Timeless Flavors: Exploring the Lived Experience of Long-Standing Food Institutions Owners in Baguio City
Document Types
Paper Presentation
Research Theme (for Paper Presentation and Poster Presentation submissions only)
Living Culture and Contemporary Societies (LCS)
School Name
Berkeley School, Inc.
Research Advisor (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)
Astudillo, Alfonso III, B.
Start Date
25-6-2026 10:30 AM
End Date
25-6-2026 12:00 PM
Zoom Link/ Room Assignment
Online - https://zoom.us/j/94569671692?pwd=Fj3c3ELOebE6QbqbJOOH9wMuildoEc.1 Meeting ID: 945 6967 1692 | Passcode: research
Abstract/Executive Summary
This study adopted Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore the lived experiences of thirteen restaurant proprietors in Baguio City, uncovering the "essence" behind their enduring success in a competitive landscape. Utilizing a double hermeneutic approach, the research interpreted how original owners and successors made sense of their "Being-in-the-industry" through a profound process of meaning-making. The findings revealed that these establishments sustained themselves by prioritizing culinary traditions and deep-seated client relationships, viewing these not just as business tactics, but as vital components of their Lifeworld. Resilience is interpreted as an Adaptive Persistence—an ontological commitment to authenticity maintained through spiritual faith, skillful management, and a deliberate resistance to excessive innovation. By navigating the "thrownness" of a volatile urban market, these proprietors emphasized social and cultural values over mere financial intent, fostering a fusion of horizons between family heritage and community involvement. Ultimately, this IPA-grounded inquiry suggests that long-term success is rooted in the preservation of ancestral legacy and a respect for culinary heritage, which together form the identity-sustaining core of the city’s most resilient food businesses.
Keywords
long-standing restaurants; owners; consumers; food; lived experiences
Initial Consent for Publication
yes
Statement of Originality
yes
Timeless Flavors: Exploring the Lived Experience of Long-Standing Food Institutions Owners in Baguio City
This study adopted Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore the lived experiences of thirteen restaurant proprietors in Baguio City, uncovering the "essence" behind their enduring success in a competitive landscape. Utilizing a double hermeneutic approach, the research interpreted how original owners and successors made sense of their "Being-in-the-industry" through a profound process of meaning-making. The findings revealed that these establishments sustained themselves by prioritizing culinary traditions and deep-seated client relationships, viewing these not just as business tactics, but as vital components of their Lifeworld. Resilience is interpreted as an Adaptive Persistence—an ontological commitment to authenticity maintained through spiritual faith, skillful management, and a deliberate resistance to excessive innovation. By navigating the "thrownness" of a volatile urban market, these proprietors emphasized social and cultural values over mere financial intent, fostering a fusion of horizons between family heritage and community involvement. Ultimately, this IPA-grounded inquiry suggests that long-term success is rooted in the preservation of ancestral legacy and a respect for culinary heritage, which together form the identity-sustaining core of the city’s most resilient food businesses.
https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/conf_shsrescon/2026/BoA_LCS/7