Proposed BLIGYA for the Struggling Families in Cebu

Bantiling, J.B., Camua, V., Ferrater, M.K., Magadan, S.K.

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Rationale of the Study

The COVID-19 pandemic poses an acute threat to the well-being of

children and families due to challenges related to social disruption such as

financial insecurity(Browne, Prime & Wade, 2020). This spotlight addresses

financial vulnerability as a specific challenge for countries, organizations and

individuals (Mogaji, 2020). According to the World Poverty Clock which provides

a real-time estimate that monitors progress against ending extreme poverty that

an estimated number of 713,455 800 people in the world are experiencing

extreme poverty in 2020. In 2019, it shows an estimated number of 651, 476, 000

people experiencing extreme poverty. This shows an increase of 61, 979, 800

people living from an extreme poverty from 2019.

Nationally, the Philippine Statistic authority release the updates for

2018 Full Year official Poverty Statistics on June 04, 2020 with an estimated of

16.7 percent which is equivalent to 17.7 million of Filipinos living in poverty

(Mapa, 2020). World bank senior economist in the Philippines Rong Qian told

reporters in a virtual press conference that they did a simulation, only assuming

two months of loss of income by the poor and vulnerable population, the poverty

rate can increase by 3.3 percentage points in 2020 (Cordero, 2020).

 World bank updated the 2018 poverty incidence among Filipino families in

Central Visayas on February 12, 2020 with an estimated 13.2 percent which

means that there are 132 for every 1000 families with income below the amount

needed to meet their food and non-food needs (Mapa, 2020). Data from the

Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the unemployment rate in

Central Visayas in April 2020 stood at 16.7 percent and it was 11.4 percent

higher compared to April 2019 which was at 5.3 percent (Erram, 2020). Lower

poverty rates coincide with decreases in unemployment or increases in income

so an increase in the unemployment rate of 1 percentage point increases the

poverty rate by between 0.4 and 0.7 percentage points, while a 1 percent

increase in median wages is associated with about a 0.2 percentage point

decrease in the poverty rate (Grunewald, 2006).

Furthermore, global and national statistics prove that the latest previous

and current data (2018 and 2020) show the increase of poverty incidence. On

the local statistics, it highlights that the increase in unemployment rate is also an

increase in poverty rate. These gaps only reach the conclusion that there is a

need to help the poor in this pandemic through the innovation proposed in the

study that will be further discussed in chapter 1.4.

1.2 Statement of the Objectives

Taking into consideration the ill-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and its

consequences to the health, economy and individual well-being, the researchers

will aim to identify the major factors that affect financial fluctuations of the
household and implement an innovative project which will improve the family’s

income.

Specifically, the researchers will:

This research study aims to meet the following:

 To evaluate the effect of pandemic on the financial status of the family in

Cebu
 To determine the effectiveness of fundraising for the poor
 To assess the extent of proposed innovation

1.3 Scope and Significance of the Study

This study centers on a feasibility study on BLIGYA, a mobile and web

crowdsourcing application which aims to make charitable activities to help

Cebuano families who are facing financial fluctuations amidst the pandemic

outbreak. This study will be conducted among the parents of Grade 12- St.

Lorenzo Ruiz students from October to November 2020 using the google form

that will be sent online for the researchers to be safe while conducting surveys on

gathering information. The target respondents are primarily parents who are the

breadwinner in most of the household to gain information about their financial

status. The target number of respondents is 274 parents gathered from the

students in the University of San Jose – Recoletos, Basak Campus which is

determined through a formula as will be stated in Chapter 3.1.

The result of the study will benefit the following benefactors:

1. Cebuano Families who are financially unstable- due to the sudden

unemployment and adjustments to be made some families are struggling

 and has inadequate income especially now that prices of goods are

growing everyday , their expenditures will be reduced by the aid of the

planned innovation which will help them get through in this pandemic;

2. Advertisers- they will be given the opportunity to disseminate and gather

more audience in a much easier and convenient way while participating in

charitable works in order to gain money for a cause;

3. Company Management - the company will gain profit from the products

that will be sell online and income from the online concerts and other

online features using the proposed website and application;

4. Millennials in Cebu- they can save money yet be satisfied in buying items

from the proposed online website and application, for the company offers

affordable but high quality products.

5. Future Researchers- since this study can be their reference for the future

researches.

1.4 Business/Innovation Concept and Target Market

The Abante Company have come up with a mobile and web crowdsourcing

concept to aid its goals and objectives. It is a business corporation that is on the

starting point of its operations. Since everyone owns a mobile phone, then it will

be more convenient to engage in this crowdsourcing application or site. The

researchers have chosen this innovation to make use of our growing technology

in reaching out to people in the middle of this crisis. Upon launching this project,

it would reach a great mass of audience in a short period, hence, its scope can

expand and increase anytime.

 The Company's target market is within Cebu. Regardless of their age,

everyone can use the said innovation, however the application’s target market is

directed to millennials who find convenience in using online platforms for

shopping and leisure. The company will introduce a mobile and web

crowdsourcing application to their fellow Cebuanos and allowing an adequate

percentage to be deposited as a charity fund to struggling families within the

community. Open for all demographic groups, this application invites all online

users to its purpose and different features.

The researchers’ product of innovation is an online platform that aims to

serve and help those who most need it. As you see while other applications exist

just to give fun and enjoyment to its users, they make their application with a

wider purpose. It features easy access for virtual concerts, online shopping, and

mobile game tournaments which makes it a mixture of leisure, entertainment,

business, and charity purposes. The effectiveness of this innovation is to raise

funds for the company’s fundraising projects namely: Among Us Fundraising and

Centimo Nimo, Kaugmaon Nako through getting a huge percentage of its

expected sales. This online platform will surely stand out because the

researchers believe that their eagerness and enthusiasm to help will bring them

to the top of their success with a little seasoning of teamwork and dedication.
2.0 Conceptual/Theoretical Framework

2.1 Review of the Related Literature and Studies

The people in the current generation are now living in a world where

internet access is widely used (Goldschmidt, 2020). The emergence of

technology for the convenience it provided has been an essential matter that is

used for necessities, doing work and raising funds. As a matter of fact, Columbus

(2020) stated that products of technology, such as mobile phones, are the most

popular devices right now that can be used to earn money for a cause, and as

technology is prominent in the time, it is essential to start a fundraising virtually.

The International Monetary Fund (2020) has said the COVID-19 pandemic

had instigated a global economic downturn, which the world has not experienced

since the Great Depression. Even in the Philippines, the majority of employees

reported that their job was suspended, hours and pay reduced, or they were

forced to take unpaid leave (Investing in Women, 2020), and thus, making the e-

commerce as a tool for fundraising to support those who become financially

incapable, can provide families support to battle the pandemic. A study

conducted by Gruber, Feig, and Berman (2020) proclaims that using virtual

platforms to conduct fundraising attract more potential donors, and as the

internet has a wide audience, it is thereby easy to spread a message to more

potential additional donors. The study also emphasized that virtual fundraising is

also more effective compared to common fundraising schemes that include live

events, mail campaigns, and phone calls. In addition to that, DonorDrive (2020)

stated that with easy interaction of the audience with the use of the internet, it
can set up a funding stream which some could collect funds to support families

during the downturn.

On the other hand, in 2012, Sawhney stated in his research that as the

online trading’s popularity emerges, the electronic marketplace seems to be a

perfect market, where worldwide sellers and buyers simply share and trade

without intermediaries. Sawhney’s study is thereby supported by Huma’s study in

2016 which is entitled E-commerce as a Contemporary Fundraising Strategy and

Technique. The research emphasized that the virtual fundraising environment is

more sophisticated and more demanding than ever before, thus, it explores a

wide audience base and gives more opportunities to entrepreneurs. There, he

concluded that as concepts evolved into a set of opportunities, it promises a

better concept than traditional fundraising models. Ultimately, it also highlights

that e-commerce is an effective and efficient way of communicating within an

organization and one of the most effective and useful ways of conducting

business, raising funds to support the household who experienced financial

difficulty.

On the whole, during the pandemic, it is very significant to build virtual

fundraising events that will help mitigate the loss of amount (O’Connor S, 2020).

The fundraising in a virtual setting could financially provide aid to the different

households who experienced the financial downturn (O’Connor S, 2020). As the

different literatures provided the concept of fundraising through e-commerce, the

researchers pondered a more advanced innovation where the platform is not only

limited to the concept of buying and selling. The suggested innovation would
cover virtual concerts, deliveries and different online and offline services. With

the use of the concept of e-commerce that extends to various services, and

conducting fundraising within this form of trade, it offers entrepreneurs

opportunities and it provides families financial support.

2.2 Conceptual Framework

Anupam’s Electronic Commerce corresponds to the research pertaining to

the online selling activities. This concept lies within the use of the internet to

acquire a service or product, which is very trivial at this age. According to him, as

e-commerce is defined as a process of buying and selling or exchanging

products, services and information via computer networks, including the internet,

it is also beneficial to individuals that decide to become involved like

entrepreneurs. The internet is not limited to a local area; thus, it is a big platform

and has a wide customer base. When this kind of concept will be used as the

COVID-19 pandemic is existing, the funds that will be earned can be directed to

those who experienced financial fluctuation.

In relation to Anupam’s Electronic Commerce, O’ Connor’s Virtual

Fundraising Events correspond to the convenience provided by virtual

fundraising, using the concept of e-commerce. With this, it is emphasized that old

donors are still active in providing donations. Hence, this concept would be very

useful during the pandemic as it gives opportunities to entrepreneurs. This could

also provide the families funds that can help them supply foods, clothing, and

other necessary needs. The amount that can be gathered from the fundraising
could also be a financial assistance to students whose education is affected, so

they can still continue learning even if the lifestyle changed in the middle of the

crisis.

Since the innovation that the researchers are proposing contains virtual

concerts, online selling and many more possible fundraising activities, it would

encourage the ones staying in their homes to help those in need, share the

talents to those who want to be involved, and lessen the burden of the family

members who lost their source of income. This study would serve as a helping

hand for the households greatly affected by this situation. Both of the concepts

are useful in identifying the natural progression of the phenomenon that the

researchers are studying.


Anupam, 2020
Electronic Commerce
A process of buying and selling
services and information via
computer networks including
internet that could be of use to
families who experienced financial
fluctuation amidst adversity
Teenagers and millennials (14-
20’s) are encouraged to watch
and join virtual events for
fundraising to inspire and help
people.
Proposed BLIGYA to Struggling
Families within Cebu
O’Connor S, 2020
Virtual Fundraising Events
It emphasizes that the majority of
already involved donors wanted to
play an even more active role in
charitable donations, and also
emphasized the benefit of the
virtual fundraising to the
households.
Individuals have developed and Adults(30’s-40’s) have reduced
shared their skills to others as their financial fluctuations
people are coping in this new especially those families in
normal. need.
 Figure 1: Conceptual Framework Diagram

References Cited

Goldschmidt, K., 2020. The COVID-19 Pandemic: Technology Use to Support

the Wellbeing of Children.

Columbus, L., 2020. How COVID-19 Is Transforming E-Commerce.

International Monetary Fund, 2020. The Great Lockdown: Worst Economic

Downturn Since the Great Depression.

Investing in Women. 2020. Impact Of COVID-19 On Employees in The

Philippines, May 2020.

Gruber, A., Feig, E. and Berman, D., 2020. System and Method For Interactive

Fundraising Over A Wide-Area Network.

DonorDrive. 2020. Building A Virtual Fundraising Action Plan.

Sawhney, M., 2020. E-Commerce Evaluation and E Business Trends.

Huma, K., 2016. E Commerce as A Contemporary Fundraising Strategy and

Technique.

O'Connor, S., 2020. GoFundMe Charity. 2020.

Anupam, U., 2020. E-Commerce Websites In.

3.0 Research Design and Methods

3.1 Research Design, Locale, and Respondents

The researchers are utilizing a quantitative research with a descriptive

method to give descriptions on the following variables: the financial fluctuations

within the household, the demographics of the target market, along with their

willingness to use the website, as well as, the feasibility of the research

innovation per se, namely, BLIGYA, that aims to fund the financial problem

thereof through a crowdsourcing application and website. The researchers will be

focusing its respondents towards the local households in Cebu specifically the

households of grade 12 students of USJ-R, out of convenience of the

researchers and as it were one of the mostly affected by the pandemic. The

study will be conducted virtually or within the parameters online given that the

aftermath of the pandemic prohibits the researchers to conduct the study

outdoors. Nonetheless, the researchers will be utilizing Google Forms as medium

for data gathered from respondents. The respondents to be involved in the study

will be the parents of Grade 12 Senior High School students coming from

sections: St. Alypius, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, St. Charles of Borromeo, St.

Claire of Montefalco, St. Ezekiel Moreno, St. James, St. John of Sahagun, St.

John Stone, St. Liberatus, St. Lorenzo Ruiz, Sto. Niño, St. Philip and St.

Possidius.

This is done in view of the fact that the study calls out for the main breadwinners,

or the person responsible for the different financial provisions within the family,

as it is ultimately crucial for the determination of financial fluctuations. To

establish accurate and unbiased results, the researchers will be utilizing

clustered sampling, considering that by only allowing 20 random students from

each of the sections to answer the Google Form to indicate that those random

students, who will receive the form, will have to have a parent participate in the

research survey. Meaning, one grade 12 student will have his or her parent

answer the survey, that being so, the total number of parents, in reflection to the

population number which was utilized in the Slovin’s formula, was gathered

through the University of San Jose Recoletos, Grade 12 SHS Master List, from

both Basak and Main Campus, as of September 9, 2020. As previously stated,

every student will have to have 1 parent to answer the survey, so the total

number of students based on the master lists is equivalent to the total number of

parents, which is done to give a specific numerical figure to the population of the

study, and by using Slovin’s formula, with the margin of error at 5%, the

researchers were able to find the appropriate sample size for the study given the

population number. The sample size of 274 parents would be involved in the

study, and given that there are 14 sections for Grade 12 students in the Basak

Campus including STEM, ABM, HUMMS and TVL, there will be a total of 280

respondents for this research.

3.2 Research Instruments and Procedure

The researchers decided to use online survey questionnaires as the

instrument for the study, as it is one of the most widely utilized survey method in

gathering needed data from the target sample. The researchers will also use
Google Form as the platform to efficiently create and distribute survey to the

chosen respondents. In the preparation of the data gathering, the requirements in

making of good data collection instrument were considered. The variables are

emphasized in the online survey through a Likert scale form and multiple-choice

question to determine the probability of the answers which in turn, provides the

results. Prior to the actual research done, the researchers conducted a dry-run,

30 random people were asked to answer the survey questionnaires, in order to

check its validity. The statistical readability of the survey-questionnaire was

determined to be acceptable with a Cronbach’s alpha value of ____.

Before conducting the survey, the researchers will send a letter to the

respective respondents asking for permission to conduct this research through

this survey-questionnaire. The sampling technique utilized in this research

endeavor is clustered sampling since from the entire Grade 12 SHS, each

sections, hence the clusters, will have 20 random students to receive the form.

With the permission, they may answer the provided Google form surveys, which

may take 10-15 minutes to answer. For accuracy, Slovin's statistical tool was

used to figure out the appropriate sample size. Throughout the study, the

researchers must guarantee the respondents' anonymity through using codes

and respect the respondents' right to privacy. The answers of the respondents

will be recorded and tallied. After collecting the data, it will be tabulated for

analysis to assess and describe the effects of the pandemic to the financial

status per household within Cebu and the effectiveness of the research

innovation presented.
 UNIVERSITY OF SAN JOSE –
RECOLETOS
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
Math and Research Cluster
st
1 Semester, A.Y. 2019-2020

Dear Respondents,

We, the Grade 12 - St. Lorenzo Ruiz Senior High School Students taking

Practical Research 2 and Research Project, would like to conduct a study

called “Feasibility Study of the Effects of the Pandemic to the Financial Status

per Household within Cebu”. In this study, we aim to assess financial

fluctuation within the household and also the effectiveness of the research

innovation presented.

In line with this, we would like to ask permission from you to allow us to

conduct our research through this survey-questionnaire. The data gathered

from the respondents will be treated with utmost confidentiality.

We are hoping for your participation in this matter.

Sincerely Yours,

Grade 12- St. Lorenzo Ruiz

Directions: Read and analyze the questions carefully. Put a check mark on

the box which corresponds to your answer.

Legend: 4 - Strongly Agree, 3 - Agree, 2 - Disagree, 1 - Strongly Disagree

FINANCIAL FLUCTUATIONS IN THE HOUSEHOLD 4 3 2 1

I own a particular business.
I have other family members who earn income for the family
The family found it difficult to sustain basic needs during the
pandemic.
There is a change in my usual income, due to the
pandemic.
The daily income, utilized for different family provisions,
is amounted to Php 50,000 and above.
The monthly expenses exceed the daily income.
The number of the members within the household has greatly
influenced the growth of expenses.
Monthly expenses amount to Php 20,000 and above.
Due to these changes, I was prompted to look for other
sources of income.
INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH INNOVATION 4 3 2 1
I have bought something online using sites/apps like Shopee,
Lazada, Zalora, and Amazon.
I have tried using electronic payments when shopping
I have contributed funds to certain fundraising projects/
charity foundations.
I am willing to support a project that helps me shop online,
while raising funds for charity at the same time.
BLIGYA APPLICATION 4 3 2 1
The application should be easily accessible.
It should have integrated different online shopping options.
It should be user-friendly.
The app should be convenient to all ages.
It should have instant access to open online gaming
tournaments and virtual concerts.
The app should be innovative.
The app should have an intriguing factor in order for it to be
recommendable for other people’s utilization.