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Introduction: Mental health disorders are the third most common disorder in the Philippines, showing a need for further studies in this field among the Filipino population. Several studies have shown that sociodemographic characteristics and spirituality could influence the mental health of individuals, although there are sparse studies in the Philippines. Objectives: The present study explored the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and spirituality to depression, anxiety, and stress among emerging adults in Metro Manila. Methods: The study gathered data using a self-administered sociodemographic characteristics questionnaire, the Core Dimensional Spirituality Questionnaire (CDSQ), and the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS 21). The data collected was then analyzed through linear regression analysis. Results: More than half of the participants had significant scores for anxiety, while two out of five participants had significant scores for depression. Almost one out of five participants had significant scores for stress. Depression scores are positively associated with being LGBTQ+ and belief in God, while they are negatively associated with feelings of security. Similarly, anxiety scores are positively associated with being LGBTQ+. Likewise, stress scores are positively associated with being LGBTQ+ and age, while it is negatively associated with feelings of security. Conclusion: The findings suggest that LGBTQ+ emerging adults and those with older age may need additional focus in mental health programs. Likewise, mental health programs may also enhance their activities to increase an individual's security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study applied the interaction of social vulnerability and hazard to assess flood risk in three urbanized areas within the Pasig‐Marikina‐Laguna‐Lake catchment: Manila, Marikina, and Parañaque in Metro Manila, Philippines. This study examined risk patterns across different flood return periods (5, 50, and 100 years) in these urban river environments and provided both city‐wide and localized risk assessments. The social vulnerability to flood index (SVFI) was calculated using socioeconomic indicators, while the hazard index was derived from flood depth categories. Results show that city‐level risk indices are low to moderate, with Marikina consistently having the highest risk, followed by Manila and Parañaque. However, localized assessments reveal high‐risk areas within cities, with Manila being the most vulnerable to frequent floods (5‐year return period) and Marikina to less frequent but extreme events (50‐ and 100‐year return periods). Parañaque maintains the lowest risk profile across all scenarios. This study highlights the importance of considering both citywide trends and localized high‐risk areas in flood risk management. It provides valuable insights for disaster management planners and policymakers, enabling the development of targeted strategies for sustainable urban river management and flood risk reduction in rapidly urbanizing river systems. The methodology presented applies to other urban areas that face similar flood risks.

The introduction of digital platforms has reshaped consumer behavior in various industries, and the lottery sector is no exception. While traditional lottery sales have long been a primary revenue source for PCSO, the advent of E-Lotto provides a new, convenient avenue for lottery. This research aims to evaluate the impact of E-Lotto on the sales performance of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) within the National Capital Region (NCR). Further, this study determines whether E-Lotto serves as a complementary or competing channel for traditional lottery ticket sales and explores the implications of this shift on PCSO’s overall sales strategy. Through a mixed-methods approach, quantitative data on NCR lottery sales were analyzed to identify trends and assess shifts between digital and physical lottery channels. Qualitative interviews with PCSO stakeholders provide additional insights into operational and marketing strategies surrounding E-Lotto implementation. Findings reveal that E-Lotto expanded PCSO’s reach, particularly among younger, urban-based customers who prefer the convenience of online platforms. However, there is evidence that E-Lotto may also cannibalize traditional sales, especially in areas with smartphones and internet penetration. This underscores the need for PCSO to balance digital and physical sales channels effectively to maximize revenue. Recommendations include targeted marketing efforts, enhancing the user experience, and integrating cross-promotions between traditional and E-Lotto channels. By addressing these factors, PCSO can leverage the benefits of E-Lotto without undermining its established sales network. This study’s insights contribute to the broader understanding of digital transformation in gaming public institutions and its implications for sustainable revenue growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Developing countries such as the Philippines have an increasing urbanization rate, resulting in both the positive and negative effects of socioeconomic growth, including environmental degradation. Thus, the emergence of research on the ecological interactions in urban ecosystems has been given more attention throughout the years. This systematic review gathered relevant studies from research platforms such as Web of Science, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Google Scholar to assess the trends in urban ecology research based on publication date, study area, number of citations, methods employed, and most used keywords. 105 were recorded from 1982 to 2023, with 2022 having the most published studies. Most studies were conducted in Metropolitan Manila, Luzon Island, a region with high population density and economic activity. Employing survey questionnaires (21.4%), GIS and remote sensing techniques (16.8%), and biodiversity assessments (18.3%) were the methods that were mainly used in the studies recorded. The thematic analysis has subdivided the studies into urban landscape, urban systems, bio-ecological, and human ecology-based approaches in the context of the Philippines. Science-based solutions integrated each fundamental disciplines of urban ecology in studying Philippine cities can address the gaps exhibited. Although the country's scientific knowledge in urban ecology has evolved, this comprehensive review exposes the knowledge gaps in a temporal manner, especially in further studying Visayas and Mindanao islands and smaller peri-urban areas. Expanding to multidisciplinary approaches is recommended for more thorough understanding of Philippine urban ecology, which will help in decision-making toward a more sustainable future for Philippine cities. Graphical Abstract

Developing countries such as the Philippines have an increasing urbanization rate, resulting in both the positive and negative effects of socioeconomic growth, including environmental degradation. Thus, the emergence of research on the ecological interactions in urban ecosystems has been given more attention throughout the years. This systematic review gathered relevant studies from research platforms such as Web of Science, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Google Scholar to assess the trends in urban ecology research based on publication date, study area, number of citations, methods employed, and most used keywords. 105 were recorded from 1982 to 2023, with 2022 having the most published studies. Most studies were conducted in Metropolitan Manila, Luzon Island, a region with high population density and economic activity. Employing survey questionnaires (21.4%), GIS and remote sensing techniques (16.8%), and biodiversity assessments (18.3%) were the methods that were mainly used in the studies recorded. The thematic analysis has subdivided the studies into urban landscape, urban systems, bio-ecological, and human ecology-based approaches in the context of the Philippines. Science-based solutions integrated each fundamental disciplines of urban ecology in studying Philippine cities can address the gaps exhibited. Although the country's scientific knowledge in urban ecology has evolved, this comprehensive review exposes the knowledge gaps in a temporal manner, especially in further studying Visayas and Mindanao islands and smaller peri-urban areas. Expanding to multidisciplinary approaches is recommended for more thorough understanding of Philippine urban ecology, which will help in decision-making toward a more sustainable future for Philippine cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no bigger problem in daily urban life other than traffic congestion in Metro Manila, the capital of the Philippines. With a population of around 13.5 million people in 2020, this metropolis is globally notorious for its ‘carmageddon.’ Its streets transform into giant parking lots, which entails the loss of time, productivity, and other vital resources. Car-centrism is at the core of this mobility problem. However, government solutions to the traffic problem are overly focused on infrastructure and technological interventions. In this article, we engage with how civil society plays a fundamental role in initiating and sustaining street experiments in constituent cities of Metro Manila and how they influence change in transport governance through utilising the (1) bibingka or sandwich approach and (2) acting as a ‘critical friend.’ We share an example of the bibingka approach through the Bayanihan sa Daan (Collective Heroism in the Road), a road-sharing initiative in the busy streets of the Ortigas business district in Pasig City, Metro Manila. Meanwhile, we present cases of how civil society organisations acted as a critical friend to initiate street experiments and reforms through organisational partnership or appointment of their members to positions in government transport agencies. Through these approaches, we show that civil society participation in initiating street experiments is critical to ensuring that solutions to the traffic problem contribute to the mobility of people rather than of cars. In this vein, we put forward street experiments as fundamental to ensuring just transitions towards realising mobility justice, especially in cities of the Global South.

Although privatisation in Metro Manila has resulted in increased access to piped connections and reduced pilferage, the urban poor pay more for low-quality water and access it through small-scale providers including cooperatives and syndicates. While forming cooperatives can represent efforts of urban poor communities to claim legality, the selling of water to neighbours or offering protections for pilfering by local providers illustrates everyday illegality. Governing logics of the postcolonial state and concessionaires shape these Janus-faced survival practices of urban poor communities. These unwritten shared understandings, or informal institutions, operate within porous spaces of legality and illegality and remain at the mercy of the state, which can criminalise them. Moreover, while living in an informal settlement precludes access to individual piped connections from concessionaires, living on a resettlement site does not ensure access either, indicating that city planning directly impacts water access and supply. These realities suggest a relational reading of informality, linking the state and concessionaires from the top down with negotiated access to water from the bottom up, which may explain persisting inequities.

The paper focuses on the contemporary urban nomadism of public space dwelling in a developing country. In particular, the paper considers the case of public space dwelling in Metro Manila which reportedly has the largest public space dweller population among the world’s metropolises. It examines their shift from sedentary living, and how they navigate the terrain of conflicts and compromises that come with the localized articulation of various modes of economic production. To probe into their characteristics, the paper employs a framework based on the heterogeneity of anthropolocal functions—i.e. how people use local spaces for economic production and human regeneration. The paper reveals that the circumstances underlying the shift to nomadic living are: unresolved land problems in the provinces that go back to the feudal era, vulnerability of local communities against natural disasters due to development unevenness between Metro Manila and the provinces, and deteriorating work conditions under a globalizing economy. The paper further identifies the living stereotype of public space dwellers as forager stereotype in which the individual band-members move relative to the mobile base camp. Lastly, the paper points out that the lives of public space dwellers in the capitalist urban environment are unstable and precarious. As a survival strategy, public space dwellers employ—albeit often unconsciously—subsistence from their urban habitat, living in small and non-hierarchical units, building social relationships that transcend consanguineous relationships, sharing of limited resource, reciprocity, and mutual aid within and outside the band, division of labour, and giving and receiving care.

We develop a mathematical model considering behavioral changes and underreporting to describe the first major COVID-19 wave in Metro Manila, Philippines. Key parameters are fitted to the cumulative cases in the capital from March to September 2020. A bi-objective optimization problem is formulated that allows for the easing of restrictions at an earlier time and minimizes the number of additional beds ensuring sufficient capacity in healthcare facilities. The well-posedness of the model and stability of the disease-free equilibria are established. Simulations show that if the behavior was changed one to four weeks earlier before the easing of restrictions, cumulative cases can be reduced by up to 55% and the peak delayed by up to four weeks. If reporting is increased threefold in the first three months of the estimation period, cumulative cases can be reduced by 61% by September 2020. Among the Pareto optimal solutions, the peak of cases is lowest if strict restrictions were eased on May 20, 2020 and with at least 56 additional beds per day.

Answering the call in this special issue to spatialise degrowth studies beyond the Global North, this paper examines practices of 'park-making' in Chennai and Metro Manila as a potential degrowth pathway. Parks in the coastal mega cities of Metro Manila and Chennai can be seen as relics of a colonial era, and spaces coherent with capitalist, growth-oriented and consumerist logics. At the same time, however, they become spaces that prefigure alternative ways of organising social life in the city based upon values of conviviality, care and sharing. Using qualitative methods of analysis, this paper examines what practices people engage with to satisfy their everyday needs in parks, but also the dynamics of exclusion and contestation that play out in these spaces. In doing so, we evaluate when and under what conditions park-making supports practices of de-growth and commoning beyond consumerist culture. Both commoning and uncommoning practices are detailed, revealing the role of provisioning systems that lead to the satisfaction of needs for some at the expense of others. Further, writing from cities that are highly unequal, and where the basic needs of many are yet to be met, we assert that understanding how degrowth manifests in these contexts can only be revealed through a situated urban political ecology approach. Spatialising degrowth in cities of the Global South should start with a focus on everyday practices, study power relationally and explore the scope for a radical incrementalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (< 5 mm) have lately been identified in the atmosphere of urban, suburban, and even distant places far from plastic particle areas, suggesting the possibility of long-distance atmospheric transport of microplastics. However, the occurrence, fate, transmission, and effects of these suspended atmospheric microplastics (SAMPs) are all currently unknown in the Philippines. This study investigated the presence of suspected microplastic in the atmosphere of sixteen cities and one municipality of Metro Manila, Philippines. Sampling was conducted using a respirable dust sampler mounted with a Whatman GF/C filter paper at an intake flow rate of 1.4 L/min with Whatman GF/C filter paper. Results reveal that all seventeen sampling areas have the presence of SAMPs. A total of 155 SAMPs were found and confirmed in Metro Manila, with the highest concentration in Muntinlupa City and Mandaluyong City (0.023 SAMP/NCM). Fourteen SAMP types were identified across the sampling areas, ⁓ 74% with polyester. This study is the first record of the presence of microplastics suspended in the ambient air in the Philippines. It is estimated that an adult person in Metro Manila has the potential to inhale (5–8 per minute, normal minute ventilation) about 1 SAMP if exposed for about 99.0 to 132 h. Further studies should be done to evaluate the fate and health effects of these SAMPs in Metro Manila's setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resilience measurement is an emerging topic in the field of disaster risk reduction. However, its application in Global South cities has proven to be a challenge due to the uniqueness of southern urbanisms and data challenges. As a result, the Resilience Benchmarking Assessment and Impact Toolkit (RABIT) framework has recently been developed to support resilience assessment in informal, marginalized, and disaster-prone contexts of southern cities. This paper asserts the relevance of the RABIT framework and uses it to assess the resilience of Manggahan residences, a resettled marginalized community in Pasig City, Metro Manila. Drawing on a quantitative approach and using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), the study revealed that scale, robustness, and learning attributes of the RABIT framework are strong contributors to the community's resilience. Self-organization, diversity, and redundancy have similar levels of contribution. Equality and rapidity were found to have the weakest relative contribution. The study findings emphasize the need to view resilience in resettled communities holistically and adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach that considers the multiple aspects of everyday life to proactively build adaptive and future resilient capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of integrated flood risk management (IFRM) is still in its infancy in both developed and developing countries, yet some countries have already encountered barriers to IFRM adaptation. The interrelationships between these barriers need to be determined and analyzed systematically, as such an analysis is the groundwork for decision-making when devising solutions to overcome the barriers. Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) is a popular and systematic method for analyzing the interrelationship between variables in broad study areas. This study applies the proposed expanded ISM (Ex-ISM) approach to comprehensively analyze the interrelationships between the barriers to IFRM in Metro Manila. Ex-ISM enhances conventional ISM in that the symbolism is modified to explicitly show the contextual interrelationships, the step for hierarchy assignment is simplified, and the diagram shows all of the interrelationships that allow a comprehensive analysis. The results obtained using the Ex-ISM method do not deviate from those yielded by the conventional ISM method, but the Ex-ISM method allows an easy assignment of hierarchy, and it shows not only the direct but also the indirect interrelationships to provide a comprehensive analysis of the relationships between the barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many women in Metro Manila, Philippines, have experienced being sexually assaulted and harassed while taking urban public transportation. Being ‘transit captives,’ they have no choice but to rely on inadequate modes of public transportation with limited security systems. This qualitative mixed-method study uses focus group discussions and ethnography to investigate the experiences of transiting women in Metro Manila, their perceptions and attitudes on urban transit safety, and how they cope with the risks of violence when traveling. The study reveals that Filipino women have been practicing a modified type of feminist self-defense given their unique transit circumstances, wherein they take it upon themselves to be empowered and keep safe against possible perpetrators through various defensive and proactive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of the seasonal characteristics of raindrop size distribution (DSD) in Metro Manila, Philippines, using two years of measurements (2018–2020) from the PARSIVEL2 disdrometer. Seasonal properties of DSD for both stratiform and convective rain types were examined during the Southwest Monsoon (SWM; June–September), Northeast Monsoon (NEM; October–February), and pre-SWM or Transition period (March–May). Key findings reveal the dominance of small raindrops (<1 mm) during the NEM period, while mid-sized (1–3 mm) to large raindrops (>3 mm) are more prevalent during the SWM and Transition periods. The study highlights notable seasonal differences in DSD at moderate rain rates (5–10 mm hr−1), indicating variations in microphysical processes between stratiform and convective rain. Furthermore, the microphysical properties of convective rain in Metro Manila are found to be influenced by both oceanic and continental convective processes based on their mass-weighted mean diameter and generalized intercept parameter for all the monsoon periods. The DSD-derived dual-polarimetric radar variables are also shown to vary with the monsoon periods. Rainfall estimates using the DSD-derived dual-polarimetric relations statistically outperformed the empirical rainfall retrieval equation currently used by operational weather radars in the Philippines. Additionally, the Gamma shape parameter found in this study aligns with existing rainfall retrieval algorithm assumptions in space-borne radars. This similarity, along with the derived microphysical relations, could provide potential improvements in rainfall retrievals of ground-based and space-borne radars in tropical coastal environments like Metro Manila. • First comprehensive study of seasonal raindrop size distribution in Metro Manila using long-term disdrometer data. • Small raindrops dominate northeast monsoon rainfall; larger drops are more common in transition period and southwest monsoon. • Disdrometer-derived equations for ground and space radars may improve radar rainfall estimates over Metro Manila. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on the contemporary urban nomadism of public space dwelling in a developing country. In particular, the paper considers the case of public space dwelling in Metro Manila which reportedly has the largest public space dweller population among the world's metropolises. It examines their shift from sedentary living, and how they navigate the terrain of conflicts and compromises that come with the localized articulation of various modes of economic production. To probe into their characteristics, the paper employs a framework based on the heterogeneity of anthropolocal functions—i.e. how people use local spaces for economic production and human regeneration. The paper reveals that the circumstances underlying the shift to nomadic living are: unresolved land problems in the provinces that go back to the feudal era, vulnerability of local communities against natural disasters due to development unevenness between Metro Manila and the provinces, and deteriorating work conditions under a globalizing economy. The paper further identifies the living stereotype of public space dwellers as forager stereotype in which the individual band-members move relative to the mobile base camp. Lastly, the paper points out that the lives of public space dwellers in the capitalist urban environment are unstable and precarious. As a survival strategy, public space dwellers employ—albeit often unconsciously—subsistence from their urban habitat, living in small and non-hierarchical units, building social relationships that transcend consanguineous relationships, sharing of limited resource, reciprocity, and mutual aid within and outside the band, division of labour, and giving and receiving care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a mathematical model considering behavioral changes and underreporting to describe the first major COVID-19 wave in Metro Manila, Philippines. Key parameters are fitted to the cumulative cases in the capital from March to September 2020. A bi-objective optimization problem is formulated that allows for the easing of restrictions at an earlier time and minimizes the number of additional beds ensuring sufficient capacity in healthcare facilities. The well-posedness of the model and stability of the disease-free equilibria are established. Simulations show that if the behavior was changed one to four weeks earlier before the easing of restrictions, cumulative cases can be reduced by up to 55% and the peak delayed by up to four weeks. If reporting is increased threefold in the first three months of the estimation period, cumulative cases can be reduced by 61% by September 2020. Among the Pareto optimal solutions, the peak of cases is lowest if strict restrictions were eased on May 20, 2020 and with at least 56 additional beds per day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uneven ground deformations resulting from excessive groundwater exploitation have been causing problems in metropolitan cities worldwide. Metro Manila and its adjoining provinces have been recognized as undergoing ground deformations due to excessive groundwater pumping, meeting the continued population growth rate demands. Previous studies have identified widespread subsidence using advanced Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (D-InSAR) techniques, but with insufficient archived SAR data, which suffered from the extended perpendicular and temporal baselines covering long periods from 1993 to 2011. This study presents a Sentinel-1 Permanent Scatterer InSAR (PS-InSAR) application from 2015 to 2019 as a continued effort to monitor ground deformations caused by groundwater extraction and recharge in and around Metro Manila. The results revealed that several areas manifest apparent subsidence and uplift within the image's footprint. The line-of-sight (LOS) subsidence rates in Manila, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela are between 1 and 2 cm/year, except for some coastal communities. Other parts of the region are detected to be experiencing an uplift of 0.1 to 1 cm/year. LOS subsidence rates exceeding 4 cm/year were recorded in the adjoining provinces of Metro Manila, specifically in Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna. These observations are consistent when correlated with groundwater levels during the same period. Moreover, a high correlation was observed with coefficients of determination (R2) > 0.95 in Makati, Bagumbayan (in Quezon City), and Dasmariñas (in Cavite). With the results obtained, a better understanding of these subtle ground deformations affecting various areas in the Philippines can help mitigate possible disasters and damages by this geohazard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating resilience attributes into local plans is considered an important step in enhancing disaster risk reduction. However, the extent to which resilience is captured in local disaster management plans remains underexplored. This paper utilizes content analysis to examine the integration of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction's (UNDRR) resilience attributes across 11 cities in Metro Manila. Results show strong integration in governance and risk identification while gaps exist in ecosystem protection, city-to-city learning, and disaster victims' participation in recovery planning. The paper recommends introducing metropolitan-level platforms for inter-city learning, turning local authorities' attention towards nature-based solutions, and including disaster victims in the recovery planning process.

• The first WRF-UCM simulations with AH flux for Metro Manila. • ACM2 PBL scheme perform better than YSU and MYNN2.5 in Manila. • RRTMG scheme is better than Dudhia/RRTM and New Goddard. • Urban areas in Metro Manila are 4 °C warmer than cropland during heat wave events. • AH effect contributes about 10 % to the UHII compared to the urbanization effect. This study aims to assess the performance of Weather Research and Forecasting coupled with the urban canopy model and anthropogenic heat (AH) on extreme heat events and determine the potential effect of urbanization on these extreme heat events in Metro Manila. Simulations with well-represented urban land use capture temperature (Mean Bias is -0.39 °C), especially during nighttime compared to simulations without urban land cover. The simulations with urban areas at night show an increase in sensible (∼75 W m −2) and ground heat fluxes (∼125 W m −2), while a decrease in latent heat flux (∼13 W m −2) compared to simulations without urban areas. Simulations with urban cover have temperatures more than 4 °C in central Metro Manila than simulations with no urban grids. Sensitivity tests with three different planetary boundary layer (PBL) and radiation schemes show that ACM2 performed best, while RRTMG captured distribution. During the heatwaves, the daytime and nocturnal urban heat island intensities (UHIIs) are estimated at 0.75 °C and 2.17 °C, respectively. The AH effect on UHII is more substantial during nighttime and contributes about 10 % to the UHII compared to the urbanization effect. This study may help policymakers identify hotspots in Metro Manila and develop adaptation/mitigation strategies for extreme heat events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurement of the shear wave velocities (Vs) of soils is an important aspect of geotechnical and earthquake engineering, due to its direct relation to the shear modulus (G), which in turn influences the stress–strain behavior of geomaterials. Vs can be directly measured or estimated using a variety of onsite tests or in a laboratory. Methods such as downhole PS logging require boreholes and may not be logistically and economically feasible in all situations. Many researchers have estimated Vs from other geotechnical parameters, such as standard penetration test resistance (SPT-N), by means of empirical correlations. This paper aimed to contribute to this subject by developing an empirical relationship between Vs and SPT-N. Data from twenty sites in Metro Manila were obtained from geotechnical investigation reports. Vs profiles of the same sites were also acquired using the refraction microtremor method. New empirical relationships were developed for all, sandy, and clayey soil types, using a non-linear regression method that is applicable for Metro Manila soils. Statistical evaluation and comparison of the proposed correlations with other previous works suggested the viability of the empirical model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since Metropolitan Manila is known to be susceptible to seismic hazards, it is necessary to consider multiple factors in assessing this hazard. Aside from ground motion, the properties of soil which lead to the amplification of seismic waves should be considered. This study aimed to develop a seismic hazard map for Metro Manila considering the soil properties in the area by using Midorikawa & Hori site amplification model. Probabilistic seismic hazard assessment was conducted using earthquake data within 250 km of Metropolitan Manila for 10% and 2% probabilities of exceedance. The site amplification factors were computed using calculated shear wave velocities from SPT-N values. The calculated ground motions were amplified using the site amplification factors considering short-period and mid-period amplifications. The constructed maps of amplified peak ground acceleration (PGA) values showed how soil properties affect the ground motion. It was found that for a short-period amplification, the average PGAs is 0.538 g, and 0.659 g for 10%, and 2% probabilities of exceedance, respectively. While for mid-period amplification, the average PGAs is 0.589 g, and 0.830 g for 10%, and 2% probabilities of exceedance. Using the amplified seismic hazard maps, a better approximation of seismic hazards can be generated for future use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vehicle survival rate models have been extensively built in developed countries and China in view of the availability of vehicle scrappage data, but many developing countries do not have those data. This paper intends to develop Weibull distribution-based models of vehicle survivorship for Metro Manila, Philippines, without using the vehicle scrappage data. The proposed computation procedure can capture the dynamics of average vehicle lifespan. Light-duty passenger vehicles are classified into two main categories: car (sedan, hatchback) and utility vehicle (SUV, van, minivan, pickup, wagon, Jeepney). The results highlighted that the average lifespan of the car decreased from 23.23 years in 2007 to 15.22 years in 2016, whereas the average lifespan of the UV was constant and equal to 14.18 years. Also, the developed models were applied to project the vehicle stocks, scrapped vehicles, and vehicle sales based on two designed scenarios: historical trend and limitation of the vehicle stocks.

Projection of population in a small area is essential for the government to design proactive policies to support a variety of planning processes and making decisions. The private sector can use this information to do customer demand forecasting and market site targets on a small scale. However, most developing countries do not have this level of data for the development of small area population estimation models. The thrust of this study is to develop a linear regression-based small area population estimation model using recent census data of Metro Manila. The R2values of the developed population and household estimation models are 0.975 and 0.994, respectively, while the respective mean absolute errors (MAEs) are 9.76% and 7.98%. The developed models were then applied to project as mall area population. The area of Metro Manila with a population density of more than 50,000 persons/km2will increase from5.78% in 2010 to 9.23% in 2020, 15.14% in 2030, 21.76% in 2040, and 31.31% in 2050. The projected population within Metro Manila will increase from 11.89 million in 2010 to 29.16 million in 2050, with an average annual growth rate of 3.63% from 2010 to 2050.During this time, the population density will rise from 19,137 persons/km2in 2010 to 49,243 persons/km2in 2050. The total number of households is projected to increase from 2.89 million in 2010 to 7.49 million in 2050, which is a 2.59-fold increase.

Sustained economic growth with insufficient public transport in metropolitan areas encourages private vehicle dependency, thereby increasing petroleum oil consumption and greenhousegas(GHG) production. One way to mitigate these issues is to encourageprivate vehicle users to own smaller fuel-efficient vehicles. This paper intends to explore determinants (i.e., socio-economic characteristics, travel behavior, vehicle attributes and purchasing conditions, vehicle and gas prices, and built environment characteristics) of individual vehicle type owners and energy consumption in Metro Manila. The data sample of 846 observations and acopula-based jointdiscrete-continuous framework were employed. The findingshighlighted that individuals using bankauto loans are more likely to choose SUVs than cars, thereby consuming more energy. Furthermore, people located in high population density areas andthose withroad-based public transport line denseareas prefer cars to SUVs. An increase in gas and vehicle cost contributes to energy saving and discouragesSUV dependency. The developed models were also applied for a “what-if” scenario analysis to quantify the competing options as an innovative perspective for crafting proactive transportation policies. Understanding the determinants of vehicle type ownership and energy consumption is the precursor of designingconsistent transportation policies to mitigate petroleum oil consumption and mobile emissions.

Using the phenomenological method developed by the Austrian-American philosopher and social theorist Alfred Schutz, this article studied the lifeworld of millennial stage actors in Metro Manila, Philippines. Lifeworld is the meaning-giving sphere of common sense that is shared by individuals from a given social group. Using the data gathered from key informant interviews with 12 professional actors and five consociates from the said locale, we investigated how these millennial actors started their careers in the theatre industry, how they perceived theatre in general and Philippine theatre in particular, how they experienced the challenges and difficulties in their careers, how they were motivated to persevere, and how they envisioned their longterm future in the same industry. This article contributes to the sparse literature on the lives of contemporary professional stage actors in general, and to the almost non-existent literature on Filipino professional stage actors in particular. Understanding the status and problems of the lives of professional stage actors should be the first step in further improving their plight and in appreciating more their central role in the continued existence of theatre as a cultural practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the reticulated shores of city everywhere, the global urbanization project to rebuild cities as total mediacosmic platforms hosting the capitalizable life of globopolitical citizens, sites of a vitality little reckoned with emerge, hold on, disappear. In this essay, I discuss the thresholds that constitute the liminality of the vitality of the urban poor in Metro Manila, as well as the significance of that vitality for another understanding of our global, urban mode of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Meranaws of Lanao areas is known as a Riyayatan ko Kambilangataw (role model in characters and good deeds). They have their unique cultural beliefs, tradition, and ethics, such as kambilangataw (etiquette), kaseselai (giving worth), kapoporowai (praise) kasangila (heed), kapamagawida (helping each other), kapakiroroyoden (sense of empathy), and kapamagipata, (caring person). This paper attempted to describe the significance of pananaroon (Meranaw proverbs) in contemporary Meranaw society. This also to determine the role of pananaroon in the lives of the Meranaw people since time immemorial until now. Finally, this is to find out the awareness of the Meranaws regarding the practice of pananaroon from the Islamic perspective. The researchers used a qualitative-naturalistic research design. This study gathers data through an oral interview of some informants from Marawi City and Municipality of Butig, Lanao del Sur. Field-based research was undertaken through the observational method, Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with the traditional leaders, local officials, and selected respondents from the academe. Findings revealed that the etymology of the word “pananaroon” comes from the word “taro,” which means speech. Pananaroon (Meranaw proverbs) is already a part of the Meranaw cultural practices, especially during important events such as a wedding, enthronement, etiquette, and settling family feuds or conflicts. The practice of pananaroon is not only confined to its relevance to the M?ranaw culture, but it also symbolizes nobility and societal rank in society.

Mental health problem is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. It makes up one-third of the world population. With the increasing number of individuals with mental health problems and difficulties worldwide, countries such as the Philippines are still in the process of addressing the issue of providing quality mental health care services. This study aimed to identify and evaluate the existing mental health services offered in a selected Municipality in Metro Manila, Philippines. Moreover, this sought to increase knowledge and awareness about mental health services to help solve the issues and challenges identified in this study. The study employed an initial semi-structured interview that can lead to a case study, which is a qualitative research design. The study was conducted in one of the City Health Offices in Metro Manila. Insufficient budget, lack of trained professionals and mental health workers, lack of mental health system framework, not fully implemented mental health law and lack of collaboration and integration were the problems identified in providing quality mental health services. Although the Philippine government exerts effort on filling the gaps in providing treatment and care to those individuals with mental health difficulties, access to mental health institutions in the Philippines favors those near the National Capital Region.

Projected economic growth is expected to further increase vehicle ownership among households in Metropolitan Manila. This increase is likely to translate to higher energy requirements, elevated greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, as well as a worsening of traffic congestion. A multinomial logit-based household vehicle ownership model was developed taking into account household characteristics and urban form peculiarities that are hypothesized to affect the level of vehicle ownership among households. The model utilized data gathered from a survey of 2,300 households from various areas of Metropolitan Manila. Results indicated that flooding susceptibility of communities does not affect vehicle ownership and type among its residents. Higher public transport density and closer proximity to essential facilities and services were found to be strong determinants that discourage vehicle ownership. Higher population density, contrary to findings in most studies, tends to reinforce vehicle ownership due to the inadequacy of public transport service, especially in crowded areas. The model was used to simulate “what if” shares of levels of vehicle ownership and apply the model under scenarios of 1) access to essential facilities, 2) improved road public transport line density, and 3) their combination. The results indicated that these interventions, relative to the baseline scenario, could respectively reduce vehicles owned by 26.63%, 35.02%, and 59.61% among the households surveyed and CO2 emission by 1.33 million tonnes, 1.63 million tonnes, and 2.69 million tonnes.

The measurement of the shear wave velocities (Vs) of soils is an important aspect of geotechnical and earthquake engineering, due to its direct relation to the shear modulus (G), which in turn influences the stress–strain behavior of geomaterials. Vs can be directly measured or estimated using a variety of onsite tests or in a laboratory. Methods such as downhole PS logging require boreholes and may not be logistically and economically feasible in all situations. Many researchers have estimated Vs from other geotechnical parameters, such as standard penetration test resistance (SPT-N), by means of empirical correlations. This paper aimed to contribute to this subject by developing an empirical relationship between Vs and SPT-N. Data from twenty sites in Metro Manila were obtained from geotechnical investigation reports. Vs profiles of the same sites were also acquired using the refraction microtremor method. New empirical relationships were developed for all, sandy, and clayey soil types, using a non-linear regression method that is applicable for Metro Manila soils. Statistical evaluation and comparison of the proposed correlations with other previous works suggested the viability of the empirical model.

When colonizing new areas, invasive alien species (IAS) have the potential to introduce parasites, which may be perilous to native species. In the Philippines, however, parasite communities of IAS have received little attention. Here, we provide the first report of the gastrointestinal helminths parasitizing Rhinella marina, one of the most common and widespread IAS anurans in the Philippines. A total of 318 individuals of helminths classified as trematodes (Glypthelmins sp. and Mesocoelium sp.) and nematodes (Falcaustra sp. and Physaloptera sp.) were isolated from the gastrointestinal tract of 31 out of 67 individuals (46%) of R. marina collected from four selected urban green spaces within Metro Manila. Glypthelmins sp. was the most prevalent (P = 20.9%), dominant (D = 62.3%), and had the highest mean intensity (14.1 ± 15.9) among the identified helminths. Our results contribute knowledge on diversity and infection patterns of gastrointestinal helminths associated with the invasive toad R. marina in the Philippines. Further studies are needed to investigate the helminth fauna of other IAS anurans present in the country and to accurately assess the possible transmission of these parasites between colonizers and native species of anurans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faced with an ever-increasing demand for land in Metro Manila, as well as with the domination of standardised low-income housing models, the local civil society and the urban-poor sector embarked on the development of an alternative shelter approach in-city multistorey housing delivered through the People's Plan. The article documents the emergence of the approach, interrogates its main assumptions and takes a closer look at the implementation process through two case studies, in Pasig and San Jose Del Monte. The article analyses the modality as an attempt to create a hybrid approach between formal and informal delivery systems within the built form conventionally associated with the imaginaries of the 'formal' city. The findings underscore the role of co-production in enabling the urban-poor sector to leverage their approach, while documenting the need to move beyond a formal–informal dichotomy in both theory and urban development practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improvement of residential areas with low accessibility to crucial destinations (e.g., hospitals, schools, markets, and recreation centers) is expected to improve traffic flow and reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions. This study intends to evaluate the multi-criteria accessibility measure of residential areas to key destinations in Metro Manila, using the gravity method and applying it to understand its impact on household vehicle ownership and energy consumption. The main findings suggest that improving residential area access to key services and facilities (i.e., hospitals, schools, markets, and recreation centers) not only enhances the equitable development of society but also discourages household vehicle dependency. Additionally, the highest multi-criteria accessibility is observed for areas with the presence of high rail line density, specifically in the most populated part of Metro Manila because of many educational institutions, medical centers and hospitals, and markets and shopping malls are located around the train stations and along the rail lines. Furthermore, households living in an area with high multi-criteria accessibility are less likely to acquire and use vehicles. A 1% improvement of accessibility reduced the energy consumption by 38.470 MJ/month-vehicle, CO2 emission by 2.851 kg/month-vehicle, and vehicle kilometers traveled by 12.043 km/month-vehicle. Based on the empirical findings, policy implications recommend building more key facilities in residential areas having the lowest accessibility. The lowest accessibility areas are also geospatially visualized to support policymakers and urban planners.