I. ABSTRACT

One of the most relevant tourism strategies of the countries with a flourishing tourism sector is
improving the "quality of life". Neighbouring countries like Malaysia, Thailand, and especially
Singapore have adopted "quality tourism" strategies that are focused on locals' well-being through
public engagement and participation (Singapore et al., 2020). Despite the growing recognition of
QOL internationally, more tourism QOL studies are needed in the Philippines. This gap limits the
country's ability to compete with its well-visited neighbors and capture substantial economic
benefits from tourism. This study employed an explanatory sequential mixed-method approach
grounded in Social Exchange Theory to address this gap. It explored stakeholders' QoL and
perceptions of tourism development in Tagaytay City and investigated the relationship and
difference between their demographic profile and quality of life. This study's quantitative phase
captured residents' perceptions across ten barangays and tourists. In contrast, the qualitative phase
provided insights into Tagaytay's tourism development through interviews with residents, tourists,
business owners, barangay officials, and the Tagaytay Tourism Office. QOL was measured
through six domains: community well-being, urban issues, way of life, community pride and
awareness, economic strength, and recreation amenities assessed through the tool developed by
Andereck and Nyaupane (2011). Results revealed a correlation between age, years of residency,
occupation, and quality of life received. Additionally, stakeholders reported moderate overall QoL
(3.31), with the highest satisfaction in "way of life" (3.57) and the lowest in "urban issues" (2.60).
Several themes derived from QOL domains that described stakeholders' perceptions of Tagaytay
City's tourism development were also found. Through integrating quantitative and qualitative data,
this study presented the different voices of the stakeholders. It informed the development of
tourism programs that minimize the negative impacts of tourism while maximizing benefits for
stakeholders and the city as a whole.