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The study determined the problem-solving performance and skills of prospective elementary teachers (PETs) in the Northern Philippines. Specifically, it defined the PETs' level of problem-solving performance in number sense, measurement, geometry, algebra, and probability; significant predictors of their problem-solving performance in terms of sex, socio-economic status, parents' educational attainment, high school graduated from, and subject preference; and their problem-solving skills. The PETs' problem-solving performance was determined by a problem set consisting of word problems with number sense, measurement, geometry, algebra, and probability. A mixed-method research design was employed. Senior PETs purposively served as a sample where they mostly preferred to teach other subjects than mathematics. PETs who preferred math performed satisfactorily, while prospective teachers who opted for other subjects performed unsatisfactorily. The PETs' unsatisfactory output indicates the need for remediation to advance the mathematical material skills and enrich the problem-solving abilities of these primary schools' potential teachers. Besides, results showed that subject preference strongly affected and predicted the problem-solving success of the PETs. PETs who preferred to teach mathematics performed significantly better than their counterparts; hence, mathematics as a field of specialization in the Bachelor of Elementary Education program may be considered by teacher education institutions. Further, most PETs displayed lack of problem-solving skills; thus, a Problem-Solving course is recommended for them.

Objective: The very old, although a minority in many populations, experience stroke with distinct risk factors and more complications. We sought to understand the profile, stroke subtypes, risk factors and outcomes among the very old compared to younger stroke patients in our population in the Philippine Neurological Association One Database—Stroke (PNA1DB‐Stroke). Methods: The PNA1DB‐Stroke registry (clinicaltrial.gov NCT04972058) is a multi‐centre, prospective database of all patients hospitalised for transient ischaemic attack or acute stroke in 11 neurology residency training institutions. Results: Of the 6314 patients with stroke, 463 (7%) were 80 years or older, and among them, 320 (69%) were women. Traditional risk factors were more frequent in the very old compared to the younger group (hypertension 76% vs. 66%, diabetes mellitus 26% vs. 19%, previous stroke 14% vs. 10%, atrial fibrillation 13% vs. 3%; p ≤.005), while current smoking (5%) and excess alcohol consumption (4%) were less common than in younger stroke patients (p <.001). Overall, in‐hospital fatality was not remarkably increased in our very old compared to younger stroke patients, with comparable rates between cases of ischaemic stroke (18%) and intracerebral haemorrhage (20%). However, they had longer hospital stay (mean 13.4 ± 17.2 days vs. 10.9 ± 15.4 days, p =.001), had more medical complications (p <.001) and were more functionally dependent at discharge (p <.0001). Conclusions: Very old stroke patients have relatively more risk factors for stroke. In‐hospital fatality rates are comparable between ischaemic and haemorrhagic strokes. Risk factor modification, prevention of medical complications and optimisation of functional recovery are potential strategies in managing stroke in the very old. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the economic role of tourist attraction in the Philippines to inform a comprehensive urban management plan. The research was motivated by the recognized economic value of public spaces but the Philippines' lack of strategic planning for them. The study aimed to identify and analyze economic activities in these areas, evaluate their impact on local economies and businesses, assess their contribution to tourism, and propose improvements for sustainable urban development. Using a mixed-methods approach, including surveys and interviews, participants from various sectors provided both quantitative and qualitative data. The study revealed that while public spaces significantly contribute to local economies, informal industries, and tourism, these benefits remain underutilized due to poor amenities and support. The research suggests comprehensive urban management strategies to optimize the economic potential of public spaces, such as enhancing physical design, supporting informal enterprises, boosting tourism, and promoting community participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of water management on the microclimate of paddy rice under tropical field conditions have not been well documented. This study investigates changes in the microclimate of paddy rice and its influence on rice yield under different water management. Field experiments were conducted for two cropping seasons in Nueva Ecija, Philippines. The treatments were continuous flooding (CF), saturated soil condition (SSC), and safe alternate wetting and drying (AWD). Significant changes in the rice microclimate were observed during the dry season, wherein drying the field was possible. A general trend showed lower soil, meristem, and canopy temperatures in AWD and SSC than in CF. Consistently, significantly lower temperatures ranging from 22.6428.13 °C were observed during the reproductive stage and 23.0328.47 °C during the maturity stage under water-saving techniques compared to CF across both daytime and nighttime. In all growth stages, the canopy temperature was significantly lower in AWD by 0.360.48 °C at nighttime compared to other treatments. However, there was a shift of higher canopy humidity (> 80) in AWD (albeit not significant with CF) in both daytime and nighttime. Seasonal variations of the canopy temperature and humidity at nighttime showed lower in the dry season than the wet season. Under normal conditions, differences in microclimate between CF and AWD did not significantly affect the grain yield despite the water savings of the latter by 78%. The findings of this study underscore AWD's role in lowering the microclimate of the rice plant when there are extreme heat episodes in a tropical environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pediatric cranial trauma is the leading cause of acquired death and disability in children worldwide. However, trauma resources vary widely among countries. We sought to compare management and timely access to care between a level 1 U.S. pediatric trauma center and a tertiary referral hospital in a lower-middle-income country to assess whether system and resource differences influence care and outcomes. We compared data from 214 pediatric head trauma admissions to Philippine General Hospital (Manila) with 136 children from the TRACK-TBI pediatrics study cohort at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Admitted MGH patients were compared with the Philippine cohort regarding demographics; mechanism of injury; times to neurosurgical consult, imaging, and surgery; in-hospital mortality; and length of hospitalization. Age (9 years), gender distribution (67% male), and presenting Glasgow Coma Scale scores were similar (P = 0.10) between sites. More children had intracranial injury in the Philippine cohort (73% vs. 60%; n = 319) and more underwent neurosurgery (27% vs. 4%). Times to consult, imaging, and surgery were longer in the Philippines (12.3 vs. 6.5, 12.0 vs. 2.8, and 45.4 vs. 5.6 hours, respectively). In-hospital mortality across all admissions was similar between cohorts (3% vs. 0%; P = 0.09), but significantly higher in the most severe Philippines cases (31% vs. 0%, P =0.04). Length of stay was longer (5 vs. 2 days; P < 0.001) in the Philippine cohort. High-income country status correlated with faster care, shorter hospitalizations, and better outcomes among severe cases. Prompt care through sophisticated trauma system implementation may improve pediatric health in resource-limited settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myxomycetes, commonly called plasmodial slime molds, are eukaryotic organisms usually thriving on terrestrial ecosystems, manifesting attributes of fungi and protists. The current taxonomy of myxomycetes poses serious problems and does not clearly reflect the evolutionary relationships of this group. The literature on myxomycetes in the Philippines has primarily focused on species identification, ecological and diversity studies. However, no attempts have been made yet to elucidate the evolutionary relationships of this class using molecular evidence. The use of 18S rRNA and small subunit rRNA (SSU) sequences in this study to construct phylogenies has revealed that certain taxa, traditionally considered monophyletic, exhibit inconsistencies that warrant further investigation. However, the molecular evidence that supports the division of myxomycetes into two distinct groupings (Lucisporidia and Columellidia) according to spore color remains consistent with the constructed phylogeny using 18S rRNA gene sequences. Therefore, the present study aims to assess Philippine myxomycetes' diversity and evolutionary relationships. In addition, the study aims to compare the conventional taxonomy and molecular phylogeny of myxomycetes species in the Philippines using two molecular barcode markers - the 18S rRNA and SSU sequences. The study demonstrated that it is not always possible for morphology to agree with molecular data. On the other hand, molecular data can be more beneficial in reconstructing phylogenies but only to a certain extent and should be further evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before the pandemic, education leaders had been concerned about Filipino students' low reading comprehension, as reflected in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), wherein the Philippines scored the lowest among the 79 participating countries. Now that we have had two years of no face-to-face classes, their reading comprehension has been more seriously impacted. This study sought to measure Solano High School Gr. 8 students' reading comprehension levels during the pandemic and investigate factors related to their performance. A quantitative research approach was used in determining the reading comprehension level of student-respondents through the Group Screening Test of Phil-IRI, a reading inventory composed of graded passages. Moreover, the study used a descriptive survey and a correlational methodology to determine the significant relationship between the respondents' reading performance and their profile variables. The study revealed that 98.7% of the respondents fall under "Frustration," the lowest level, in which readers find reading materials so difficult that they cannot successfully respond to them. Findings also showed that a student whose parents have higher educational attainment, sufficient family income, access to multimedia resources, and superior academic performance might perform better in reading comprehension. Moreover, gender, ethnic affiliation, parental involvement in their reading activities, and length of one's exposure to multimedia materials were found to have no significant relationship with the respondents' reading comprehension level. Following the results, a reading program was designed that shall raise awareness among all stakeholders on the student's reading performance and the factors that influence it to meet readers' needs and abilities; equip teachers with the knowledge and skills in producing both digital and print reading materials that integrate content across learning areas and promote an inclusive reading environment that stimulates students to learn through reading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing demand for the rapid implementation of technologies that can address persisting and evolving needs of the health sector. However, to make technologies work in local health settings, a mutual alignment between technologies and local context is needed. Despite existing scholarship on health technology implementation, few have examined how human and non-human actors move towards technology implementation. Using the mobilities lens, we explore how healthcare providers negotiated the varied and conflicting movements of human and non-human entities in health technology implementation. We draw our findings from the experiences of Filipino primary care workers in implementing electronic medical records (EMR) in rural health units. We argue that conflicting speeds of mobilities make visible the workarounds employed by healthcare providers. These workarounds provide spaces for technology users to perform their routine practices and spaces for technologies to perform its work. Furthermore, we show how attention to mobility and speed reveals how preoccupation with fast-tracked, rapid intervention implementation may undermine the value of technologies in the practice of their intended beneficiaries. We conclude this article by discussing how a focus on mobility can further complicate the discussion on health technology implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Operative neurosurgical skills education is a vital part of neurosurgical training, and these skills are usually obtained through operating room experience and supplemented by textbooks and other resources. We aimed to determine the resources used by trainees in the Philippines, both prior to and after the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. An online survey was sent to neurosurgical trainees in the Philippines from January to March 2021. Data on demographics, educational resources used, and weekly hours spent on each were collected, for both the pre– and post–coronavirus disease 2019 periods. A total of 37 neurosurgical trainees (60% response rate) participated in the survey. Most respondents were female (70%), in their senior levels (58%), and undergoing training in a public institution (65%). The main resources for operative neurosurgical education were operative experience, online academic resources, and neurosurgical textbooks. After the onset of the pandemic, the overall time spent decreased to 61.2 hours/week from 67.7 hours/week, with a significant reduction in the hours spent on operative experience (27.3 vs. 21.3 hours/week, P < 0.0001) and a significant increase in the time spent on webinars (0 vs. 3.2 hours/week, P < 0.0001) and online resources as a whole (14.9 vs. 16.4 hours/week, P = 0.0003). Operative experience, online academic resources, and neurosurgical textbooks were the main resources for operative neurosurgical education among trainees in the Philippines. After the onset of the pandemic, the hours spent on operative experience decreased and online academic resources increased significantly. New avenues of neurosurgical education, particularly webinars, also became available locally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research highlights the aspects of resiliency among business establishments in the Visayas regions that were directly affected by super typhoon Yolanda in 2013. This study employs a descriptive method to characterize resiliency factors among various businesses. A survey questionnaire was utilized to gather relevant data from the 106 business proprietors and managers. Multivariate analysis via exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to determine the underlying factors. In the context of the post-disaster recovery of businesses in the Visayas regions, the exploratory analysis yielded five dimensions. Based on the finding, five causal factors are significant in developing a post-disaster resiliency and recovery framework among various business types. Any business is considered resilient against any form of disaster if it has complete control of its institutional affairs and plans ahead guided by its philosophy. Futuristic planning is also necessary as it imbibes in its operational philosophy the value of foresight. Besides, every business needs to strengthen its linkages outside its operations. Hence, a resilient business considers the value of information exchange and dissemination. Thus, a business is said to be sustainable if it maintains a sound and working framework to improve an adaptive capacity for any calamity or disaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper inquires how surveillance manifests in least‐ideal contexts (LICs), that is, countries with resource constraints, poor governance and proclivity for populism during COVID‐19, and its implications for crisis governance. Using the Philippines as a case, we advance three arguments. First, LICs can become spaces where inappropriate surveillance is undertaken. Second, liminal surveillance practices can become permanent policy fixtures in LICs. Finally, when a prevailing crisis approach of a government is perceived to be inconsistent with the needs of the public, it can lead to a self‐help system among various societal groups and actors. This self‐help system may not necessarily be aligned with the general direction of the national government. As a result, it can perpetuate a disjointed and maladaptive crisis governance approach, where main actors like national governments, and complementary actors like private sector firms, local government units and citizen organizations pursue goals independent of one another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To mitigate the unprecedented health, social, and economic damage of COVID-19, the Philippines is undertaking a nationwide vaccination program to mitigate the effects of the global pandemic. In this study, we interrogated COVID-19 vaccine intent in the country by deploying a nationwide open-access online survey, two months before the rollout of the national vaccination program. The Health Belief Model (HBM) posits that people are likely to adopt disease prevention behaviors and to accept medical interventions like vaccines if there is sufficient motivation and cues to action. A majority of our 7,193 respondents (62.5%) indicated that they were willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Moreover, multivariable analysis revealed that HBM constructs were associated with vaccination intention in the Philippines. Perceptions of high susceptibility, high severity, and significant benefits were all good predictors for vaccination intent. We also found that external cues to action were important. Large majorities of our respondents would only receive the COVID-19 vaccines after many others had received it (72.8%) or after politicians had received it (68.2%). Finally, our study revealed that most (21%) were willing to pay an amount of PHP 1,000 (USD20) for the COVID-19 vaccines with an average willing-to-pay amount of PHP1,892 (USD38). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Philippines relies heavily on fossil fuels. With its high energy consumption, the country is at risk economically because of possible supply constraints by exporters, and price fluctuations of fossil fuels. One alternative to fossil fuels is solar. This study aims to explore the use of satellite data analytics and Geographic Information System (GIS) in making a granular site suitability assessment for solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in the province of Tarlac and perform a cost-benefit analysis for rice field conversion to solar farms. Remote sensing (RS) and GIS techniques were used to estimate values of factors and constraints to generate a suitability map of solar farm installation in Tarlac considering rice yield. Input data such as Sentinel 2A image tiles and statistical data from databases online were gathered and geospatial analyst processes were done, particularly in assigning weights to the said factors and constraints. For accuracy assessment of image classification, values of kappa coefficient (k) and overall accuracy (OA) were computed. A final suitability map is then applied together with the constraints. This is then compared with existing and upcoming solar farm projects to see if the suitability map can be considered or there is analysis on whether a prime rice field had been converted. Costs, on one hand, such as the forgone net profit from the agricultural land and rice yield loss was presented. The benefits, on the other hand, include the estimated net returns of the solar farm, the amount of energy generated, and the reduced carbon emissions. Different ranges for several of the variables were considered so a more thorough analysis could be presented. Values of k and OA were 62.2% and 71.27%, respectively, indicating a satisfactory accuracy of image classification. In all instances it was shown that in terms of the costs and benefits considered, agricultural land conversion into solar farms may be beneficial for the province of Tarlac. The study showed that this would match the estimated net profit of rice farm areas selected at around ₱123 M with ₱133 M, but at best estimated net profits could go as high as around ₱5 M. This study has also emphasized the environmental benefit of converting agricultural areas to solar farms by lowering the province's dependence on non-renewable sources of energy, particularly coal in this case. The approximated reduction in emissions was 33.7% of the emissions of the whole province. It was also notable how much of the national rice supply could be affected as rice supply for more than 200,000 people for a year would have to be forgone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The busy and demanding work schedule of neurosurgeons suggests that they might have type A behavior patterns (TABPs). TABPs are also associated with multiple diseases; hence, their early identification could lead to behavioral changes and disease prevention. We aimed to determine the presence of TABPs among neurosurgeons and trainees in the Philippines and the association between demographic and clinical factors and TABPs. An online survey was sent to neurosurgeons and neurosurgical trainees in the Philippines. Data on age, sex, comorbid conditions, smoking, alcohol use, training institution, level of residency training, and place of practice were obtained. The modified Bortner scale was used to determine TABPs. Univariate and multiple regression analyses were used for analysis. A total of 102 individuals (41 neurosurgeons and 61 trainees) completed the survey. Most of the respondents were men (74%), with a mean age of 36 years. The Bortner scores were normally distributed. TABPs were significantly associated with female sex (P = 0.0006) in the entire cohort. However, the trainee cohort also exhibited a significant association between TABPs and training in a public institution (P = 0.0027). The presence of TABPs followed a normal distribution among neurosurgeons and neurosurgical trainees in the Philippines. A significant association was found between TABPs and female sex for both neurosurgeons and trainees, and training in a public institution was significantly associated with TABPs only among the trainees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand methane (CH4) dynamics in tropical lakes and describe their importance in overall CH4 emissions, we observed temporal trends of CH4 stored in the water columns of Philippine lakes of different depths (shallow, moderately deep, and deep). We detected higher CH4 stored in profundal anoxic layers of deeper lakes. The average surface and profundal CH4 concentrations throughout our monthly monitoring were 0.27 ± 0.07 and 421 ± 189 μmol L–1 in the shallow lake, 0.48 ± 0.37 and 1,121 ± 125 μmol L–1 in the moderately deep lake, and 0.34 ± 0.23 and 943 ± 119 μmol L–1 in the deep lake. The fate of CH4 stored in the water column was related to depth, owing to different stratification and mixing regimes. Analyses of temporal relationships of CH4 with daily weather and physicochemical parameters revealed their impact on CH4 dynamics by controlling the frequency and mixing intensity throughout the year. Only shallow lake exhibited increase in CH4 concentrations with lowering atmospheric pressure. This allows vertical mixing and transport of CH4 from deeper to shallower layers. In moderately deep, and deep lakes, effects of daily weather parameters were not apparent on CH4 concentrations in the deepest layers (below 30 m depth). This suggests that lake depth and stratification should be considered for precise estimation of tropical lakes' CH4 emissions. Comparison with lakes under different climate conditions revealed the importance of tropical lakes for surface CH4 emission due to higher surface CH4 concentrations. Changes in water temperature is one of the factors controlling profundal CH4 production, storage, and its transport to shallower layer. Key Points: Vertical CH4 storage distribution in studied lakes are linked to episodic events, such as monsoons and extreme weather, driving turnoverWeather variables such as air temperature and atmospheric pressure are external drivers of stored methane in tropical lakesTropical lakes, with higher profundal water temperature, show more potential for storing and emitting CH4 than lakes from other regions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Determining the cost of hospitalization for acute stroke is important in the appropriate allocation of resources for public health facilities and in the cost effectiveness analysis of interventions. Despite being the second leading cause of mortality in the Philippines, there are no published data on the cost of stroke in the country. Aim: The study aims to determine the in-hospitalization cost for stroke (IHCS) in a tertiary public hospital in the Philippines and identify the factors influencing IHCS. Methods: The study was a retrospective review of the medical and billing records of the hospital. Adult patients admitted for acute stroke between 1 June 2017 and 31 May 2018 were included in the analysis. After the mean cost of stroke was determined, multivariate logistic regression analysis was done to determine demographic and clinical characteristics that were predictive of stroke cost. Results: A total of 863 patient records were analyzed. The median in-hospitalization cost for stroke was PHP 17,141.50 or US$329.52. Independent determinants of higher cost include male sex (p = 0.021), stroke type (hemorrhagic stroke, p = 0.001; subarachnoid hemorrhage, p < 0.001), lower GCS on admission (p = 0.023), surgical intervention (p < 0.001), intravenous thrombolysis (p < 0.001), infection (p < 0.001), length of hospital stay (p < 0.001), and mechanical ventilation (p = 0.008). Conclusion: The study provided current data on the in-hospitalization cost of acute stroke in a public tertiary hospital in the Philippines. Male sex, stroke type, lower GCS on admission, surgical intervention, intravenous thrombolysis, infection, length of hospital stay, and mechanical ventilation were independent predictors of cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shifting from conventional transplanting to direct seeding of rice is an alternative option to save irrigation water and reduce labor cost. Weeds are one of the major challenges in direct seeding. Field experiments in split-plot design were conducted to evaluate the effects of different water and weed management modes on the weed density, grain yield, and water productivity of direct wet-seeded rice during two dry seasons (DSs) in Nueva Ecija, Philippines. Three water management (W) modes were used: continuous flooding (CF); safe alternate wetting and drying (AWD); and modified CF (mCF). The four weed management (M) modes were: unweeded (UW); hand-weeding at 21 and 42 days after seeding [DAS] (HW); application of pre-emergence herbicide [pretilachlor] at 5 DAS (PR); and application of post-emergence herbicide [bispyribac sodium] at 15 DAS (PO). M modes showed significant effects (p < 0.05) on the weed density and grain yields in both years, with UW obtaining the lowest grain yield and highest weed density. No significant differences in grain yields were noted among weed control treatments. They only increased grain yields by 18-52% relative to UW. HW and PR treatments showed maximum yields. The W modes did not affect the grain yields nor the weed density, but water productivity was highest in AWD in both years. The higher grain yield and lower total water input in AWD maximized water productivity relative to the conventional practice of CF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the link between reliance on Facebook for news, political knowledge, and political engagement in the Philippines. We tested five hypotheses using data gathered from an online survey of 978 Filipinos conducted from February 1 to March 31, 2016. Findings support the hypothesis that those who rely less on social media as a news source exhibit higher levels of perceived knowledge about politics than those who rely more on it for news. Controlling for traditional news use, following political officials or institutions on social media is associated with higher levels of political interest and engagement, those with more politically active friends on Facebook have higher levels of exposure to political content online, and there is a positive correlation between Facebook being a source of information about politics and discussing politics more often with others. However, the hypothesis that those with more friends on their network who are politically active, will have greater political knowledge and more political engagement than those who have few politically active friends on their Facebook network is not supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overcrowding in mass rapid transit stations is a chronic issue affecting daily commute in Metro Manila, Philippines. As a high-capacity public transportation, the Metro Rail Transit has been operating at a level above its intended capacity of 350,000 passengers daily. Despite numerous efforts in implementing an effective crowd control scheme, it still falls short in containing the formation of crowds and long lines, thus affecting the amount of time before they can proceed to the platforms. A crowd dynamics model of commuters in one of the high-volume terminal stations, the Taft Ave station, was developed to help discover emergent behavior in crowd formation and assess infrastructure preparedness. The agent-based model uses static floor fields derived from the MRT3 live feed, and implements a number of social force models to optimize the path-finding of the commuter agents. Internal face validation, historical validation and parameter variability-sensitivity analysis were employed to validate the crowd dynamics model and assess different operational scenarios. It was determined that during peak hours, when the expected crowd inflow may reach up to 7,500 commuters, at least 11 ticket booths and 6 turnstiles should be open to have low turnaround times of commuters. For non-peak hours, at least 10 ticket booths and 5 turnstiles are needed to handle a crowd inflow reaching up to 5,000 commuters. In the current set-up, the usual number of ticket booths open in the MRT Taft Station is 11, and there are usually 6 turnstiles open. It was observed that as the crowd inside the station increases to 200-250 commuters, there is a significant increase in the increase rate of the turnaround times of the commuters, which signifies the point at which the service provided starts to degrade and when officials should start to intervene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize in the Philippines has been evolving through natural and human-directed selection for more than 500 years. Forty-eight initially collected Philippine traditional maize varieties or populations were characterized with emphasis on tolerance and/or resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. The varieties exhibited high variability for 9 qualitative and 15 quantitative traits. Several varieties showed outstanding performance in terms of downy mildew resistance, potential corn borer resistance, lysine content and earliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) is a well-known low-cost water-saving and climate change adaptation and mitigation technique for irrigated rice. However, its adoption rate has been low despite the decade of dissemination in Asia, especially in the Philippines. Using cross-sectional farm-level survey data, this study empirically explored factors shaping AWD adoption in a gravity surface irrigation system. We used regression-based approaches to examine the factors influencing farmers' adoption of AWD and its impact on yield. Results showed that the majority of the AWD adopters were farmers who practiced enforced rotational irrigation (RI) scheduling within their irrigators' association (IA). With the current irrigation management system, the probability of AWD implementation increases when farmers do not interfere with the irrigation schedule (otherwise they opt to go with flooding). Interestingly, the awareness factor did not play a significant role in the farmers' adoption due to the RI setup. However, the perception of water management as an effective weed control method was positively significant, suggesting that farmers are likely to adopt AWD if weeds are not a major issue in their field. Furthermore, the impact on grain yields did not differ with AWD. Thus, given the RI scheduling already in place within the IA, we recommend fine-tuning this setup following the recommended safe AWD at the IA scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents findings from the survey and focus group discussions on cultural adaptation through televangelical Christian programs among Metro Manila audiences conducted in 2004. Conditions appear to be favorable for religious television programs as venues for evangelization and discipleship in the Philippines. However, consumption of these programs remains limited where viewership patterns are irregular at best. Moreover, there appears to be a mismatch between source intentions and audience motivations as common reasons far watching are often less than sublime or spiritual, i.e., entertainment, curiosity, and passing time. Audiences have a rather diverse definition of religious programs, running from the traditional (i.e., anything that is about characters and events from the Bible) to those breaking the stereotype (i.e., prime time dramas and socio-civic outreach programs). For the audiences, these shows succeed on discipleship rather than conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhizoctonia-diseased specimens were collected from various host species growing in or near maize fields in different geographic regions of the Philippines. A greater range of host species, with varying types of disease symptoms, was found in Mindanao than in Luzon. Fifty-two isolates belonged to anastomosis group AG1-IA and caused banded leaf and sheath blight in maize (Zea mays), but they showed considerable variation in virulence. The most and least virulent isolates recovered from maize were both collected from Mindanao. Isolates from necrotic spots/foliar blight of durian and coffee, which were collected from the same region, showed the lowest lesion heights. UPGMA-SAHN clustering analysis from RAPD fingerprint data of 30 haplotypes of R. solani AG1-IA isolates from the Philippines and Japan resolved seven groups of AG1-IA at the 75% similarity level. Variation among isolates from upland crops seemed to be partially correlated with geographical origin and virulence. In the case of paddy rice isolates from Japan and the Philippines, some were closely related, with over 75% similarity, suggesting a common origin. In PCR-RFLP analysis of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer region, no polymorphism was observed among the AG1-IA isolates but they were differentiated from subgroups AG1-IB and AG1-IC using the endonucleases EcoRI, MboI and HinfI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deals with the Philippines-based nonpartisan, volunteer organization called National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL). Goal of restoring faith in the electoral process; Significance of role of NAMFREL in the 1984 elections; Election of Corazon Aquino as president in 1986; Principal conditions for a meaningful election.

The article presents fertility differentials in the Philippines. It consists of two parts. The first seeks to establish regional and other differences in fertility for two time periods, namely, 1960 and 1968. For the 1960 period, characteristics of individual women such as age at marriage, education, and religion are considered, while for 1968, additional variables such as occupation of wife, income, and type of residence are included. The second part seeks to explain interprovincial variations in fertility through an examination of the socioeconomic and geographic characteristics of the provinces and their populations. Differences between individuals within regions are likewise analyzed. Multiple regression analysis is used to explain the fertility differentials between individuals and among the provinces. The major sources of data utilized in this study are the 1960 Census of Population of the Philippines and the National Demographic Survey of 1968. To assess the influence of level of development on fertility, the Philippines provinces were grouped into five divisions. These were arrived at by devising an index of economic and social development.

Awake craniotomy is a technique used to maximize resection of lesions in eloquent areas of the brain and preserve function. Although its use in high-income centers is well documented for tumors and vascular lesions, reports of its use in low-middle-income countries are limited. There are no published series from the Philippines. We performed a retrospective review of all patients who underwent awake craniotomy at a tertiary referral center in Manila, Philippines from 2010 to 2019. Data on demographics, clinical features, diagnoses, intraoperative and postoperative complications, and outcomes were collected. Regression analyses were performed to correlate use of intraoperative adjuncts with outcome measures (extent of resection, complication rate, neurologic status after surgery and on last follow-up, and in-hospital mortality). A total of 65 patients were included in the cohort, who had a male predilection (60%) and a mean age at diagnosis of 40.4 years. The most common indication was tumor excision (90%), followed by excision of arteriovenous malformations (5%) and cavernomas (3%). Of the tumors, the most common histopathologic diagnosis was low-grade glioma (48%). The intraoperative complication rate was 13.8%, with the most common complication being patient intolerance. Gross total excision rate for tumors was 78.3%. Univariate analysis showed that use of a cortical stimulator was associated with improved neurologic status on last follow-up (P = 0.0471). Our experience shows that awake craniotomy is feasible in low-middle-income country settings and is safe and effective for excision of tumors, arteriovenous malformations, and cavernomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing methane (CH4) emission from paddy rice production is an important target for many Asian countries in order to comply with their climate policy commitments. National greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory approaches like the Tier-2 approach of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are useful to assess country-scale emissions from the agricultural sector. In paddy rice, alternate wetting and drying (AWD) is a promising and well-studied water management technique which, as shown in experimental studies, can effectively reduce CH4 emissions. However, so far little is known about GHG emission rates under AWD when the technique is fully controlled by farmers. This study assesses CH4 and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes under continuous flooded (CF) and AWD treatments for seven subsequent seasons on farmers' fields in a pumped irrigation system in Central Luzon, Philippines. Under AWD management, CH4 emissions were substantially reduced (73% in dry season (DS), 21% in wet season (WS)). In all treatments, CH4 is the major contributor to the total GHG emission and is, thus, identified as the driving force to the global warming potential (GWP). The contribution of N2O emissions to the GWP was higher in CF than in AWD, however, these only offset 15% of the decrease in CH4 emission and, therefore, did not jeopardize the strong reduction in the GWP. The study proves the feasibility of AWD under farmers' management as well as the intended mitigation effect. Resulting from this study, it is recommended to incentivize dissemination strategies in order to improve the effectiveness of mitigation initiatives. A comparison of single CH4 emissions to calculated emissions with the IPCC Tier-2 inventory approach identified that, although averaged values showed a sufficient degree of accuracy, fluctuations for single measurement points have high variation which limit the use of the method for field-level assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]