Thesis (BS Architecture) University of the Philippines Mindanao, 2019

Informal activities in the bus terminals in the Davao Region have been present in the areas even before the construction of the terminal buildings. They were allowed to continue their work in the bus terminals as a source of financial income. Although, it can be observed that these informal activities seemed to provide for the needs of the passengers in terms of service and comfort - being able to aid in delivering baggage, providing seats from the karenderya, and providing information to the passengers, instead of the bus terminal being able to provide the tangible and operational facilities. Thus, what has happened in the present is that these informal activities have compensated for the gaps in the bus terminal, being able to provide services and comfort for the passengers, but still considered by the administration as an indication of disorganization and lack of progress. Seeing their importance in the daily functions, the administration has not considered to include these activities and workers in the planning and design of the terminal or provide facilities which would improve their delivery of services. To address this issue, this study aims to explore the relationship between the informal activities, service quality, and overall perceived comfort of the passengers in the bus terminals in Davao Region in order to create design guidelines for an inclusive and improved planning and design of bus terminals. The methods used were field observation, interviews with the passengers and workers, and survey questionnaire assessing service quality, overall perceived comfort, and perception on informal workers. The overall result were analyzed through the Spearman-Rank Correlation Analysis in order to determine which factor affects the other. According to the results, the most important aspect of service for the passengers in the provision of sources of information (i.e. information kiosks), comfort is equated as being able to properly fit on seats and rest before their trip, and it was proved that the informal activities are essential in providing their needs and services, especially through vendors, porters, and canvassers/dispatchers. Moreover, the results of the correlation stated that less time is wasted through having baggage areas and different modes of payment, being able to provide travel information would mean safer access to bus bay areas and following of schedules, the lack of resting areas result to the emergence of folding bed concessionaires, the use of folding beds contribute to congestion, and karenderyas are places were passengers and worker rest. These results were vital in creating design guidelines for spaces for the informal activities, services which can be improved through creation of spaces, and current aspects in the bus terminal design standards which can be revised. Through this, the activities and workers have been included in planning and design of bus terminals, promoting better service quality, higher perceived comfort, connectivity, integration, and culture between formal and informal activities