Search

This study unpacks socially shared meanings of internal displacement as illustrated in Philippine media, using a social representations approach. Following our theoretical framework, we identified processes of symbolic coping about internal displacement from among 422 media articles published between 2006 and 2020. Philippine media uses anchoring and objectification in socially representing forced migration. It associates internal displacement with events in Philippine history and links it with everyday emotions like anger, anxiety and fear. It describes involuntary migration using metaphors such as hell on earth, chicken in a coop and canned sardines. It uses symbolism, such as footwear and doll, to demonstrate evacuee empowerment and personifies the internally displaced as Muslims or Indigenous Peoples who are fleeing for their lives while carrying their possessions. Our findings point to internal displacement as a space not only for suffering and deprivation but also for sustaining oneself and demonstrating human agency. Our study shows that beyond the dire circumstances surrounding internal displacement are structural issues that need to be dealt with: armed conflicts, terrorism, violence and disaster management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugarcane farmers commonly use press mud as organic fertilizer to improve the properties of soil and increase crop production. This study compared the effects of press mud on bacterial community structure, bacterial diversity, and physicochemical parameters of sugar mill soil in two sites, the URC Passi Sugar Central and Passi Sugar Central, Inc. both in Panay, Philippines. DNA and soil analyses were conducted to characterize the soil samples with and without press mud from both sites. The results showed that all nutrient contents increased in both areas after press mud application, except in URC Passi Sugar Central, where no increase in phosphorus and sulfur was observed. Bacterial diversity did not significantly increase six months after press mud application. Community pattern results showed that if soil samples within sites were compared, soil with press mud was significantly higher compared to the soil without press mud in terms of OTU richness (Capiz sugar central: 46.00±1.00, 40.00±1.50, respectively; URC Passi Sugar Central: 48.00±0.50, 45.00±0.00, respectively) and carrying capacity (Capiz sugar central: 169±7.36, 125±9.48, respectively; URC Passi Sugar Central: 181±3.80, 162±0.00, respectively) (p<0.05). The same trend was observed in soil samples between sites that were compared. Soil without press mud from URC Passi Sugar Central had a significantly higher compared with soil without press mud of Capiz Sugar Central in terms of OTU richness (45.00±0.00, 40.00±1.50, respectively) and carrying capacity (162±0.00, 125±9.48, respectively) (p<0.05). However, no significant difference was observed in soil with press mud between the two sites in OTU richness, carrying capacity, Shannon, and Evenness analyses (p>0.05). The phylogenetic tree analysis showed that Massilia sp. is closely related to Burkholderia arboris, and Lysobacter sp. is closely related to both Massilia sp. and B. arboris. Generally, press mud application helps increase the available nutrients, diversity, and community patterns in soil, making it good organic fertilizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this present study, the antibacterial activity and the chemical composition of essential oils from the leaves of ten aromatic plants growing in the Philippines were determined. Essential oils were isolated by steam distillation and their antibacterial activities against the gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus, S. epidermidis and E. faecalis) and gram-negative bacteria (P. aeruginosa and E. coli) were investigated using disc diffusion and broth micro-dilution methods. Chemical components of essential oils with most potent antibacterial activities were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Less than 1% (w/w) essential oil was extracted from all plants. Curcuma longa produced the highest yield (0.77 %) among the studied plants. Among the ten essential oils, Lippia micromera, Plectranthus amboinicus, Cymbophogon citratus, and Ocimum tenuiflorum were the most effective in producing zones of inhibition greater than 15 mm. However, no significant differences were observed in their minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations. The most abundant compounds in L. micromera, P. amboinicus, C. citratus, and O. tenuiflorum essential oils were γ-terpinene (25.6 %), carvacrol (51.3 %), citral (47.7 %), and m-eugenol (69.1 %) respectively. This study shows that the essential oils from L. micromera, P. amboinicus, C. citratus, and O. tenuiflorum cultivated in the Philippines exhibit potent antibacterial activity, which might be attributed to their high terpenoids or phenolic content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]