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Summary: The recent global cocoa supply decline calls for investigating disease‐resistant and single‐origin cocoa varieties in Asia. While genetic analysis has identified promising clones, information on bean quality and flavour remains limited. This research aims to analyse quality attributes of single‐origin cocoa beans and key volatile organic compounds in cocoa liquors and to determine consumer acceptability of indigenous cocoa beverage (Tablea) from single‐origin cocoa in the Philippines. Aroma fingerprinting of cocoa clones (UF18, BR25, W10) using fast GC electronic nose revealed distinctive profiles. Cocoa clone UF18 exhibited high‐fat content (52.1%), surpassing African cocoa clones. Even more important is the discovery of elevated levels of desirable volatile compounds in cocoa clone W10 such as methyl decanoate (fruity) and phenylacetaldehyde (honey, floral), which marks the first study that identified fine aroma components in single‐origin cocoa beans in Asia. Harnessing potential of these cocoa clones ensures consumer acceptability of the cocoa beverage Tablea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Joaquín Martínez de Zúñiga (1760–1818) was one of the earliest scholars to propose a trans-Pacific contact theory in his Historia de las Islas Philipinas. Although his 1803 publication contains the earliest-known theory establishing linguistic comparisons between the Mapuche language of Chile and Tagalog (the Philippines), his ideas and evidence have not been fully explored. This article argues that while Martínez de Zúñiga’s ideas were novel and set some scientific grounds for one of the most resilient debates in the history of archaeology, his evidence was scarce. Furthermore, his attribution as one of the earliest individuals to propose a trans-Pacific contact theory is arguably inaccurate, as similar ideas were pondered as early as the 16th century. This article investigates supporting and opposing ideas proposed by Martínez de Zúñiga and his contemporaries, which were either produced in Spanish and British colonies, or shaped by knowledge about them with a colonial bias. These scholars’ hypotheses were predominantly based on linguistic and anthropological grounds, on the direction of sea currents and winds, and on the numerous islands across the Pacific that could facilitate long-distance voyages. Similar ideas continue to feed into the pre-Columbian trans-Pacific contact debate today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foregrounding the Korean Wave in storylines, there have been notable co-productions that have cinematically addressed the Southeast Asian fan of “K-Dramas” and her travels to South Korea. By analyzing Ultimate Oppa (2022), I align with a decolonial impulse to study a regional Asian co-production that excludes the usual analysis of the dominant European-U.S. film axis. I argue that intra-Asian co-productions produce ideological asymmetries in these arrangements. In Ultimate Oppa, the relationship between the Philippines and Korea is set against the macro-level influences of unequal “soft power” between Korean and Philippine media, producing visible dialectical tensions. As such, this essay argues that Ultimate Oppa ambivalently presents a cross-national romantic fantasy that reifies regional hierarchies, which are made more palatable through ideological dialectics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depressive symptoms may increase with age, potentially influenced by sociodemographic characteristics, stressors and support, health status, and health behaviour. It is unclear if this is the case among older adults in the Philippines. Therefore, the aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence and associated factors of depressive symptoms among older adults in the Philippines. Methods: In all, 5209 items of cross-sectional nationally representative data from older adults (=60 years) participating in the 2018 Longitudinal Study on Ageing and Health in the Philippines (LSAHP) were analysed. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 11-item 3-response category Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale. Results: The overall prevalence of depressive symptoms was 32.1%, with 25.6% among older men and 36.5% among older women. In the final adjusted models, overall, widowed (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 1.52, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.00 to 2.30), hunger (AOR: 2.22, 95% CI: 1.40 to 3.51), living alone (AOR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.00 to 2.59), not satisfied with present life (AOR: 2.04, 95% CI: 1.09 to 3.81), body pain (AOR: 2.39, 95% CI: 1.73 to 3.31), and insomnia (AOR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.24 to 2.31) were positively associated, while working (AOR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.37 to 0.80) was negatively associated with depressive symptoms. In addition, among men, older age (80 years and above) (AOR: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.06 to 3.58), unmet healthcare needs (AOR: 2.19, 95% CI: 1.07 to 4.47), and hearing difficulty (AOR: 2.41, 95% CI: 1.06 to 5.52) were positively associated poor childhood health (AOR: 0.12, 95% CI: 0.04 to 0.36), while social network (AOR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.90 to 0.99) was negatively associated. Among women, loss of bladder control (AOR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.03 to 2.77) was positively associated with depressive symptoms. Conclusion: One in three older adults participating in this study exhibited depressive symptoms. Sociodemographic factors, stressors, and health status factors were positively associated, and support factors were negatively associated with depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This empirical study draws from the extensive academic literature on leadership as a phenomenon and a topic of study, the leadership and peace nexus, and business leadership theories such as resistance leadership, system leadership, and wise and ethical leadership. It examines actual leadership through in-depth interviews of three Japanese business leaders under three themes: how they understand the existing system, connect or envision connecting people, and care for human dignity. The study finds that the leaders appraise the existing system from a broad perspective, attempt to use business to change it, and connect people transnationally. In this process, they illustrate care for the dignity of the people involved. Their vision of transforming their businesses into transnational communities across stakeholders and to change the world for the better can be a model for peacebuilding through business. We also posit that the flexibility and speediness of business leaders' decision-making and actions are advantageous for peace leadership and that businesses have the potential to engage in peacebuilding sustainably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional and religious justifications have been identified to support the continued practice of child marriage. However, the role of faith in child marriage has not been widely studied. This mixed-method study investigates the role of faith in child marriage in Mozambique, Nepal, and the Philippines. Faith and religion are deeply ingrained in these communities, as most survey respondents identified with a faith group and practiced their religion in both private and public domains. Faith was found to have an impact on child marriage through beliefs around gender roles. Although this trend was observed in all countries, there were variations between them, highlighting the significance of local context. Addressing child marriage requires a comprehensive approach that considers both faith and gender norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A secondary data analysis of the 2022 Philippine National Demographic and Health Survey (PNDHS) was conducted to explore the underlying structure of knowledge regarding communicable and noncommunicable diseases using multilevel confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The PNDHS data consist of two levels: level-1 represents within-household data (household questionnaire), and level-2 represents between-household data (primary sampling unit (PSU)). Therefore, a two-level CFA and two-level variance CFA were performed. Furthermore, a multigroup analysis assessed the structural differences between males/females and urban/rural groups. In the PNDHS survey, 30,372 household interviews were completed. Knowledge levels for cancer, heart disease, diabetes, dengue fever, TB, and COVID-19 were 96.7%, 94.9%, 97.8%, 98.4%, 96.7%, and 92.8%, respectively. The two-level CFA indicated that the coefficient loadings of each item for both levels were statistically significant (Z-test, P < 0.001). Regarding two-level variance CFA, the variance at level-1 was higher than that at level-2 (13 and 6.7, respectively). The multigroup analysis revealed that the model was non-invariant (not equal) across gender and residence (likelihood ratio test; P < 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively). In conclusion, level-1 has greater effect than does level-2 because the variance in level-1 is greater than that in level-2, the knowledge of COVID-19 has the lowest loading compared to other items, and rural/urban areas and females/males exhibit different levels of health knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the separation of church and state in the Philippines during the early American colonial period, contextualizing it within the process of American overseas expansion and considering it as one of the projects of imperial hegemony construction. After the Spanish–American War, the United States substituted Spain as the new colonial ruler of the Philippines, legitimizing its regime as the spread of 'civilization' to the Filipinos. On this basis, the Americans enacted laws guaranteeing religious freedom and introduced an American-style institution dealing with church–state relations. Beyond the legal and administrative initiatives, the new regime also constructed an official narrative of the transformation of political–religious relations in the Philippine that emphasized the absolute 'difference' between the American human rights principle, which guaranteed freedom of worship, and the Spanish theocracy, which was dedicated to the consolidation of privileges. By legislating the separation of church and state, buying up church properties, recognizing the equality of denominations, and constructing the official imperial narrative of church–state relations, the Americans hoped to 'teach' Filipinos that the 'true' belief was rooted in the inner convictions of individual Christians, not in the authority and coercion of the hierarchical church. By disciplining the construction of 'difference' under tutelary colonialism, the separation of church and state movement initiated by the American colonial government in the Philippines became an important source of imperial self-endowed legitimacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A secondary data analysis of the 2022 Philippine National Demographic and Health Survey (PNDHS) was conducted to explore the underlying structure of knowledge regarding communicable and noncommunicable diseases using multilevel confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The PNDHS data consist of two levels: level-1 represents within-household data (household questionnaire), and level-2 represents between-household data (primary sampling unit (PSU)). Therefore, a two-level CFA and two-level variance CFA were performed. Furthermore, a multigroup analysis assessed the structural differences between males/females and urban/rural groups. In the PNDHS survey, 30,372 household interviews were completed. Knowledge levels for cancer, heart disease, diabetes, dengue fever, TB, and COVID-19 were 96.7%, 94.9%, 97.8%, 98.4%, 96.7%, and 92.8%, respectively. The two-level CFA indicated that the coefficient loadings of each item for both levels were statistically significant (Z-test, P

SETTING: Urban setting in the Philippines. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of the ABC Approach developed by The Union as a tobacco-smoking cessation intervention for TB patients at a primary healthcare level in an urban setting in the Philippines. DESIGN: We set up an intervention group whose patients with TB received the ABC approach and a control group of patients with TB receiving only routine health education in Manila, The Philippines. We collected smoking status and the domestic secondhand-smoking (SHS) status data from patients with TB at months 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12. TB treatment outcome data were also collected. RESULTS: Patients with TB (n = 2,174) were enrolled upon TB registration. Smoking rates were consistently low in the intervention group (3.9% vs. 8.7% at Month 6). The odds ratios of both tobacco-smoking status and domestic SHS status in the intervention group were significantly lower than those in the control group (tobacco-smoking status: P < 0.001, domestic SHS status: P < 0.01). TB treatment success rates were similar between the groups (85.0% vs. 87.3%; P = 0.201). CONCLUSION: The ABC approach successfully reduced tobacco-smoking rates, maintained low domestic SHS rates and TB treatment success rates in the Philippines.

Introduction: While rabies remains a global concern, detailed studies on human rabies, particularly regarding causal animals and the reasons for not receiving postexposure prophylaxis (PEP), are lacking. Methods: We conducted a 3-year prospective study (October 2019–September 2022) at the Philippines’ largest rabies referral center. We interviewed patients with suspected rabies and their families. We used LN34 qRT-PCR and rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test on saliva samples. We also compared our findings with two retrospective studies at the same hospital. Results: We enrolled 151 patients, including 131 with potential rabies exposure. Similar to retrospective studies, the participants were predominantly males (75.5%), adults (76.8%), low-income individuals (91.4%), and rural dwellers (62.3%). The causal animals were mainly dogs (97.0%), with similar incubation periods, clinical symptoms, and a high proportion not receiving vaccines or immunoglobulins (93.2%). Most causal animals were owned by either the patients’ households or their neighbors (60.2%), with a significant proportion being puppies (58.8%). Most patients had knowledge of rabies; however, reasons for not seeking PEP included misconceptions about minor bites not causing rabies (51.3%), beliefs in traditional healers (33.9%), and economic constraints (22.6%). Despite completing the WHO regimen, two PEP failures were observed. LN34 qRT-PCR detected 98 positive cases (sensitivity, 64.9%; 95% CI 56.7–72.5). These strains belong to the Southeast Asia 4 subclade. Discussion: In conclusion, this study highlights the role of puppies as primary causal animals and the presence of misconceptions that preclude patients from acquiring PEP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study demonstrates asymmetric relationships between El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and tropical cyclones (TCs) affecting the Philippines during October–December. In El Niño or La Niña years, the number of TCs impacting the Philippines may increase or decrease. These variations result in four ENSO–TC variability types all of which exhibit strong sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies across the equatorial eastern Pacific. The major difference between the active and inactive types in terms of El Niño or La Niña years is related to the magnitude of SST anomalies in the tropical western Pacific (TWP) over the 120°–150°E region. During El Niño years, moderate cold SST anomalies in this TWP region cause an anomalous divergent centre around the 120°–130°E zone to evoke an anomalous cyclone east of the Philippines. In the western North Pacific (WNP), this anomalous cyclone causes more TCs to form and move toward the Philippines, resulting in active TC activity. For the inactive TC type during El Niño years, very weak cold SST anomalies in the aforementioned TWP region correspond with a northeastward‐extended anomalous divergent centre over the 120°–140°E, 10°S–20°N zone and an anomalous anticyclone across the Philippines and its eastern side. Decreases in the formation of the WNP TC and movement toward the Philippines lead to inactive TC activity. The large‐scale anomalies and regulating processes are mainly opposite between the active TC type during El Niño years and the inactive TC type during La Niña years. These two types are influenced by interdecadal variability of the Pacific decadal oscillation. Opposite anomalies and regulating processes also occur between the inactive TC type during El Niño years and the active TC type during La Niña years. The former type is jointly modulated by the positive Indian Ocean Dipole mode and central‐Pacific El Niño. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reflection piece—on rethinking the return of a Martial Law dictator in the form of his namesake, the newly elected president of the Philippines; the gamut of conversations on (un)covered facts, post-truth, appearances, interpolations, populism, revisionism and transformations, as well as the power of (trans)national media and images entangled with participatory publics; and how might a younger generation and/or transgender poet, such as myself, who did not experience first-hand the atrocities of military rule and learned them only through dominant narratives, might create and/or open capacious spaces for empathic opacity, new understandings, and possible coalitions and resistances within a historical moment concurrent with a present and/or imagined dystopia—expressed as a suit of three poems: To write another eye; Now is no longer the time for poets; Requisite condemnation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the activities of Southeast Asian civil society organizations (CSOs) with regard to citizens' online freedom of expression (digital rights) against the backdrop of China's increasing digital investments in the region through its Digital Silk Road (DSR) concept. CSO behavior relating to citizens' digital rights contributes to the on-the-ground, agency-driven perspective among countries that are targets of Chinese digital infrastructure investments. This perspective is underrepresented in the literature surrounding China's contemporary global rise. Focusing specifically on Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines—three countries that rank as "high" recipients of Beijing's media influence (one form of digital technology influence)—this article sheds light on two phenomena. First, the Southeast Asian CSO landscape currently focuses on pressing issues threatening freedom of expression in national and regional spaces, such as national government surveillance, misinformation campaigns, and internet shutdowns, more so than the "digital Chinese threat." Second, although pushback against the threats to Southeast Asians' digital rights often has connections to China's digital technologies, the reality that digital repression techniques are organized and executed by Southeast Asian governmental regimes (and not by Chinese actors) generates contradictions that run counter to the democratic ideals espoused by these countries and align more closely with the Chinese states' views relating to information organization and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indonesia and the Philippines have shared similar history, geological condition, and economic structure. Located in Southeast Asia, both countries have rich reserves of metallic minerals. They have also experienced changes of political system in the post-WWII era, from an authoritarian regime to a democracy, and have both pursued a neoliberal economic policy since the 1980s.​ However, the shared commonalities have not led to a similar development path of the mining industry in the two countries. Our research was aimed to reveal the key factors that caused the divergence of the mining development in Indonesia and the Philippines, from three main aspects: the evolution of the political system, the economic and mining policies adopted by the two governments, and the role of the mining regulations. The main question asked was that "Why did the similar political systems and economic policy fail to create a convergent path for mining development in the two neighbors?" The research has proved the validity of our hypothesis: the distinct political objectives and economic circumstances have impacted the implementation of the Neoliberal economic policy in the two countries. To a less extent, the scale of the mining industry in their respective economies and the different features of their respective colonial past were partially responsible as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores South Korean middle-aged businessmen, mainly in their 50s and 60s, who migrated to the Philippines to boost their socio-economic status and eventually recuperate their masculine identities. By examining how the Korean men's assumption about where and how they can redeem their masculine identity was made, this research extends the notion of transnational business masculinity in three ways. First, it demonstrates the emergence of transnational business masculinity does not simply denote the demise of older form of business masculinity, and second, the ascendancy of certain form of business masculinity is not given but can be shaped by one of the primary actors, that is, the state. Lastly, the case of Korean middle-aged businessmen in the Philippines unravels the contemporary business masculinity prompts actual transnational migration as it relates to men's self-positionality in geopolitical global order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Banana is a premier fruit crop in many parts of the world especially Southeast Asia. The demand for banana has contributed to significant national income to primary banana producers in the SEA region such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia. However, the widely traded banana industry is plagued by numerous threats including pests and diseases, post-harvest issues and extreme climate vulnerability. To address these challenges, new breeding techniques such as gene editing have been explored for breeding programs to develop improved banana varieties. The first gene-edited non-browning banana has been deregulated in the Philippines recently, and more regulatory applications are expected to submit for approvals soon. Hence, it is timely to review the policy options for gene editing that have been adopted and discussed in the Southeast Asian countries and highlight the implications of differing regulatory approaches to gene editing for trading activities. Positive stakeholders' perceptions and public acceptance are key factors in allowing the benefits of gene editing and thus appropriate outreach strategies are important to gain acceptance and avoid the "GMO stigma" that may be associated with gene-edited products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of the significant foreign investment by Japanese multinationals within South-East Asia, the Philippines is a key recipient and location for the establishment of subsidiaries. While foreign investment is thought to bring significant benefits to host nations, the Philippines is considered ecologically vulnerable with extensive pollution and environmental challenges. Within national contexts of this nature, debates ensue about manufacturing multinational enterprises using emerging markets or developing nations as pollution havens when their environmental regulations are less stringent than those of the home nation. This study adopts a case study approach to explore the behaviour of Japanese multinationals operating in the Philippines with respect to environmental regulations. The study's findings indicate that the firms demonstrated environmental management practices at a level beyond requirements set by local laws and regulations, with supplementary benefits to the surrounding local communities. These results indicate that the Philippines' environmental regulations could be strengthened or tightened up with little negative impact on the investment of Japanese manufacturing multinational enterprises. With scant research conducted at the organisational level, our research findings contribute to a multinational management perspective on pollution haven/halo research, providing an additional dimension alongside the macroeconomic and large-scale environmental effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Food security is one of the major concerns in the Philippines. Although livestock and poultry production accounts for a significant proportion of the country's agricultural output, smallholder households are still vulnerable to food insecurity. Aims: The current study aims to examine how livestock production and selling difficulties affect food-insecure conditions of smallholder households. Methods: The study employed the mindsponge theory as its theoretical foundation for constructing the models. Subsequently, it applied the Bayesian mindsponge framework (BMF) analytics to analyse a dataset sourced from the Data in Emergencies Monitoring (DIEM) system of the Food and Agriculture Organization. Key variables in the dataset were transformed into indicators, enabling a detailed examination of smallholder livestock farmers' difficulties in production or selling over the past 3 months. Production difficulties include hurdles in raising and producing livestock, covering aspects such as resource acquisition, animal health, and breeding. Selling difficulties involve obstacles in selling livestock products, including issues related to market access, pricing, and transportation. Key results: Production and selling difficulties significantly adversely affect food security in the Philippines, with varying impacts according to the severity of food insecurity. In particular, production and selling difficulties equally affect the households' likelihood of eating less healthy and nutritious food. However, the production difficulties have more negligible impacts on the possibility of skipping meals than do selling difficulties, and even ambiguous impacts on the likelihood of not eating for a whole day compared with the effects of selling difficulties. Moreover, we also found that the market plays a crucial role in facilitating not only livestock trading but also livestock production (e.g. purchase of feed and medicines). Conclusions: Our research has highlighted the complex connection among livestock, markets, and food security within the Philippine setting. It emphasised the significant impact of selling difficulties, particularly the heavy reliance on nearby local and regional markets, in exacerbating the severity of food insecurity. Implications: On the basis of these findings, we suggest that the livestock market needs to be expanded and regulated to balance livestock products and services used for livestock production and facilitate the product-exchanging mechanism. We found that the challenges faced in production and selling processes substantially positively affect the likelihood of food insecurity likelihood among livestock smallholders in the Philippines. Nevertheless, the impact of these challenges depends on the degree of food insecurity. The market plays a crucial role in facilitating not only livestock trading but also livestock production (e.g. purchase of feed and medicines). Market mechanisms can be used to alleviate food insecurity among livestock smallholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pregnancy is a processual dialectic that involves continual acts of tactical, responsive, and creative accommodation by pregnant women. This article is a phenomenological investigation of pregnancy experience of working-class women in Manila. In it, I provide an outline of "accommodation:" acts which vary according to the political ecology of procreation in which they are enmeshed, and which are particularly evident in unexpected or unplanned pregnancies. Accommodation constitutes the core act in which the mother-to-be is engaged as the protagonist of procreation, transforming the character of unexpected pregnancy from uncertain and troubled to stable and even joyous as acts of accommodation restore bodily integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There is no useful method to discriminate between latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and active pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). This study aimed to investigate the potential of cytokine profiles to discriminate between LTBI and active PTB using whole-blood stimulation with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) antigens, including latency-associated antigens. Materials and methods: Patients with active PTB, household contacts of active PTB patients and community exposure subjects were recruited in Manila, the Philippines. Peripheral blood was collected from the participants and used for whole-blood stimulation (WBS) with either the early secretory antigenic target and the 10-kDa culture filtrate protein (ESAT-6/CFP-10), Rv3879c or latency-associated MTB antigens, includingmycobacterial DNA-binding protein 1 (MDP-1), α-crystallin (Acr) and heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA). Multiple cytokine concentrations were analyzed using the Bio-Plex™ multiplex cytokine assay. Results: A total of 78 participants consisting of 15 active PTB patients, 48 household contacts and 15 community exposure subjects were eligible. The MDP-1-specific IFN-γ level in the active PTB group was significantly lower than that in the household contact group (p < 0.001) and the community exposure group (p < 0.001). The Acr-specific TNF-α and IL-10 levels in the active PTB group were significantly higher than those in the household contact (TNF-α; p = 0.001, IL-10; p = 0.001) and community exposure (TNF-α; p < 0.001, IL-10; p = 0.01) groups. However, there was no significant difference in the ESAT-6/CFP- 10-specific IFN-γ levels among the groups. Conclusion: The patterns of cytokine profiles induced by latency-associated MTB antigens using WBS have the potential to discriminate between LTBI and active PTB. In particular, combinations of IFN-γ and MDP-1, TNF-α and Acr, and IL-10 and Acr are promising. This study provides the first demonstration of the utility of MDP-1-specific cytokine responses in WBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ficus species are keystone species in tropical ecosystems for frugivores. Nonetheless, ecological aspects of fig frugivory such as niche differentiation are understudied, leading to huge gaps in the knowledge of fig-frugivore interactions. We used camera traps to monitor the vertical and diel activity of frugivores feeding on a Ficus nota tree in Cavite, the Philippines for 70 d to determine vertebrate species feeding on Ficus nota and their niche differentiation mechanisms. We observed several mammalian taxa (pteropodid fruit bats, Rattus sp. and Paradoxurus philippinensis) and several avian taxa (Hypsipetes philippinus, Pycnonotus goiavier, Lanius cristatus, and Centropus viridis). All of the detected species were observed to be perching on, inspecting, or eating fruits. However, based on existing literature, two of the four bird species detected (L. cristatus and C. viridis) are known to be carnivorous. Diel niche differentiation was evident from the diurnal and nocturnal activity patterns of birds and mammals, respectively. We also detected temporal activity differences between pteropodids and P. philippinensis, hence suggesting temporal niche differentiation. Pteropodids were also more active in the terrestrial stratum, whereas non-pteropodids were more active in the arboreal stratum, hence suggesting vertical niche differentiation. Diel niche differentiation may be attributed to differences in food acquisition adaptations, whereas vertical niche differentiation may be attributed to differences in tree morphology between strata and in frugivore adaptations for mobility. These results show that Ficus nota acts as a food source and habitat for frugivores and non-frugivores and that interspecific interactions are mediated by niche differentiation. Our findings underscore the potential of Ficus nota as a species in restoration efforts to support seed-dispersing frugivores and other wildlife species, as well as the utility of camera trapping to survey frugivores in understudied habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored tourists' blogs to identify sustainability challenges and opportunities to inform best-practice management of the whale shark tourism industry worldwide. Few researchers have investigated blogs in the context of swim‐with whale shark experiences as recounted from the tourist perspective. This research was based on a content analysis of a sample of 58 tourist blogs, amounting to 31,509 words of content. The findings explored common sustainability themes within the whale shark tourist experience including proximity of the encounter, nature of the interaction, and whale shark tourist behavior. By comparing three whale shark tourism destinations–Mexico, the Philippines, and Australia–several sustainability challenges and opportunities were identified. The findings contribute to previous knowledge by advancing our understanding of whale shark tourists' perception of critical aspects during their swim-with whale shark experience, which guided recommendations for improved and sustainable management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis article aims to explain the oscillations of the Philippines’ South China Sea policy vis-à-vis China between accommodation and confrontation from 1991 to 2022. It argues that the Philippines’ personality-driven foreign policymaking was conducive to dramatic shifts in position on the South China Sea issue. The presidential system of government and patronage politics in the Philippines give the presidential inner circles considerable leeway to shape and reshape the country’s foreign policy. Despite being constrained by domestic socio-political conditions at a given time as well as the political and security thinking embedded in its domestic politics, individual Philippine presidents and/or the presidential circles managed the South China Sea issue vis-à-vis China and the United States in particular ways according to their different sets of personal beliefs, professional expertise, and practical experience. This explains why the power transitions in the Philippines often caused major shifts in its management of the South China Sea disputes over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ctenitis atrorubens Holttum, previously known only from the type collection made in 1905, was rediscovered through fieldwork in Central Mindanao, the Philippines. This rediscovery expands the species' original distribution from Western Mindanao. A detailed and revised description of the species - including notes on its morphology, anatomy, and ecology - is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African Swine Fever (ASF) is a reportable disease of swine that causes far-reaching losses to affected countries and regions. Early detection is critically important to contain and mitigate the impact of ASF outbreaks, for which timely available data is essential. This research examines the potential use of Google Trends data as an early indicator of ASF outbreaks in Southeast Asia, focusing on the three largest swine producing countries, namely, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand. Cross-correlation and Kullback–Leibler (KL) divergence indicators were used to evaluate the association between Google search trends and the number of ASF outbreaks reported. Our analysis indicate strong and moderate correlations between Google search trends and number of ASF outbreaks reported in Vietnam and the Philippines, respectively. In contrast, Thailand, the country of this group in which outbreaks were reported last, exhibits the weakest correlation (KL = 2.64), highlighting variations in public awareness and disease dynamics. These findings suggest that Google search trends are valuable for early detection of ASF. As the disease becomes endemic, integrating trends with other epidemiological data may support the design and implementation of surveillance strategies for transboundary animal diseases in Southeast Asia.

The Covid-19 pandemic profoundly impacted student and faculty well-being, necessitating a closer examination of guidance counselee experiences in virtual counseling. This research aims to address the unique challenges and benefits of virtual counseling during crises and improve guidance counseling delivery. This qualitative research explored the experiences and challenges of Filipino guidance counselees during virtual counseling amid the pandemic using phenomenological inquiry. Ten purposively selected participants underwent in-depth interviews, then the information was transcribed and analyzed thematically. Analysis revealed three major themes: Psychological struggles, challenges of virtual counseling, and the importance of virtual counseling. Participants discussed psychological struggles, pre-existing mental health conditions, and challenges like poor Internet connectivity. They emphasized the significance of virtual counseling for well-being. The findings underscore recognizing and addressing counselees' psychological struggles during the pandemic. Effective support must mitigate challenges like technological literacy and resource constraints. Virtual counseling maintains connections despite social distancing restrictions. This research provides valuable insights into guidance counselee experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Philippines. It emphasizes embracing virtual counseling advantages while addressing specific challenges. Policymakers and school leaders should recognize counselor expertise and provide comprehensive support. Further research is recommended to develop interventions for different age groups and educational levels. Understanding and supporting guidance counselees to promote mental health and overall development.

This paper examines the separation of church and state in the Philippines during the early American colonial period, contextualizing it within the process of American overseas expansion and considering it as one of the projects of imperial hegemony construction. After the Spanish–American War, the United States substituted Spain as the new colonial ruler of the Philippines, legitimizing its regime as the spread of ‘civilization’ to the Filipinos. On this basis, the Americans enacted laws guaranteeing religious freedom and introduced an American-style institution dealing with church–state relations. Beyond the legal and administrative initiatives, the new regime also constructed an official narrative of the transformation of political–religious relations in the Philippine that emphasized the absolute ‘difference’ between the American human rights principle, which guaranteed freedom of worship, and the Spanish theocracy, which was dedicated to the consolidation of privileges. By legislating the separation of church and state, buying up church properties, recognizing the equality of denominations, and constructing the official imperial narrative of church–state relations, the Americans hoped to ‘teach’ Filipinos that the ‘true’ belief was rooted in the inner convictions of individual Christians, not in the authority and coercion of the hierarchical church. By disciplining the construction of ‘difference’ under tutelary colonialism, the separation of church and state movement initiated by the American colonial government in the Philippines became an important source of imperial self-endowed legitimacy.

Between the sixteenth and the seventeenth centuries, Asia presented a limit to the territorial expansion of the Hispanic Monarchy. On the shores of the Pacific, other regional and European powers prevailed. In Manila, the cohabitation with these others, identified as the Catholic king's enemies, crashed into the perception of the Spanish Crown's estrangement. The circulation of alterity discourses permitted the royal agents to bridge cultural distances with Indigenous and foreigners in the archipelago, as well as geographical distances with Monarchy authorities. The analysis and cross-referencing of the opinions of officials, religious and the king himself on the state of the Philippines and the feasible solution for their problems allows for reflection on the diverse frames of reference of the subjects whose interoceanic mobility activated the globalizing dynamics of the Early Modern Period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ever-expanding body of literature suggests the possible link between diasporas and the exacerbation of civil wars in their home countries. One of the most notable findings on the link between diaspora and armed conflict is derived from a set of arguments known as the Greed and Grievances Thesis. According to the said framework, a higher diasporic support to a homeland conflict is positively correlated with a higher incidence of civil war intractability. Applying this framework to the data on external support to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) insurgency from 1990-2008, the study notes that there is a lack of support from the Moro diaspora which forced the MILF to secure peace with the Philippine government. On the contrary, the increase in conflict activities during the insurgency can be qualitatively attributed to the economic and political support from hostile states and international terrorist networks that support the Moro insurgents against the Philippine government. The study concludes that there is an absence of substantial evidence on the role of the Moro diaspora in funding the insurgents due to other factors such as internal financing for the rebellion and the role of international actors in prolonging the Moro conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak and continuous spread of African swine fever (ASF) since 2019 has caused serious losses to the Asian pig industry, the effective prevention and control of ASF is directly related to the stability of the pig industry. This paper evaluated the effects of ASF prevention and control measures, industrial support policies, and market regulations and proposes the recommendations for the optimizing the policies and measure of ASF control and pig industry stabilization in China by analyzing the situation of ASF in Southeast Asia, the causes of the outbreak, and the impact on the pig industry and market in Vietnam and the Philippines, the 2 biggest pig producers in the region. The results showed that the key factors contributing to the outbreak and ongoing spread of ASF in Vietnam and the Philippines were the challenge on the industry management for low scale, low biosecurity awareness, and transportation of large amounts of live pigs. Following the outbreak of ASF, the significant decreased in pork output, the sharp falled and rised of live pig prices, and the significant increased in pork imports as well as the significant transformation of pig industry chain were observed in both countries. By the reference of the prevention and control experiences of the two countries, China should increase the support on the small and medium-sized pig farms for the prevention and control of ASF to encourage their upgrading towards for modernization, accelerate the development of production scale level and organization level, improve the effect of epidemic prevention and control, strengthen the rural veterinary service system for the ability to prevent and control the major animal diseases, optimize the starting mechanism of governmental frozen pork storage to improve the effect of market intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the comparative analysis of the professional standards for primary and secondary school teachers in Singapore, the Philippines and China, it is found that in terms of the framework, the theoretical basis and path for formulating teachers' professional standards in the three countries are different; that in terms of philosophy, all of the three countries emphasize lifelong learning, student-centered learning, and teacher competence, but each has its own emphasis on understanding teacher ethics and educational equity; and that in terms of content, there are similarities and differences among the three countries in the fields of professional quality, professional ability, professional knowledge and career stage. Therefore, the formulation and implementation of the professional standards for teachers in China should pay attention to the inclusiveness of teacher's professional standards, focus on the localization of teacher忆s professional standards, balance the theoretical and practical aspects of teacher's professional standards, take into account the stage and lifelong nature of teacher's professional standards, and strengthen the construction and implementation of the teacher忆s professional standard system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the eyes of Zialcita (p. 244), not just historic buildings but also entire streets are under threat in many parts of central Metro Manila: as such, the history of people and institutions once central to the cultural and economic advancement of Manila, and the Philippines at large, is being wiped away in the name of speculative development and politically driven "advancement." Whereas during the Commonwealth Era (1935-1946), the Filipino elites perceived Manila as a fragmented, troubled locality and, against this background Quezon City was to offer a social and spatial "fresh start", the development of the postcolonial capital city has eventually mirrored many of the problems Manila was judged to have before World War II occurred. Keywords: The Philippines; National Capital Region; urbanism; governance; culture EN The Philippines National Capital Region urbanism governance culture 1410 1416 7 11/07/23 20231101 NES 231101 Zialcita, Fernando N. Akpendonu, Erik with Venida, Victor S. (2021). As Akpendonu points out in the chapter "Endangered Splendor: Manila's Disappearing Heritage" (pp. 45-57), Manila in recent decades has become hell-bent on removing any old features in the cityscape given the city's and nation's quest for "progress.". [Extracted from the article]

This article examines Japanese schools in Davao Province, the American Philippines, by highlighting the mixed-race children born to Japanese fathers and Filipino mothers. How did mixed-race children experience Japanese schooling in the Philippines, in which Japan's settler colonial project operated in a colonial territory of the U.S. empire? I call entangled conditions, such as Davao on the island of Mindanao, 'multi-layered settler colonialism.' In Davao, the settler colonial projects of the U.S. and Japanese empires developed co-constitutively by underlining the subjugation of tribal Filipinos to Christian Filipinos and displacing the former. By following Black and postcolonial feminist method and patching together archival fragments of different genres and locations, I uncover the perspectives of mixed-race students in the history of multi-layered settler colonialism. I argue that the goals of Japanese education in the Philippines, a product of the public and private collusion, both conflicted with and reinforced American colonial education which was also developed by state and nonstate actors. I also show that the diverse experiences of mixed-race children and their mothers contested the stated goals of American colonial and Japanese education by illuminating the multi-layered nature of settler colonialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anticipatory Action (AA), which involves timely and informed actions ahead of a crisis/impact, is increasingly being used/promoted as a way to mitigate the impacts of extreme climatic hazards, including droughts. Actions are initiated in anticipation of the occurrence of the hazard and its impacts, and depend on the lead time, likelihood of impact, as well as the effectiveness of, and the capacity to undertake such actions. A decision to initiate actions is taken with a support of the so-called trigger model that forecasts likelihood or magnitude of expected impact. To build efficient and credible AA trigger models, quantitative assessments of relationships between observed climate and environmental conditions, weather/seasonal forecasts, and variables expressing current sectoral and societal vulnerability (collectively referred to as indicators) and expected impacts, are required at varied lead times. These quantitative assessments are needed to: (a) avoid over-weighting (placing excessive trust in) non-skillful indicators; (b) avoid using several co-varying and correlated indicators (over-emphasising their collective importance for the decision at hand); and (c) provide objective and defensible evidence for and consequently confidence in the AA trigger model. Motivated by the need to improve the current AA trigger model used for agricultural drought by FAO in Mindanao, a region of the Philippines which experiences periodic drought-related food insecurity, this study evaluates a range of climate and environmental indicators as a basis for developing a quantitative, objective trigger model. The analyses focus on: (i) an evaluation of efficacy of using a climate-only drought hazard index as an expression of impactful drought in the region, and (ii) an evaluation of the predictive utility of a set of indicators and formal statistical models combining these indicators, at various lead times. We show that the predictive utility of each indicator varies by season and lead time, highlight the varying skill of the trigger model and consequently advocate for transparent inclusion of model skill in the trigger mechanism.

The middle-income trap (MIT) states that middle-income economies have found it challenging to upgrade to reach the high-income stage over an extended period. Overcoming MIT has long been discussed as an essential social issue related to fewer job opportunities and unstable income, notably in Southeast Asia. Previous studies demonstrated several factors contributing to MIT, including governance, infrastructure, and the labor market. Official Development Assistance (ODA) has been employed to help developing countries accelerate further development as development cooperation. Despite the massive financial aid, the Philippines has the longest-running history of operating under LMIT. Much less research on the unclouded evidence on the relationship between the ODA and MIT in the developing world and on the strategic study relevant to ODA for overcoming the lower-middle-income trap (LMIT) in the Philippines was identified from the updated government development plans were identified in the existing research. Using secondary data compiled between 2002 and 2021, primarily from the World Development Indicators, UNCTAD, UNDP, and OECD database, and POLS modeling, the strength of the Japan ODA predicting the percentage change in R2 variance in the LMIT was evaluated in nine Southeast Asian economies. Using natural data, ODA was found to be a significant predictor (F [1, 130] = 26.553 p = .000) and is thus a substantial factor in escaping LMIT. Using the analytical approach of Murdoch School of critical political-economy, state actors’ wasteful procrastination and excessive dependency on the donor were found to be significant culprits. Also, a development strategy for overcoming LMIT through the ODA was suggested by conceptually integrating three processes of problem-setting, strategy, and tactics, into one concept. Development cooperation can be re-defined as “glocal” activities by state actors collaborating with non-state actors to maximize national capabilities. Building a further trustful relationship with ASEAN and Japan is desirable for the Philippines.