Exploring the Socioeconomic and Environmental Impact of Urbanization on a Rural Barangay in Tayabas City

This study explored the impact of urbanization on rural areas, focusing on one barangay in Tayabas City. A descriptive survey and descriptive comparative research design were used in this study, which employed a quantitative approach. A self-made structured questionnaire was utilized in gathering data that involved a total of one hundred (100) residents using a quota sampling technique. The study examined how urbanization affected rural areas in terms of livelihood opportunities, lifestyles, access to social services, environmental impacts, and infrastructure development. Based on the study's results, among all variables, environmental impact had the highest average weighted arithmetic mean of 2.94, indicating agreement among respondents and indicating that it was most affected by urbanization. Meanwhile, lifestyle had the lowest average weighted arithmetic mean of 2.77, indicating agreement among respondents and suggesting that it was less affected by urbanization. The researchers also found that, among all variables, only employment status and livelihood opportunities showed significant differences, indicating that employment status influenced how individuals perceived livelihood opportunities in urban areas. Also, sex and lifestyle showed significant differences, suggesting that urbanization affected their lifestyles differently. The output of this study was sustainable development strategies to support rural areas in managing the impacts of urbanization. The output was based on each variable, including statements with the highest weighted arithmetic mean. The study contributes to understanding how urban expansion affects rural sustainability in developing regions such as the Philippines.