ABSTRACT
Efficient maritime services are vital in the Philippines' archipelagic context, where the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) plays a pivotal role in ensuring passenger safety and satisfaction at key ports.
This quantitative descriptive study evaluates the level of passenger satisfaction with PCG services in selected major port areas of Iloilo Province, employing the SERVQUAL model (Parasuraman et al., 1988) and Expectancy Disconfirmation Theory (Oliver, 1980) to measure gaps between expectations and perceived performance across dimensions of tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Data from 122 passengers, gathered via a structured Likert-scale questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations) and inferential tests (Mann-Whitney U), revealed overall satisfaction with general services (mean=3.084, "Satisfied") and cleanliness (mean=3.156, "Satisfied"), with younger passengers (≤30 years) slightly higher in both but no statistically significant differences by age (p=0.320) or gender (p=0.649). These findings affirm PCG's effective delivery in safety assistance, personnel responsiveness, communication, and facility maintenance, while highlighting minor gaps in specific areas; recommendations include enhanced training, resource allocation, and continuous feedback mechanisms to sustain maritime safety, boost public trust, and inform policy for inter-island transport.
Keywords: passenger satisfaction, Philippine Coast Guard, SERVQUAL model, maritime services, service quality, Iloilo ports, quantitative descriptive study, Mann-Whitney U test, demographic differences
INTRODUCTION
The maritime transportation sector plays a vital role in the Philippines due to its geographical composition as an archipelagic nation. Thousands of passengers rely on sea transportation daily for travel, commerce, tourism, and economic activities. In this context, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) serves as one of the primary government agencies responsible for ensuring maritime safety, security, and passenger welfare in ports and coastal areas. Beyond enforcing maritime laws and regulations, PCG also provides front-line services such as passenger assistance, safety monitoring, information dissemination, and emergency response. As maritime passenger traffic continues to increase, the quality of services delivered by the Philippine Coast Guard has become increasingly important in shaping passengers’ overall travel experience.
Passenger satisfaction is recognized as an essential indicator of service quality and organizational performance. According to Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1988), customer satisfaction is influenced by how well service performance meets or exceeds the expectations of clients. In public service institutions such as the Philippine Coast Guard, passenger satisfaction reflects the agency’s effectiveness in delivering reliable, responsive, safe, and customer-oriented services. When passengers perceive that services are efficient, accessible, and professionally delivered, trust and confidence toward the institution are strengthened. However, when services fail to meet expectations, dissatisfaction may arise and negatively affect public perception.
Despite the efforts of the Philippine Coast Guard to improve maritime safety and operations, concerns regarding service delivery remain evident in some port areas. Passengers may experience delays in assistance, inadequate communication, limited responsiveness, and inconsistencies in the delivery of safety-related services. These concerns indicate possible gaps between expected service standards and the actual services experienced by passengers. Parasuraman et al. (1988) emphasized that service quality gaps occur when there is a discrepancy between customer expectations and perceived performance, which may eventually affect satisfaction levels.
Several studies have emphasized the importance of evaluating passenger satisfaction in maritime transportation. Pantouvakis et al. (2008) found that service quality dimensions such as responsiveness, assurance, reliability, and tangibles significantly influence passenger satisfaction in maritime environments. Similarly, Buño and Pizarra (2024) revealed that passenger-centered assessment helps improve the effectiveness of transportation services and guides policy enhancement in public transportation systems. Furthermore, Saransi and Erlinda (2024) emphasized that even when overall passenger satisfaction is high, improvements in responsiveness and cleanliness are still necessary to maintain consistent service quality.
Although existing studies focus on maritime transportation and ferry systems, limited research has specifically examined passenger satisfaction toward Philippine Coast Guard services. Most studies are centered on operational efficiency, vessel management, or infrastructure development rather than passengers’ actual experiences with Coast Guard personnel and services. This research gap highlights the need to assess how passengers perceive the quality of services provided by the Philippine Coast Guard in selected port areas.
Anchored on the SERVQUAL Model of Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1988) and supported by the Expectancy Disconfirmation Theory of Oliver (1980), this study aimed to determine the level of passenger satisfaction on Philippine Coast Guard services. Specifically, it examined passenger satisfaction in terms of service quality and cleanliness when grouped according to age and gender. The findings of the study are expected to provide meaningful insights that may help the Philippine Coast Guard strengthen service delivery, improve passenger assistance, and enhance maritime public service operations.