Metro Garden: A Designed Landscape around Mapua Street, Santa Cruz, Manila

Abstract

Approximately 0.15 thousand to 2.05 million are unemployed in the Philippines according to the Trading Economics of the Philippines. Metro Garden will help decrease the unemployment rate by giving people an opportunity to have a job that may support their needs. The purpose of the study was to decrease the number of unemployed people by establishing Metro Garden. This study used quantitative-experimental research methods to assess the acceptability of Metro Garden. The respondents were 5 civil/electronic engineers and 20 4th-year Architecture students of the University of the East Caloocan. Using a questionnaire, the researchers surveyed the respondents to determine whether the proposed project is acceptable in terms of materials used, light system, water irrigation, and structural design. The procedures followed in the projects are as follows: establish the desired dimension and measurements of the miniature of Metro Garden, prepare all the construction materials and set aside properly to avoid damages, execute the process of making the first floor of the Metro Garden, prepare the plywood that will serve as the base of the second floor, create vegetable beds and bench for the garden and then put it to their designated places according to the floor plan, set up a drip irrigation system, arrange the light system with its electrical wirings and batteries, decorate the Metro Garden miniature with pebbles and flowers, and cover the garden with fiberglass as a roof and main wall of the second floor. The miniature was highly acceptable in terms of materials used, light system, water irrigation, and structural design. This result indicated that the difference between the assessment of the two groups of respondents in terms of the cited variables was not significant. Electronic/civil engineers obtained an overall weighted mean of 4.22, which was interpreted as highly acceptable with the variance of 12.7, while Architecture students obtained an overall weighted mean of 4.38, which was interpreted as highly acceptable with a variance of 193.10. Both groups of respondents obtained the t-computed value of 0.36 and a degree of freedom of 23 with the value of 2.500. The t-computed value was less than the t-critical value. As a result, the assessments of the two groups of respondents are accepted. The respondents recommended the following: use more suitable materials to improve the Metro Garden Miniature, install an automatic on/off switch and use a circular type of light system to can lighten up the entire garden, install an irrigation system on the ground floor and set up a timer for more convenient irrigation system, change the marble design because it is inappropriate for the project, and add windows for safety purposes and proper ventilation of the building.