beauty. According to the Department of Tourism,

between January and December 2023, the country attracted over 5.4 million foreign visitors,

with 91.80% of these being foreign nationals. Over 4.4 million were Filipinos abroad, a

significant 8.20% increase. This growth has led to increased demand for innovative products,

services, and infrastructure, opening opportunities for both local and foreign investment.

Aside from that, Philippine architecture, rooted in Indigenous practices and influenced by

centuries of cultural exchange, is a testament to the country's rich cultural heritage. It

celebrates cultural diversity, reflecting the distinct identities of different regions, tribes, and

ethnic groups across the archipelago, highlighting the dynamic nature of the country's design

aesthetic (Beldad, 2023).

Nowadays, significant growth of urbanization in the country makes the hospitality

industry highly competitive as luxury tourism is also gaining a significant boom due to the

fast-changing trends. However, cultural factors in designing structures are slowly

evaporating, especially in the hospitality industry that offers luxury services. Most 5-star

hotels and resorts were designed with a contemporary designed structure. This is the result of

the introduction of innovative ideas and concepts that contradict long-standing cultural norms

and customs. For instance, the newly built structures are being modernized due to the

adoption of emerging trends of contemporary and modern designs that is resulting in the loss

of identity of a particular community.

luxury brands when it comes to increasing client satisfaction, their ability to combine

refinement, customized service, and high-quality products also promotes brand awareness

and loyalty. As most people look for getaway destinations that provide a home away from

home that provides extraordinary experience so they can escape their hectic schedules and

find some peace and quiet away from the bustle of the city. They look towards a more

isolated environment with a calm and peaceful atmosphere that offers a serene view and

leisure activities with high-end services and facilities, as opposed to the congested metropolis

they live in. And among the Philippines’ tourist sector, luxury tourism is in great demand and

has evolved both domestically and globally. This industry continues to grow quickly and is

one of the service sectors where the country has the potential to become globally

competitive. But along with this is its effect on the environment, the construction sector

contributes over 39% of global CO2 emissions per year, making climate change a major

concern in the current century. The hospitality industry has undergone significant evolution

in recent decades, but has received limited attention from various disciplines, including

architecture (E & María, 2023).

CALABARZON is one of the clusters of Philippine Tourism in which nature

tourism is one of the strategic offers. And development opportunities of tourism and leisure

included in Batangas as tourism related business has an enormous potential in the province.

Batangas is one of the provinces of CALABARZON that is considered distinct from other

provinces due to its rich and fertile lands and fine beautiful beaches that are being developed

to harness to the fullest its tourism potential and productivity. Within this province resides

the municipality of Calatagan, located at the southwest portion, and which highlight the
respective cluster tourism destination in the tourism industry and was identified as one of the

priority tourism circuits by the DOT Region IV-A for the Green Corridor Initiative. A project

of DOT- Region IV-A that aims in improving the environmental quality, offering economic

resilience opportunity, and preserving the heritage and culture. Based on the Comprehensive

Development Plan of the municipality, with its luxury views from the beaches and richness

in historical heritage, the municipality lacks luxurious and leisure facilities in tourism zones

such 5-star hotels and resorts.

Thus, this proposal entitled “Tanglaw La Costa: Integration of Filipinos’ Cultural

Identity and Sustainable Architecture through Luxury, A Proposed 5 Star Hotel and Resort in

Calatagan, Batangas,” is envisioned as a development that would be taken not only as one of

the standards in the luxury tourism and hospitality industry, but also will be a trademark that

will reflect the Filipinos identity, and for economic opportunities. The development will help

in preservation of Filipinos’ cultural identity by incorporating some prominent historical

features from the municipality through Filipino Vernacular design approach while fostering

sustainability to the proposed project that will bring significant purpose in protecting and

saving the environment.