Rovena Dellova, Reyben Brosas, Joseph Cipriano, Puvaneswaran Kunasekaran, Kandappan Balasubramanian

Abstract: Ikigai, a Japanese concept denoting one’s reason for being, offers a lens through which to understand the intersection of personal fulfillment and professional responsibilities. This descriptive undertaking seeks to understand this concept further by exploring faculty members’ profound internal motivation or Ikigai and tapping this to sustain their teaching profession. The study is framed using a quantitative method, focused randomly on faculty members at a tertiary level from 7 public schools and 19 private schools in Manila, resulting in 140 respondents during the pandemic. As perceived by teachers, passion for work and balance means positive well-being, well-rounded individuals, a good outlook on work, and maintenance of work-life balance. The Kruskal-Wallis test depicts that age never discriminates against showing interest in teaching as long as passion is revealed. Indicators in IKIGAI circles are interconnected. If one’s IKIGAI is connected to serving others, the other circles in the IKIGAI will serve naturally because the pursuit of passion and love in teaching as a person will be considered as one in crafting and honing the skills as a teacher. Thus, further institutional intervention is recommended, as it is important to retain, develop, and attract committed and dedicated teachers and to define the purpose of the future in choosing teaching as a passion, profession, vocation, and one’s mission. Overall, examining the Ikigai of college faculty members can help ensure that they are in roles where they can thrive personally and professionally, leading to benefits for both educators and students alike.

Keywords: Ikigai, mission, passion, profession, vocation

Suggested citation: Dellova, R., Brosas, R., Cipriano, J., Kunasekaran, P., & Balasubramanian, K. (2026). Theorizing Ikigai among faculty members of selected universities in Manila: Basis for institutional interventions. Asia-Pacific Journal of Innovation in Hospitality and Tourism, 15(1), 95 –117.