STUDENTS' AWARENESS OF THE ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF SUGARCANE FARMING IN THE COMMUNITY

This study examined senior high school students’ awareness and understanding of the economic importance of sugarcane farming in their community, as well as its relationship with selected profile variables. Employing a descriptive correlational research design, the study utilized systematic sampling to select respondents from Tara Provincial Community High School during the School Year 2025–2026. Data were gathered using a validated questionnaire and analyzed through the mean, standard deviation, Pearson Correlation Coefficient, Independent-Samples t-test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and One-Way ANOVA. Findings revealed that students demonstrated a generally high level of awareness in terms of contribution to local employment, impact on economic development, and role in sustaining community needs. In addition, findings revealed that students have a high to very high level of understanding of the role of sugarcane farming in supporting community livelihood in terms of local employment income generation, agricultural sustainability and food security, and contribution to local culture and traditions. No significant relationship was found between age and either awareness or understanding; however, a strong positive correlation existed between awareness and understanding, indicating that deeper knowledge enhances appreciation. Significant differences were observed when grouped according to sex and academic strand, with female students and those in the TVL–Sugar Processing strand exhibiting higher levels of awareness and understanding. Grade level showed no significant differences. Overall, findings show that students recognize sugarcane farming as vital to community livelihood and resilience, highlighting the need to strengthen agricultural literacy to support economic development.