It was “a product of thinking about the arts and its relationships to Philippine culture and society and a creative and imaginative re-envisioning of the possibilities that Philippine traditions can possibly make in the present moment.”

This was how Dr. Jose S. Buenconsejo, professor at the UP College of Music, described the Emerging Interdisciplinary Research (EIDR) program he led from 2015 to 2017.

Called “Emerging Interdisciplinary Research Project on Arts and Culture”, the program of the College of Music consisted of four projects that not only “spelled out an alternative modernity” but believed in the “integrity of local knowledge, giving dignity and rootedness to one’s cultural identity.”

“The project grew out of frustration as to why, in the rush to ape the templates of the Westernization, globalization and modernity, local traditions in Philippine arts and culture were erased or neglected,” Buenconsejo explained. He said that progressive, affluent countries, in contrast, “pay close attention to the local and respectfully and rationally appropriate it for new things and this enables them to shine in the world’s stage.”

“While the inevitable encroachment of modernity and cultural imperialism had homogenized world’s culture, the return to grassroots of expressive culture, which is constitutive of local cultural difference, is an important move to articulate social agency in a country’s re-encountering of the dominating foreign cross-culture imperatives,” the former dean of the College of Music added.

To implement the four projects, the EIDR program involved UP Diliman scholars, teachers and students from the humanities and social sciences as well as other historians, literary theorists and critics, film historians and critics, and people in music, dance and theater.

Dr. Ma. Lourdes Camagay (History, UP Diliman), Dr. Patrick Flores (Art Studies, UP Diliman), Dean Leonardo Rosete (Fine Arts, UP Diliman), Dr. Amparo Adelina Umali (Theater Arts, UP Diliman), Dr. La Verne Dela Pena (Music, UP Diliman) and Prof. Arwin Tan (Music, UP Diliman) served as co-proponents.

On cultural nationalism and the development of music in the Philippines

The first project, The Making of Philippine National Culture, was carried out with the UP Diliman Department of History and resulted in the academic book Philippine Modernities: Music, Performing Arts, and Language, 1880 to 1941. The time period was chosen because the Filipino intellectual culture, considered revolutionary as it fostered new ideas in the field of education in Philippine society, started in and spread throughout the country during these years. The culture was the “lynchpin for the quest for colonial reforms and then aspirations for freedom from colonialism/imperialism in our political histories.” 

The second project, Saysay Himig: A Sourcebook On Philippine Music History, 1880-1914, became a coffee table book with an accompanying CD of recordings. It was completed in partnership with the UP Diliman Department of Art Studies.  The book traces the development of transcultural Philippine music and musical practices, and provides an alternative assessment of the nation’s history, focusing on the production and circulation of cultural nationalist discourses of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Both books were recently published by the UP Press.

The two books from the program were launched by the UP College of Music last month. Photos from the UP Diliman Information Office

An opera and a komedya: filling in the gap in art, music and literature

Two creative works that explored new contemporary Filipino expressions using both Western and local idioms were also staged.

The first was the komedya Putri Anak , a performance collaboration between the UP College of Music and the UP Center for International Studies. It explored the Filipino pre-colonial and colonial heritage through oral literature, music and the San Dionisio komedya performance tradition. The work was largely based on the Maguindanao celestial maiden narrative of the Philippines. Celestial maiden narratives are common among the cultures of Southeast Asia.

The second was the lyric opera Diwata ng Bayan which was informed by archival research. It was set in the early 20th century when social division in Philippine society followed from the American colonial government’s policies against grassroots resistance. Thus, although fictional, it told of the culture change that was inevitable in the Philippines due to the rise of a new power-holding class. 

Putri Anak was staged in April 2017 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Photo by Trixie Dauz

Culture for national development

With these four projects, the EIDR program was able to shed light on Philippine arts in the context of particular cultural histories. This is significant given that contemporary scholars in the country “still lack an appreciation of the importance of culture in national development, in particular in the critical period when the Spanish and American imperialisms were fought, not by physically violent means, but also importantly at the level of symbols and artistic expressions.”

Buenconsejo stated: “Conventional historians mostly deal only with political/diplomatic history, but this is blind to a historiography that highlights social experience and its embodiment in patterned artistic symbols. Thus, the project stands as a corrective to mainstream historiography for it argues that politics can be made through the arts and humanities, in short, through culture.”

Administered by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Emerging Interdisciplinary Research grant supports interdisciplinary research programs that generate fundamentally new knowledge and have beneficial applications.

UP placed in the top 38% in the 2019 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, despite dropping 17 places from 2018.

This year, it was 384th among the 1,011 institutions from 85 countries that were ranked. It also maintained its position as the Philippines’ leading university.

QS used academic reputation (40%), faculty-student ratio (20%), citations per faculty (20%), employer reputation (10%), international faculty ratio (5%) and international student ratio (5%) as performance indicators.

UP scored particularly well in employer reputation at 49.6 . It ranked 168th globally–an improvement of 23 places from last year–based on the results of a world survey that collected the views of employers “on institutions providing the best professionals”. According to QS, employer reputation is the “strongest indicator” for the country’s national university. Around 43,000 survey responses were analyzed by QS for this edition.

UP’s score in faculty-student ratio also went up to 54.3, with its faculty to student ratio of 11.0 even surpassing the global median of 8.0.

UP scores by indicator. Each indicator can reach a maximum of 100 points. Source: 2019 Fact File, QS World University Rankings

Ratios utilized for rankings calculations for UP, compared with the global median results. Source: 2019 Fact File, QS World University Rankings

Lower scores, however, were given to UP for academic reputation (30.9), citations per faculty (2.1), international faculty index (1.9) and international student index (1.5).

In academic reputation, UP plunged 42 places from its global ranking in 2018. Academic reputation is obtained from an annual survey of academics from around the world regarding the best institutions in terms of research. QS said that over 83,000 responses were gathered for the 2019 list.

UP likewise registered low normalized citations per faculty member at 2.6, as against the global median of 34.1. QS used 11,193 normalized citations, 11,308 citations (excluding self-citations), 14,735 (including self-citations) and 3,338 papers for UP. Bibliometric data came from the Scopus database. Citations per faculty “estimate the impact and quality of scientific work” produced by a university. 

UP’s international faculty staff per 100 faculty members, and international students per 100 students were each computed at 0.6 (global median of 9.5 and 10.3, respectively). These two are proxy measures of how attractive the university is to foreign staff and students.

QS evaluated 4,763 universities from 151 countries through survey datasets. More than 1,230 institutions were considered in the final evaluation.

Since 2014, UP has moved up three times and dipped twice in the world university rankings published by QS.

Armida V. Gillado and Marvin U.Herrera
Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Physics
College of Arts and Sciences
UP Los Baños

Copper Sulfate-Embedded and Copper Oxide-Embedded Filter Paper and their Antimicrobial Properties. Materials Chemistry and Physics, 207: 147-153, 1 March 2018.

SEM micrographs of (a) filter paper at 50,000× and copper oxide-embedded paper at (b) 50,000× and (c) 200,000× magnifications. The copper oxide-embedded paper was prepared by dipping the filter paper for 1 min in 0.1 M CuSO4 solution and 1 min in 0.05 M NaOH solution.

Copper sulfate and Copper oxide particles were deposited on filter paper to create an antimicrobial surface. Copper sulfate was successfully embedded in filter paper through simple soaking, whereas the copper oxide-embedded filter paper was successfully produced using in situ technique using the copper sulfate-embedded paper as a starting material. The antimicrobial property of the embedded filter papers were tested using Disc diffusion method, wherein the filter paper is placed on a petri dish filled with bacterial growth, and then observed if bacteria will grow on the surface of the paper. Results show that the embedded filter paper has antimicrobial properties against two bacterial strains. This research will be relevant in producing paper-based products that can resist harmful bacterial growth, thus reducing risks of infection due to pathogenic microorganisms.

Link to the article: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchemphys.2017.12.049
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 2.084

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Ren Thomas C. Marquez and Alyssa M. Peleo-Alampay
National Institute of Geological Sciences
College of Sciences
UP Diliman

The Seawater Osmium Isotope Record of South China Sea: Implications on its History and Evolution. Marine Geology, 394: 98-115, 1 December 2017.

Map of the South China Sea that shows the sites where sediments were recovered for the Re-Os isotope analysis.

The Os isotope profile of the South China Sea. Notice that measurements from the south of the basin lie outside the global seawater record (area delineated by the broken line). This was associated with localized tectonism and changes in ocean circulation that is unique to the basin’s history.

In 1913, it was discovered that not all atoms of the same element have the same mass. In the center of all atoms are protons are neutrons. The difference in mass is attributed to the difference in the number of neutrons for each atom. These atoms of the same element but with different masses are known as ISOTOPES. Isotopes have a tendency to ‘behave’ differently from each other. Some heavier isotopes tend to stay in liquids, while lighter isotopes tend to go to gases (see Oxygen). Their tendency to be segregated can also be controlled by the type of material where they are found. This is the basic premise of using the Re-Os isotope system. Basalts (dark rocks from the the seafloor) and continental rocks (which come from, as the name suggests, the continents i.e. mainland China, Africa, North America, etc.) are very different materials with different amounts of Re and Os isotopes. This allows us to understand which events happened as a basin (such as the South China Sea) evolves. For example, if there was very fast opening of the seafloor, there would have been a lot of basalt that likely interacted with the seawater, which will then be reflected in its Re and Os isotope signature. Similarly, increased input from weathering of the continents also affects the basin’s seawater with a different signature. By looking at the sediments from the basin, we can get an isotope record to help us identify such events in its history, as well as discern when exactly these events actually happened (using very tiny fossils known as forams and coccolithophores).

Link to the article: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2017.07.018
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 3.572

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Rizalino B. Cruz
National College of Public Administration and Governance
UP Diliman

The Politics of Land Use for Distributed Renewable Energy Generation. Urban Affairs Review, 54 (3): 524–559, May 2018.

(This photo is from the blog that the author wrote for the Urban Affairs Forum, https://urbanaffairsreview.com/2017/05/09/how-cities-are-promoting-clean-energy-and-dealing-with-problems-along-the-way/)

(From the article, “Turning to Windmills, but Resistance Lingers,” published in New York Times, 12 Sept. 2009, https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/us/13wind.html?_r=1)

Cities in the United States are taking the initiative to promote environmental sustainability. They provide incentives for buildings and homes to go green. They adhere to smart growth. And their latest efforts are directed toward clean energy. Many cities are not only encouraging residents to use but also produce their own electricity through renewable sources. But many problems are stopping green projects in their tracks. For instance, residents wanting to install solar panels or wind turbines do not have the requisite information readily available. They would also have to deal with application requirements and inspection procedures that are complicated. Getting support from the local community is another issue since solar panels and wind turbines are considered green LULUs (locally undesirable land uses), which oftentimes attract opposition from other residents relating to safety, aesthetics, and property values. U.S. Cities are finding ways to leverage resources at their disposal to deal with these problems. Green firms and contractors, for example, can provide information and technical support to residents. Cities can also benefit from sustainability or climate change networks as venues for information-sharing and problem-solving. They can also harness their administrative resources to increase organizational capacity and improve permitting procedures. The article, “The Politics of Land Use for Distributed Renewable Energy Generation,” examines these many problems and the available resources to deal with them. It views these problems in terms of transaction costs, which serve as barriers to policy. Those available resources could minimize transaction costs or enable cities to overcome these barriers.

Link to the article: http://journals.sagepub.com/toc/uarb/54/3
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 1.308

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Rowena B. Carpio and Rizalinda L. De Leon*
Department of Chemical Engineering
College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology
UP Los Baños
Department of Chemical Engineering*
College of Engineering
UP Diliman

Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Demineralized Wastewater Algae Biomass. International Journal of Smart Grid and Clean Energy, 7 (1): 13-23, January 2018.

The van Krevelin plots of the untreated and acid-treated biomass, and corresponding biocrude oil, along with typical biopolymers, biomass and pyrogenic materials (gray shadings are adopted from [18]) (a) H/C atomic ratio vs. O/C atomic ratio; (b) N/C atomic ratio vs. O/C atomic ratio.

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a thermochemical process that can converts biomass into an energy dense liquid fuel commonly referred to as “biocrude” oil.  HTL is said to mimic the geochemical and geophysical processes in the formation of natural fossil fuels in accelerated speed (< 1 hour). HTL operates at high temperature (200-600^oC) and high-pressure (5-40 MPa) liquid or supercritical water. Unlike conventional processes (i.e. combustion and pyrolysis), uses water as reaction medium which makes it suitable for many biomass feedstocks that contain large amounts of water, such as algae, agricultural residuals, food processing wastes, municipal and agricultural sludge. Algal biomass harvested from wastewater is a potential new renewable energy source but its relatively high ash content (up to 50%) is not desirable to yield bio-crude oil during HTL. In this study, different ash-reduction treatments were employed on wastewater algae biomass and then processed via HTL. The yield and the quality of the biocrude oils obtained were evaluated and compared. Results showed that ash reduction of about 45% improved the biocrude oil yield by 47%, and the energy recovery by 50%, using a dilute formic acid solution. Figure 1 shows the biocrude oils obtained from treated biomass are comparable in quality and did not vary much from that obtained from untreated biomass. Simulated distillation using TGA-TDG curves (Figure 2) of the biocrude oils obtained showed a possible gasoline range (boiling point 110-200^oC) and jet fuel range (boiling point 200-300^oC) fraction of 13 and 27% by weight, respectively.

Link to the article: http://www.ijsgce.com/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=show&catid=69&id=353
Impact Factor: Not yet available

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John Ian K. Boongaling
Department of Humanities
College of Arts and Sciences
UP Los Baños

On the Supposed Connection between Aristotle’s Metaphysics and Logic. Problemos, 93: 20-34, 2018.

The paper investigates the plausibility of two theses within the context of Aristotle’s philosophical theory: the Unity Thesis (UT) and the Fundamentality Thesis (FT). According to UT, metaphysics and logic are deeply connected. According to FT, Aristotle’s theory of predication (TOP) is more fundamental than the principle of non-contradiction (PNC). To test the plausibility of UT and FT, I offered a particular strategy for establishing UT. According to this strategy, the decisive move is to formulate and interpret the PNC not as a logical principle but as a metaphysical principle, i.e., as a principle that governs things (or objects) in the world and what can be predicated (or attributed) to them. Despite this strategy’s initial appeal, I argued that it is prone to a very powerful objection: the Inconsistency Objection (IO). According to IO, Aristotle’s criterion of primary substance is inconsistent. Finally, I argued that it is the TOP and not the PNC which lies at the heart of Aristotle’s metaphysics and logic. This means that the TOP is, in an important and usually neglected sense, more fundamental than the PNC. Thus, while UT has been shown to be problematic due to IO, the current investigation yields a positive result for FT. This is done by showing how the TOP does all the important explanatory work in Aristotle’s philosophical theory. In fact, the PNC itself is explained by the TOP and thus, the latter may be considered as more fundamental than the former.

Link to the article: http://www.journals.vu.lt/problemos/article/view/11748/10376
Impact Factor: Not yet available

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Maria Victoria O. Espaldon
School of Environmental Science and Management
UP Los  Baños

Methane Emission from Rice Cultivation in Different Agro-Ecological Zones of the Mekong River Delta: Seasonal Patterns and Emission Factors for Baseline Water Management. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 64 (1): 47-58, 2018.

Rice production is a large methane source (CH4) of Vietnam GHG budget, one of the largest world rice-exporters. However, the quantification of the CH4 source strength can only be given with a high range of uncertainty. The GHG inventory in the most recent 2nd National Communication of Vietnam in 2010 based on the global default emission rates with the value of 1.3 kg CH4 ha−1 d−1. These national GHG inventories do not provide data for specific regions at subnational scale, so there is no direct quote on the specific GHG contribution of the Mekong Delta (MRD). This region accounts for 54.4% of the total rice area in Vietnam and has very distinct bio-physical conditions by different zones (i) salinity intrusion, (ii) deep flood, (iii) alluvial soils, and (iv) acid sulfate soils that will directly affect methane emissions. In this regard, the application of default emission factors may be erroneous. This study determined zone-specific emission factors on CH4 emissions with the Emission Factor (EF) values corresponding to the zones (i) 1.14, (ii) 2.24 (Winter Spring) and 9.14 (Autumn Winter), (iii) 2.39 and (iv) 2.78 kg CH4 ha−1 d−1. Although these emission factors correspond to baseline water management and do not capture the diversity of farmers’ practices, we see the availability of zone-specific data as an important step for a more detailed assessment of Business as Usual emissions as well as possible mitigation potentials in one of the most important rice growing regions of the world in the context of changing climate.

Link to the article: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00380768.2017.1413926#.WnP-8KUjfig
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 1.251

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Nelson R. Villarante, Ronette Anne E. Davila and Derick Erl P. Sumalapao
Department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics
College of Arts and Sciences
UP Manila

Removal of Lead (II) by Lumbang, Aleurites moluccana Activated Carbon Carboxymethylcellulose Composite Crosslinked with Epichlorohydrin. Oriental Journal of Chemistry, 34 (2): 693-703, 2018.

In this paper, novel synthesis of low-cost lumbang activated carbon carboxymethylcellulose composite crosslinked with epichlorohydrin by irradiation was performed and its adsorption capacity using Pb(II) in aqueous medium and wastewater sample was evaluated. A microcosm adsorption study of the composite on Pb (II) removal as a function of pH, temperature, contact time, initial concentration of adsorbate, and adsorbent dose was investigated. The prepared composite is useful for the general remediation of wastewater generated from industries and laboratories, especially those that contain large amount of Pb (II) as treatment of these contaminated water may reduce toxicity in aquatic ecosystems.

Link to the article: http://www.orientjchem.org/vol34no2/removal-of-lead-%CE%B9%CE%B9-by-lumbang-aleurites-moluccana-activated-carbon-carboxymethylcellulose-composite-crosslinked-with-epichlorohydrin/
Impact Factor: Not yet available

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Precious Caree V. Regunton, Derick Erl P. Sumalapao and Nelson R. Villarante
Department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics
College of Arts and Sciences
UP Manila

Biosorption of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solution by Coconut (Cocos nucifera) Shell-derived activated carbon-chitosan Composite. Oriental Journal of Chemistry, 34 (1): 115-124, 2018.

This study prepared coconut shell-derived activated carbon-chitosan composite as a potential biosorbent material for the removal of methylene blue in an aqueous solution by adsorption process. Moreover, the influence of pH, contact time, dye concentration, adsorbent dosage, and temperature on the adsorption process were also determined. This study also compared the removal efficiency of coconut shell-derived carbon-chitosan composite with the activated biocharcoal in the removal of methylene blue. Conversion of the widely-available agricultural wastes such as coconut shells to biocharcoal was done using a simple and low-cost method that can be adapted globally.

Link to the article: http://www.orientjchem.org/vol34no1/biosorption-of-methylene-blue-from-aqueous-solution-by-coconut-cocos-nucifera-shell-derived-activated-carbon-chitosan-composite/
Impact Factor: Not yet available

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In the Cordillera region, there is a rich tradition of weaving that goes back several centuries. Each of the different indigenous communities in the region possesses a unique weaving technique, with the resulting forms and patterns dictated by distinct religious, socio-political and artistic origins, functions and values. But with the absence of a new generation of weavers willing to learn the art, the Cordillera weaving tradition is dying. This is the reason that the interdisciplinary Cordillera Textiles Project (CordiTex) of UP set out to vigorously document and research on these unique textiles.

The project, led by Dr. Analyn Salvador-Amores of UP Baguio, provides more than a comprehensive database of anthropological information accessed from local narratives. By utilizing the tools of materials science, it also gives a quantitative assessment of the traditional scientific know-how employed in every step of the weaving process – from the selection of the raw materials to dyeing and curing. The project looks at these aspects to improve the technical characteristics of the Cordillera textile without compromising its age-old identity.

The research highlights as well the distinctive mathematical symmetries found in Cordilleran garments and blankets. With the textile pinilian, for example, weavers combine a continuous supplementary weft technique and a floating weft technique to create complex curvilinear designs of human figures, horses, constellations and many others (Figure 1). Figure 2 shows an example of a pinilian blanket with horse and skeiner motifs. The motifs are propagated throughout the blanket without any rotation or reflection but has translational symmetries in both directions. This blanket belongs to the symmetry group of type p l, a parallelogram lattice type.

Figure 1 (top and bottom). Two prominent figures in Itneg blankets. The pinilian is said to be the most difficult to weave technically. Photographs by AV Salvador-Amores, 2016.

Figure 2. (Top) A sample of a pinilian blanket with horse and skeiner motifs. (Bottom) A close-up of the horse design. Photographs by Joven Paolo Angeles, 2016.Pinilian designs such as the sinang-kabayo (horse), sinan-tao (human figure) and kinarkarayan (river) are exclusively made by the ethnolinguistic group of the Itneg in the Cordillera region. Pinilian blankets serve prestigious and ceremonial functions than utilitarian ones. During the wakes of important members of the group, they are put on display as a sign of wealth. They are also believed to offer protection for the spirits against malevolent beings. A pinilian blanket with a motif of a human form lying down and a horse standing has a special use, too. When the horse’s owner dies, the blanket is mounted on the horse and the animal is set loose to gallop around the neighboring village to announce the passing of its owner. Such design likewise makes reference to the god of agriculture, Indadaya, who is highly revered and invited to every ritual or feast of the Itneg, especially one that is related to agriculture. The pinilian, which is also used as a wrap-around skirt, men’s loincloth, woven shirt, headband or belt, is only one of the spectacular, large-scale textiles for which the Itneg group is known.

The Cordillera weaving tradition occupies a niche, one that is both cultural and functional. By employing research techniques from different disciplines, the project hopes to encourage greater appreciation for the creative artistry involved in traditional weaving, bring about product development, and rekindle interest in the craft among the youth of the Cordillera region.

(The project titled Anthropological, Mathematical Symmetry and Technical Characterization of Cordillera Textiles is funded by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs through the Emerging Interdisciplinary Research Program.)

The 2018 IEEE Conference on Applications, Information and Network Security (AINS 2018) will be held in Langkawi, Malaysia on 20–22 November 2018. The conference provides an excellent opportunity to share and exchange advancement in research, technologies and applications in the area of computer and network security for professionals, engineers, academics and industrial people worldwide. AINS 2018 is sponsored by IEEE Computer Society Malaysia.

Paper Format

– All manuscripts must be in English.
– Papers submitted for review MUST NOT contain any author information (no authors, affiliation or address, and no explicit self-reference) due to the double-blind review process.
– All submitted papers should be in the form of a PDF file. The maximum length is 6 pages (A4 size, single space, Times Roman of font size 10, two columns format), including figures, tables and references. To facilitate this, papers must conform to IEEE format. Please download the format template here.

Please submit your paper at: http://edas.info/N24169.

All registered participants will experience our complimentary cultural and nature visits (Island Hopping & Mangrove Tour) with No Additional Fees (sponsored by IEEE Malaysia Computer Chapter), as part of the conference program to encourage a leisure, inspirational and fruitful networking session.

* The Proceedings of IEEE conferences will be included in the IEEE Xplore and SCOPUS databases. IEEE reserves the right to exclude a paper from distribution after the conference (i.e. removal from IEEE Xplore) if the paper is not presented at the conference.

* All presented papers will be invited for an extended journal submission for IEEE Computer Society Malaysia journal. Selected papers will also be invited to submit an extended version to Inderscience International Journal of Digital Enterprise Technology (IJDET).

Full paper submission deadline: 31 July 2018
Notification of acceptance: 30 September 2018

Please submit your paper at: http://edas.info/N24169.

For more information, visit the AINS 2018 website.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Research Program (JSPS) for 2019 is now open for proposals.

In this bilateral activity, a Filipino scientist/researcher is given the opportunity to conduct a research project with funding from DOST and build/strengthen collaborative work with Japanese researchers and institutions.

The Call for Proposals will close on 5 September 2018.

Launched in 20014, the bilateral exchange program aims to provide opportunities for young researchers of Japan and the Philippines to meet, interact and exchange ideas to build a robust science and technology community in the region.

General criteria
– The applicant must be a Filipino PhD holder, employed full-time in any DOST-recognized national, public or private university or research institution.
– The research project must be aligned with the DOST priority areas under the Harmonized National Research and Development Agenda.
– The research project must not exceed two years.
– The research project must be a collaborative work between a Filipino and a Japanese scientist/researcher.
– DOST will provide an annual funding of up to PHP 1.25 million in support of the research project.

Click here for more information.

Photo credit: Laboratory of Electrochemical Engineering

Dr. Joey D. Ocon, assistant professor at the UP Diliman College of Engineering and a University Scientist II, is one of the 17 ASEAN Science and Technology (S&T) Fellows for 2018-2019.

The early- and mid-career scientists from ASEAN member states were selected for the fellowship based on their track record and potential to promote science-based policy-making in the region. The ASEAN Committee on Science and Technology and experts from ASEAN member states, ASEAN Secretariat Science and Technology Division, US Agency for International Development and US Mission to ASEAN constituted the selection committee.

Fellows will be embedded in national-level ministries or agencies for a year to raise institutional capacity to make informed, data-driven policy decisions and encourage policy makers to use more science-based approaches in the priority areas of climate change; sustainable energy; and science, technology, and innovation policy.

As S&T Fellow, Ocon will work with the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development in updating its research, designing roadmaps and harmonizing its portfolio with renewable energy, energy storage and other alternative energy technologies.

The other Filipino scientist in the batch is Dr. Michael Angelo Promentilla of the De La Salle University.

In 2015, Ocon was awarded by the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines with the Outstanding Young Scientist Award for his contributions to the development of efficient and sustainable energy supply systems. He formed the Laboratory of Electrochemical Engineering , one of the youngest laboratories at the Department of Chemical Engineering in UP Diliman, to create renewable sources of energy (fuel cell systems), conversion and storage energy devices (batteries), clean water production, and environmental process technology (CO2-to-fuel conversion). 

Dr. Carla B. Dimalanta, professor at the National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS) in UP Diliman and Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs (Research), is this year’s recipient of the Outstanding Research and Development Award for Basic Research (Eduardo A. Quisumbing Medal).

Dimalanta won for the project “The Second Phase of the Philippines-Taiwan Integrated Geodynamics Project” which she implemented with Dr. Decibel Faustino-Eslava, Dr. Betchaida Payot and Dr. Noelynna Ramos from 2011 to 2015 and was funded by the Department of Science and Technology.  The project generated the most recent data on the geologic evolution of the Visayan Region. 

Given annually by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), the award recognizes an individual or group who has made outstanding contributions through research in the mathematical, physical or life sciences.

The awarding ceremony was held on 17 July 2018 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

Dr. Carla Dimalanta (center) receives the award from DOST Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña and NAST president Dr. Rhodora V. Azanza. The award recognizes her contributions to understanding the formation of the Philippines and strengthening geodisaster risk reduction and management in the country.

In particular, the project examined the overriding plate, which collided with the continent-derived Palawan Microcontinental Block, through geological, geochemical, geophysical and paleomagnetic surveys in central Philippines. The findings suggest that Samar Island is made up of a complete ophiolite suite – a sequence of igneous rocks which represents a portion of the oceanic crust–upper mantle section.

According to dating and paleomagnetic results, this ophiolite suite was formed about 100 million years ago at a paleolatitude that is 14 degrees south of the equator. Fragments of the ophiolitic rocks were eroded and became components of the younger sedimentary sequences. The ages of the sedimentary sequences from Late Oligocene (27.8 million years ago) to Early Pliocene (roughly 5 million years ago) suggest that the oceanic crust–upper mantle fragment was already exposed and emplaced on land before Late Oligocene.

Equipment in the paleomagnetic laboratory at NIGS which was used to determine at what latitude the Samar ophiolite was formed. The team set up the country’s first (and thus far only) paleomagnetic laboratory and electron microprobe analyzer.

Eight papers were produced from the project which were subsequently published in journals indexed by Web of Science.

Dimalanta and her Rushurgent Working Group at NIGS continue to do research to further our understanding of how the Philippines was formed and help assess geohazards such as landslides, floods, tsunamis and earthquakes that may be present in the study area.

The revised UP General Education (GE) program will be rolled out in the first semester of academic year 2018-2019.

In preparation for this, around 350 faculty members and administrators from UP’s eight constituent universities (CUs) met for the UP System GE Teaching Conference to discuss the teaching of the 11 GE courses common across the UP system and approved by the Board of Regents in December 2017. They likewise exchanged ideas on how to evaluate the revised GE program and address other implementation concerns.

Present during the conference held from 11 to 13 July in UP Diliman were the vice chancellors for academic affairs, members of the GE Council, GE champions, GE module writers and coordinators, and GE teachers.

At a plenary session, Vice President for Academic Affairs Maria Cynthia Rose Banzon Bautista talked about the changes made in the GE  program in 1986, 2001 and 2010. The latest revision, initiated in 2013, aligned the GE program with a learning outcomes/student-centered education paradigm and the K to 12 reform. Such paradigm shift, according to Bautista, is necessary given the “changing realities spurred by globalization.” On why UP needed to adopt a learning outcomes approach to GE, she said that the “spirit underlying the GE objectives cannot be met without changing the way we look at our students and the way we teach.” The revised GE program has more enhanced focus on pedagogy and assessment with program evaluation designed from the start.

Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs (Curriculum) Alyssa Peleo-Alampay then recalled the process leading to the latest revision. This involved multiple consultations and mini-conferences at the CU level and three previous system-wide conferences–the first in 2014, the second in 2015 and the third in 2017 at which over 200 faculty members put together the course modules.

An overview of the GE framework was given by Dr. Patricia B. Arinto, Faculty Regent and chair of the Technical Working Group for UP GE Program Implementation. She highlighted that GE pedagogy is governed by three principles: being learning-centered, resource-based learning and interdisciplinary approach. Also elaborated in her discussion were the reasons behind the development of the modules, such as the importance of appropriately designed and well-supported learning activities to support an outcomes-based approach to teaching and learning.

As it is important to determine the extent and depth to which the GE program meets its expected outcomes, a TWG for GE Program Evaluation was created. The plenary talk of Associate Professor Fernando Paragas, a member of the TWG, covered end of semester monitoring using learning outcomes and program evaluation in 2022. 

Participants at the three-day GE teaching conference, the fourth in the series of system-wide conferences held to discuss the latest GE revision (Photo credit: OVPAA)

A large part of the conference was devoted to concurrent workshops that allowed participants to examine and finalize the course modules. Special attention was given to the core or key texts for the required readings and the assessment of student learning and progress during and at the end of each course. The workshops also touched on the differences in GE class configurations, use of copyrighted materials and sharing of resources. The points discussed during the workshops were incorporated into the teacher’s guides that, together with the study guides for students, made up the modules.

The GE program was opened for review and revision after the proposed Revision of the GE Program was introduced in 2013. Changes aim to adapt the GE to global and regional developments and the K to 12 reform while remaining committed to its liberal, holistic and integrative and non-utilitarian orientation, and promotion of the loftiest principles of a UP education including pagiging makatao and pagging makabayan (humanism and nationalism).

The concurrent workshops were facilitated by GE course coordinators (Photo credit: OVPAA)

Workshop participants also looked at the salience of the key points to be emphasized for each topic in the course (Photo credit: OVPAA)

The conference was hosted by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

More photos on our Facebook page.

Rosario R. Rubite
Department of Biology
College of Arts and Sciences
UP Manila

Three New Species of Begonia (section Baryandra, begoniaceae) from Luzon Island, the Philippines. Phytotaxa, 347 (3): 201-212, 17 April 2018.

FIGURE 1. Begonia droseroides C.I Peng, Rubite & C.W. Lin. A, B. Habitats and habits; C. Rhizome, showing stipules, petioles and peduncle; D. Portion of leaf, upper surface; E. Portion of leaf, lower surface; F. Immature inflorescence; G. Bracts on an immature inflorescence; H. Staminate flower, face and side views; I. Pistillate flower, face, side and back views; J. A mature capsule; K. Cross section of an immature capsule. All from Peng 23418 (HAST).

Luzon is the largest island of the Philippines, and because of its isolation from other landmasses it has developed a unique diversity of flora and fauna. Included in this rich biodiversity of flora are members of genus Begonia of the family Begoniaceae. In a joint expedition to the island, botanists from Taiwan and the Philippines found three unknown Begonia species and compared them with potentially allied species. The three species are clearly members of Begonia section Baryandra. Studies of literature, herbarium specimens, and living plants support the recognition of the three new species: Begonia droseroides, B. gabaldonensis, and B. madulidii. This brings the total of Begonia species in section Baryandra to sixty-eight, of which 85.3% are endemic to the Philippines.

Link to the article: https://biotaxa.org/Phytotaxa/article/view/phytotaxa.347.3.1
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 1.24

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Rosario R. Rubite
Department of Biology
College of Arts and Sciences
UP Manila

Dividing and Conquering the Fastest-Growing Genus: Towards a Natural Sectional Classification of the Mega-Diverse Genus Begonia (Begoniaceae). Taxon, 67 (2): 267-323, May 2018.

The pantropical genus Begonia is the sixth-largest genus of flowering plants, including 1870 species. The sections of Begonia are used frequently as analogues to genera in other families but, despite their taxonomic utility, few of the current sections have been examined in the light of molecular phylogenetic analyses. We present herein the largest, most representative phylogeny of Begonia published to date and a subsequent provisional sectional classification of the genus. We utilized three plastid markers for 574 species and 809 accessions of Begonia and used Hillebrandia as an outgroup to produce a dated phylogeny. The relationships between some species and sections are poorly resolved, but many sections and deeper nodes receive strong support. We recognize 70 sections of Begonia including 5 new sections: Astrothrix, Ephemera, Jackia, Kollmannia, and Stellandrae; 4 sections are reinstated from synonymy: Australes, Exalabegonia, Latistigma and Pereira; and 5 sections are newly synonymised. The new sectional classification is discussed with reference to identifying characters and previous classifications.

Link to the article: https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iapt/tax/2018/00000067/00000002/art00004
Impact Factor: (206/2017) 2.447

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Libertine Rose S. Sanchez, Francis S. Magbanua and Ernelea P. Cao
Institute of Biology
College of Science
UP Diliman

Isolation, Characterization and Rapid Screening of Copper-Tolerant Cyanobacteria Consortia from Mining Sites and a Strawberry Farm in Benguet Province, Philippines. Journal of the International Society for Southeast Asian Agricultural Sciences, 23 (2): 8-19, December 2017.

Sampling Sites in Benguet Province, Phlippines: Wangal pristine forest, Strawberry Farm in La Trinidad and a Mining Site in Itogon.

Twenty-three (23) Putatively identified cyanobacteria from a consortia isolated in extreme soils of Benguet Province.

Cyanobacteria are microscopic organisms that contain the blue-green pigment that allows them to undergo photosynthesis. A mixture of the different kinds of cyanobacteria is called cyanobacteria consortium. They can be found in different land and water environments and can survive even in harsh conditions. In this study, cyanobacterial consortia from soil and rock samples of mining sites, a strawberry farm and a pristine forest in Wangal, La Trinidad were isolated. The consortia were found in areas with temperature ranging from 24°C to 34°C and pH values from 5.4 (relative acidity) to 8.7 (relative alkalinity). A rapid screening method using a 24-well microtiter plate was used to evaluate the tolerance of cyanobacteria consortia to different concentrations of copper (Cu²⁺) metal. The consortia were incubated in microtiter plates and a spectrophotometer was used to record the optical density readings every five days in a span of forty (40) days. The cyanobacteria consortia from all sites could tolerate up to 6.0 mg/L of copper except for Philex mines that could only tolerate up to to 5.0 mg/L of copper. Thus, their isolation and characterization can lead to the identification of potential strains that can be used for bioremediation or for clean-up of metal-polluted environments.

Link to the article: http://www.issaas.org/journal/v23/02/journal-issaas-v23n2-02-sanchez-et-al.pdf
Impact Factor: Not yet available

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John Andrew G. Evangelista
Department of Sociology
College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
UP Diliman

“Queering Rodrigo Duterte” in A Duterte Reader: Critical Essays on Rodrigo Duterte’s Early Presidency. Nicole Curato (editor). Ithaca, New York, USA: Cornell University Press, 2017.

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Juan Carlos T. Gonzalez
Museum of Natural History
Institute of Biological Sciences
College of Arts and Sciences
UP Los Baños

Investigation of the Status of the Enigmatic White‐Chested Tinkerbird Pogoniulus makawai using Molecular Analysis of the Type Specimen. Ibis, 160 (3): 673-680, July 2018.

Yellow‐rumped Tinkerbird Pogoniulus bilineatus Photo by Francesco Veronesi (Uganda H8O4976, October 2009) download from wikivisually.com

In 1964, ornithologists discovered a uniquely plumaged African tinkerbird from northwest Zambia, it was later described in 1965 as a distinct species, the White‐chested Tinkerbird Pogoniulus makawai. It was deemed extremely rare being known only from a single type-specimen, and no other subsequent records from the wild. This failure to find further individuals led to a debate questioning its taxonomic validity as a distinct species, and the P. makawai specimen was even considered by several observers to be an aberrant individual of the Yellow‐rumped Tinkerbird Pogoniulus bilineatus. To help resolve this enigma, we conducted molecular phylogenetic analysis using DNA extracted from the single P. makawai study skin, together with samples from other tinkerbird species, and from several subspecies of P. bilineatus. Phylogenetic analyses of both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA recovered from P. makawai revealed it to be nested within a clade of Yellow‐rumped Tinkerbirds. Our results suggest that White‐chested Tinkerbird is not a distinct species, but either a distinct subspecies or an aberrant form of Yellow‐rumped Tinkerbird; in either case a genetic basis for plumage differences cannot be ruled out.

Link to the article: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ibi.12597
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 2.279

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Marjorie D. delos Angeles, Lailani A. Masungsong and Nina M. Cadiz
Institute of Biological Sciences
College of Arts and Sciences
UP Los Baños

Floral and Algal Species Composition in An Abandoned Mine Tailings Pond at Bgy. Mogpog, Marinduque, Philippines. EnvironmentAsia, 11 (2): 91-108, 2018.

Copper contamination caused by mining activities of CMI at Bgy. Mogpog, Marinduque should be addressed. This study assessed organisms found in the area for their potential as phytoremediators. Three stations were established around the Ino-Capayang Mine-made pond. The copper concentrations, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total suspended solids (TSS were determined and used to characterize the condition of the soil and water in the area.
The study revealed 12 microalgae taxa in the water. Diatoms account for 70% of the overall total abundance. Station 3 had the most number of algal taxa. However, the microalgal diversity is found to be low, which can be attributed to the presence of copper in the water (mean = 0.097ppm) and high TSS (mean = 28.07ppm).
Soil had high copper concentration and soil pH is relatively more acidic than that of pond water samples. The floristic inventory resulted to 27 species belonging to 19 genera from 11 plant families under Division Ancerophyta. 3 species belonging to 3 genera from 3 families were recorded under Division Pteridophyta. Among the identified grass species that are capable of dominating the site are: Bamboo (IV=0.40), followed by Synedrella nodiflora (IV=0.36), Axonopus compressus (IV=0.36), Mimosa pudica (IV=0.35), and the 5th in rank is Poaceae sp. 1. The high Importance Values of these plant species suggests their capability to tolerate soils with high copper concentration, hence can be potential phytoremediators in the area.

Link to the article: http://www.tshe.org/ea/pdf/EA11(2)_08.pdf
Impact Factor: Not yet available

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Bernalyn A. Decena, Joshua Reginal Luzon and Miguel Carlo L. Purisima
Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute
College of Engineering
UP Diliman

2.4 GHz Pattern Reconfigurable Corner Reflector Antennas using Frequency Selective Conductor Loops and Strips. IEEE Region 10 Annual International Conference, Proceedings/TENCON, 2914-2919, December 2017.

Link to the article: 
Impact Factor: Not yet available

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Weene S. Villaver*, Rowena B. Carpio**, Kristian July R. Yap*** and Rizalinda L. de Leon***
Energy Engineering Program*
Department of Chemical Engineering***
College of Engineering
UP Diliman
Department of Chemical Engineering**
College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology
UP Los Baños

Effects of Temperature and Reaction Time on Yield and Properties of Biocrude Oil Produced by Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Spirulina Platensis. International Journal of Smart Grid and Clean Energy, 7 (1): 32-41, January 2018.

The (a) temperature controller (b) sandbath, and (c) mini-reactors used in the HTL experiment

An increasing demand of fuels needs alternative resources that can aid in energy sustainability. Overdependence in fossils as main source of fuels can bring problems like fossil shortage and environmental problems. One potential alternative investigated in this research is the use of biomass in producing biocrude, which can later on be refined. Biomass is abundant and a renewable resource. In this research Spirulina microalgae is used as biomass as it can be grown in non-arable lands, not in competition to food demand, has faster growth rates, high-area specific yields and with short cultivation cycle. The particular process used to convert biomass to biocrude in this study is hydrothermal liquefaction or simply known as HTL. This is a process suitable for high-moisture biomass like microalgae. HTL is done by heating the microalgae slurry inside a mini reactor at high temperature and pressure. In this study, different conditions based on the heating temperatures and the reaction times are investigated. The effects of these factors on the yield and properties of biocrude are observed and analyzed. Composition of the biocrude produced from microalgae are also determined and compared to that of fossil petroleum.

Link to the article: 
Impact Factor: Not yet available

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Cherry Lyn V. Chao*, Rowena B. Carpio**, Kristian July R. Yap*** and Rizalinda L. de Leon***
Energy Engineering Program*
Department of Chemical Engineering***
College of Engineering
UP Diliman
Department of Chemical Engineering**
College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology
UP Los Baños

Influence of Potassium Carbonate (K2Co3) as Catalyst on Biocrude Oil Yield and Properties via Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Spirulina. International Journal of Smart Grid and Clean Energy, 7 (1): 43-47, January 2018.

The (a) Spirulina microalgae powder and (b) micro reactor used in the study

This study is relevant to developing biomass, specifically microalgae, as a source for biofuel production through hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a thermochemical conversion that requires no drying of the feedstock because the whole microalgae biomass is decomposed and converted in hot compressed water. A biocrude oil is obtained as the main product, along with gaseous, aqueous and solid by-products. It was observed in different studies that catalysts, particularly alkali catalysts, improve liquefaction efficiency. This study investigated the effects of potassium carbonate (K₂CO₃) on the yield and properties of biocrude oil. Different amounts of catalysts used were 5, 7.5, and 10 wt. %, respectively. Biocrude oil was produced from hydrothermal liquefaction of Arthrospira platenis (formerly referred to as Spirulina platensis) in a micro-reactor at 280 and 350 degrees Celsius for two levels of residence time, 15 and 45 minutes. The biocrude produced under these different conditions were analyzed for carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and nitrogen (N) content.  Biocrude oil yield and its calorific value were also determined.

Link to the article: 
Impact Factor: Not yet available

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For CIFAL Philippines, knowledge must radiate towards those who most need it.

Established in March 2016 by the University of the Philippines and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), CIFAL Philippines serves as a hub for training, advocacy and research on the interwoven themes of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, migration and gender equality. CIFAL stands for Centre International de Formation des Acteurs Locaux or the International Training Center for Local Actors, which is implemented by UNITAR under its Local Development Programme.

Today, the global CIFAL network has nine centers in Africa, North and South America, Europe and Asia. Each center is designed according to the needs of local actors. In the Philippines, the center focuses on migration and development and gender equality. CIFAL Philippines also works on issues such as climate change and disaster risk reduction and how these relate to migration and mobility.

With the expertise and experience of UP faculty members and local and foreign practitioners, CIFAL Philippines trains national and local authorities, policymakers, technical officers, development workers and other stakeholders on migration crisis management, migration data analysis, and the dynamics of gender and sustainable development. CIFAL Philippines, hosted by the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies (CIDS), is also developing more accessible versions of these training courses. UP CIDS-CIFAL Philippines and the UP Open University are working together to adapt the fully developed training programs into non-formal courses and massive open and online courses that can be made available to a greater audience.

Other activities led by UP CIFAL Philippines include the pilot study on Korean migration to the Philippines and a youth camp on sustainable development. The forum on inclusive business, which UP CIFAL Philippines launched this June in UP Cebu, is also slated to be held in other UP campuses.

Early this month, UP CIFAL Philippines joined three other CIFAL centers to officially create the CIFAL Asia Pacific Network. UP CIFAL Philippines director Dr. Edna Co, CIFAL Shanghai director Genxiang Wang, CIFAL Newcastle director Dr. Graham Brewer, and CIFAL Jeju director Amb. Young-sam Ma signed the Declaration to Strengthen the CIFAL Global Network to formalize the regional cooperation.

Participants at the inclusive business forum in UP Cebu pledge to support activities such as protecting marine diversity, investing in clean and affordable energy, and tapping communities for sources of raw materials. (Photo by UP CIFAL Philippines)

The agreement to create regional cooperation among four CIFAL centers in Asia Pacific was signed on 9th August. Dr. Edna Co represented UP CIFAL Philippines as its director. (Photo by CIFAL Jeju via the UP CIFAL Philippines website)

Know more about UP CIFAL Philippines here.

The 10 awardees — four teachers, three soldiers and three police officers — went through a rigorous selection process that involved hundreds of nominations. Representatives of government, academia, military and media came up with a shortlist from the record of accomplishments while third-party organizations conducted the field validation. The 19 who made it to the final round were interviewed by a multisector board of judges chaired by Senator Sonny Angara and co-chaired by Associate Justice Noel Tijam.

Each of the awardees will receive a cash prize of P1M (net of tax), a gold medallion and a trophy.

Dr. Carla Dimalanta (7th from left) joins Metrobank Foundation president Aniceto Sobrepeña and the other awardees at the press conference on 9 August 2018. The conferment ceremony will be held on 7th September. (Photo by the Metrobank Foundation via its Facebook page)

Melchizedek I. Alipio and Nestor Michael C. Tiglao
Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute
College of Engineering
UP Diliman

RT-CaCC: A Reliable Transport with Cache-Aware Congestion Control Protocol in Wireless Sensor Networks. IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, 17 (7): 4607-4619, July 2018

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) consists of tiny nodes that are equipped with embedded computing devices interfacing with sensors or actuators. A sizable set of these nodes is dispersed over a wide geographical area to monitor a physical event like temperature, humidity, etc. Packets generated at source nodes are usually transmitted to the sink through a multi-hop communication. Because of these network characteristics, WSNs experience high probability of packet losses. Thus, an effective transport protocol is a must. One mechanism of improving transport reliability is intermediate caching by local retransmissions. Another mechanism is to utilize congestion control strategies which can alleviate packet losses. However, these two mechanisms are designed independently from each other. In effect, it underutilizes the cache memory of intermediate nodes. The main goal of this work is to develop a new WSN transport protocol that combines the two mechanisms – intermediate caching and congestion control. The combination of two mechanisms resulted in a superior network performance in terms of cache utilization, throughput and delay by 30 to 35% improvement gain compared with its predecessor cache-based transport protocols namely DTSN+ and Ca-RC. Possible applications of this novel WSN transport protocol are for event-based WSN implementations like forest wildfire detection, animal/wildlife tracking as well as in smart grid networks.

Link to the article: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8345748/
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 4.951

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Jonathan A. Anticamara
Institute of Biology
College of Science
UP Diliman

National Estimates of Values of Philippine Reefs’ Ecosystem Services. Ecological Economics, 146: 633-644, April 2018

Well protected and managed reefs in Sombrero Island, Mabini, Batangas help maintain high reef biodiversity and in turn provide high values in terms of fisheries, livelihood, and tourism in the area.

Dead branching corals fragments lying on shallow reefs in Twin Rocks Marine Protected Area, Mabini, Batangas, showing that siltation, tourism volume and activities, typhoon may contribute to degradation even inside well protected areas – thus highlighting the need for active assessment of reef biodiversity status and recovery in order to ensure the sustainability of many values that Filipinos derived from Philippine reef biodiversity.

The Philippine reef biodiversity – i.e., the variety of living organisms found in many reefs throughout the Philippines, provide many contributions and benefits to Filipinos in terms of food, livelihood, income, traditional way of life, cultural values, and recreational uses. However, to date, no paper accounts for multiple values of Philippine reef biodiversity at a national scale. This paper analyzed data from literature, online databases, reports, and our own empirical national surveys of Philippine reef biodiversity to quantify multiple values or benefits that Filipinos derived from Philippine reef biodiversity. In particular, we quantified and assessed the following four values: (1) willingness-to-pay for reef protection and maintenance; (2) fisheries; (3) tourism; and (4) total economic values that Filipinos derived from Philippine reef biodiversity across all regions of the entire country. We found that Filipinos derived a very high magnitude of total economic values from Philippine reef biodiversity – amounting to about 4 billion US dollar per year. Thus, this paper highlight the need to maintain the health, prevent further degradation, and recover many degraded reefs throughout the Philippines in order to sustain the many benefits that Filipinos derived from Philippine reef biodiversity.

Link to the article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800917300812
Imact Factor: (2016/2017) 2.965

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Ebinezer R. Florano
National College of Public Administration and Governance
UP Diliman

“Integrated Loss and Damage – Climate Change Adaptation – Disaster Risk Reduction Framework: The Case of the Philippines” in Resilience: The Science of Adaptation to Climate Change. Zinta Zommers and Keith Alverson (editors). Oxford, United Kingdom: Elsevier, 2018

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Jose Regin F. Regidor* and Ma. Sheilah G. Napalang**
Institute of Civil Engineering
College of Engineering
School of Urban and Regional Planning**
UP Diliman

Characteristics of Ridesharing as a Sustainable Transport Tool in Metro Manila” in Sustainable Development Research in the Asia-Pacific Region: Education, Cities, Infrastructure and Buildings. Walter Leal Filho, Judy Rogers and Usha Iyer-Raniga (editors). Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2018

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Filomena C. Sta. Cruz* and Avalour T. Aspuria**
Institute of Weed Science*
Institute of Crop Science**
College of Agriculture and Food Science

Serological and Molecular Detection of Differential Infections of Bunchy Top and Mosaic Causing Viruses in Tissue Culture Plantlets of Abaca (Musa textilis Née). Journal of the International Society for Southeast Asian Agricultural Sciences, 23 (2): 81-93, December 2017.

Like humans and animals, abaca plants can also get infected by viruses. Abaca viruses such as the abaca bunchy virus (AbTV) can cause stunting and a whorl-like appearance which renders short, very weak, and practically useless fibers. AbTV infected abaca plants have significantly lower yield, which translates to large reduction in farmer incomes. To help the farmers cope with the effects of virus diseases and to increase their yield, the government implements abaca rehabilitation program which involves eradication of AbTV infected plants and replacing them with new and healthy ones. This involves mass propagation and distribution of abaca planting materials. However, there is a need to ensure that these are indeed virus-free. Virus detection is conducted using protein and nucleic acid-based diagnostic method called ELISA and PCR. These methods exploit viral properties such as protein coat and nucleic acid core, to detect and identify virus presence in the sample. Contrary to the previous idea that tissue cultured plants are always virus-free, it was demonstrated that abaca viruses can still be detected during tissue culture. A mixture of two or three virus species were detected at different stages of tissue culture, e.g. during shoot proliferation stage (in-vitro) and growing out inside the greenhouse (ex-vitro). However, there was no definitive pattern observed during virus detection at different tissue culture stages, thus detection may be influenced by differential infections.

Link to the article: http://www.issaas.org/journal/v23/02/journal-issaas-v23n2-07-sta-cruz-et-al.pdf
Impact Factor: Not yet available

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Zamantha Nadir Z. Martin, Imee Su Martinez and Ricky B. Nellas
Natural Sciences Research Institute/ Institute of Chemistry
College of Science
UP Diliman

Surface Tension Data of n-propane, n-octane and n-dodecane from Nucleation Simulations. Tellus, Series B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology, 70 (1): 1463807, 5 pages, 1 January 2018

Link to the article: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/16000889.2018.1463807
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 2.854

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Timothy Joseph R. Quimpo, Patrick C. Cabaitan, Edwin E. Dumalagan Jr., Jeffrey Munar and Fernando P. Siringan
Marine Science Institute
College of Science
UP Diliman

Preliminary Observations of Macrobenthic Invertebrates and Megafauna Communities in the Upper Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems in Apo Reef Natural Park, Philippines. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 66: 1-11, 2018.

Link to the article: 
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 0.851

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Lean L. Dasallas, Wilson O. Garcia and Norihiko Hayazawa
National Institute of Physics
College of Science

Position, Orientation, and Relative Quantum Yield Ratio Determination of Fluorescent Nanoemitters Via Combined Laser Scanning Microscopy and Polarization Measurements. Optical Materials Express, 8 (5): 1290-1304, May 2018

The development of microscope allowed us to observed micron – sized objects and biological entities such as bacteria, viruses and cells. However, the dimension is usually limited by the capability of the light to be focused. In order to improve the capability to see smaller objects, scientists and researchers have employed fluorescent nanoemitters. It allowed us to view microscopic and sub – microscopic objects in a much smaller scale. However, in order to realize the full potential and proper use of the fluorescent nanoemitters, its optical, mechanical, and chemical properties such as position, orientation, and quantum yield of nanoemitters must be fully determined. In practice and in experiments, these are difficult to measure and requires sophisticated set-up. Aside from that, it is challenging to measure it in the nanoscale dimension. In the paper, we proposed and demonstrated simple, yet effective technique to determine the position orientation, and relative quantum yield ratio of a fluorescent nanoemitter. Our approach is a combination of two standard and conventional techniques, namely, polarization measurement and laser scanning microscopy.

Link to the article: https://www.osapublishing.org/ome/abstract.cfm?uri=ome-8-5-1290
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 2.571

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The National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), Philippines, the highest recognition body on science and technology in the country is searching for nominees for the following NAST and Department of Science and Technology (DOST) awards for 2019:

I. NAST PHL Awards

1. Outstanding Young Scientists
2. TWAS Prize for Young Scientist in the Philippines (Chemistry)
3. NAST Environmental Science Award
4. NAST Talent Search for Young Scientists
5. NAST Award for Outstanding Research in Tropical Medicine
6. Geminiano T. De Ocampo Visionary Award for Medical Research
7. Outstanding Book/Monograph Award
8. Outstanding Scientific Paper Award

II. DOST Awards

1. NSTW Outstanding Science Administrator Award – Dioscoro L. Umali Medal
2. NSTW Outstanding Technology Commercialization Award – Gregorio Y. Zara Medal
3. NSTW Outstanding Research and Development Award
a. For Basic Research – Eduardo A. Quisumbing Medal
b. For Applied Research – Julian A. Banzon Medal
4. Magsaysay Future Engineers/Technologists Award (MFET)

The deadline for the submission of nominations for all awards is 29 November 2018 except for the MFET award which is 31 July 2019.

Download the forms here.

NAST PHL will also be accepting abstracts for the Call for Papers for the Scientific Poster Session until 15 January 2019. Download the certificate of originality here.

UP is still among the top 500 institutions in the world with the most employable alumni, based on the 2019 QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) Graduate Employability Rankings.

It was included in the 301-500 bracket, with an overall score of 14.7-26.8 out of 100. UP is one of the four Philippine institutions that have been ranked. 

But the national university’s performance continues to decline in graduate employability rankings.  UP entered the rankings for the first time in 2017 where it was placed in the 201+ group. In 2018, it went down to the 251-300 cluster.

QS looks at alumni outcomes (30%), employer reputation (25%), partnerships with employers (25%), employer-student connections (10%) and graduate employment rate (10%) to compare graduate employability of higher education institutions across the globe.

For 2019, UP obtained its best score in alumni outcomes, coming out 162nd in the world for producing “world-changing graduates.”  The indicator covered more than 150 lists of distinguished achievers and mapped records of over 39,000 of the world’s “most innovative, creative, wealthy, entrepreneurial, and/or philanthropic individuals.”

UP ranks and scores by indicator. Source: University of the Philippines Fact File, QS

Employer reputation is measured by a survey that identifies the institutions from which employers source “the most competent, innovative, effective graduates.” Over 40,000 employers responded to the survey for the 2019 rankings. Employer reputation was UP’s strongest indicator in the 2019 World University Rankings, also published by QS.

UP’s performance in employer reputation and academic outcomes. Better scores are shown by universities closer to the top-right area. Source: University of the Philippines Fact File, QS

Data on partnerships with employers were extracted from the Scopus database to identify university-industry collaborations for “citable, transformative research” as well as from some 200,000 work placement partnerships that were reported by the institutions and validated by QS. 

Employer-student connections show the number of distinct employers actively present on campus who are providing students with an opportunity to network and learn, while graduate employment rate measures the proportion of graduates who are employed within 12 months of graduation (excluding graduates who pursue further studies or are unavailable to work).

UP’s ranks by indicator against the best ranks in Southeast Asia. Source: University of the Philippines Fact File, QS

Difference between UP scores and Southeast Asia average scores. Source: University of the Philippines Fact File, QS

A total of 660 universities were evaluated for the 2019 rankings. East Asian universities dominated the top 10 in Asia.

QS stated in the University Fact File that although the methodology “cannot capture all of the complexities involved in attempting to measure graduate employability at a global level,” the rankings nevertheless provide an “innovative insight and rich data set of unprecedented nuance to this critical conversation.”

The University of the Philippines moved up once again in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. Securing a place in the 501-600 bracket, it joined universities from Singapore and Malaysia in the top 5 from Southeast Asia.

UP has consistently made progress in the rankings since its entry in 2017. Before breaking into the top 600 for 2019, it climbed to 601-800 in 2018 from its inaugural 801-1,000 position. The continued rise in the rankings is an indication of the national university’s hard work and commitment to excellence in teaching, research and public service.

THE world rankings are based on the achievements of research-intensive universities across various core missions. Performance is gauged using thirteen metrics in five main areas: teaching (30 percent), research (30 percent), citations (30 percent), international outlook (7.5 percent) and industry income (2.5 percent).

An impressive score in citations–up by 30 points from last year–drove UP’s movement in the 2019 rankings. The high score means that in the past years, UP did not only become more productive but it also produced research that stood out and influenced the work of other scholars around the world. Close to 14 million scholarly publications including 25,000 academic journals indexed by Scopus between 2013 and 2017 were examined by analytics company Elsevier to help THE compare the research influence of institutions.

This was not the first time that citations played a big role in UP’s ranking. In 2018, UP leaped several places in the Asia University Rankings as its citation score went up from 13.5 to 40.

For 2019, UP also received slightly higher scores in the areas of teaching, with academic prestige as a large component, international outlook which counted global connections, and research composed of research reputation, income and productivity.

There was a clear upward trajectory in all main areas except for industry income which went down by a few points. This indicator gauges a university’s ability to help industry with innovation, inventions and consultancy. 

UP’s performance in the 2019 THE World University Rankings. Source: Times Higher Education

UP, one of the two universities from the Philippines that figured in the rankings, remains the country’s top university. 

UK and American universities constituted the top 10 worldwide, with the University of Oxford in first place, while Tsinghua University led the universities from Asia.

Publishing some of the most influential rankings used in the academic community, THE also releases the annual Emerging Economies Universities Rankings in which UP jumped from 201-250 to 166 in 2018. 

Last updated: 27 September 2018, 10.19 AM

Bukas na ang opisina sa mga aplikasyon at nominasyon para sa Gawad sa Natatanging Publikasyon sa Filipino. Ito ay bukas para sa mga regular na fakulti at REPS.

May dalawang kategorya ang Gawad: 

• Gawad para sa Malikhaing Panulat
• Gawad para sa Publikasyon ng Orihinal na Pananaliksik (sa anumang disiplina maliban sa malikhang panulat)

Tatanggapin ng opisina ang mga publikayson na nilimbag:

• Noong 2012 para sa 2013 Gawad
• Noong 2013 para sa 2014 Gawad
• Noong 2014 para sa 2015 Gawad
• Noong 2015 para sa 2016 Gawad
• Noong 2016 para sa 2017 Gawad
• Noong 2017 para sa 2018 Gawad

Ang huling araw ng pagtanggap ng mga nominasyon at aplikasyon ay 30 Nobyembre 2018.

Basahin ang mga panuntunan ng Gawad.

Basahin ang memo.

Marie Chela B. Cenia, Milli-Ann M. Tamayao*, Virginia J. Soriano and Benette P. Custodio
Department of Industrial Engineering
Environmental Engineering Program*
College of  Engineering
UP Diliman

Life Cycle Energy Use and CO2 Emissions of Small-Scale Gold Mining and Refining Processes in the Philippines. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, , 23 (10): 1928–1939, October 2018.

Process-based LCA to estimate the energy use and CO2 emissions of small-scale gold mining (SSGM) in the Philippines per100 g of refined gold. We used observed data from 2010 to 2011 for mining, comminution, recovery, and refining. Four gold production paths were observed in the provinces of Benguet and Camarines Norte, namely, amalgamation, cyanidation with carbon-in-leach (CIL), cyanidation with leaching with zinc, and combination of amalgamation and cyanidation with CIL. It was estimated that 3–18 g of Au was extracted for every ton of ore within 57–159 man-hours from mining to refining. Energy use estimates ranged from 3501 to 67,325 MJ/100 g Au, while CO2 emission estimates ranged from 398 to 5340 kg CO2/100 g Au. The combination of amalgamation and cyanidation with CIL processes was the least energy and carbon intensive, while cyanidation with CIL process was the most intensive. Electricity use accounted for 95-100% of total emissions, except in cyanidation with CIL where kerosene accounts for 77%. Since SSGMs contributed 80% of the 40 tons of Au produced in the Philippines in 2014, the SSGM energy use was estimated to be between 1120 and 21,544 TJ and the CO2 emissions to be between 129 and 1726 ktons CO2. Energy estimates are most sensitive to refining process yield and electrical equipment efficiency. Three recommendations for reduction of energy use and CO2 emissions are proposed: (1) policy for energy-efficient technologies and gold yield maximizing process, (2) effective Minahang Bayan implementation, and (3) use of renewable energy technologies.

Link to the article: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11367-017-1425-5
Impact Factor: 2017/2018 4.195

________________________________________

Jose Miguel D. Robes and Gisela P. Concepcion
Marine Science Institute
College of Science
UP Diliman

Stenotophomonas like Bacteria are Widespread Symbionts in Cone Snail Venom Ducts. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 83 (23): e01418-17, 10 pages, December 2017.

Link to the article: https://aem.asm.org/content/early/2017/09/25/AEM.01418-17.short
Impact Factor: 2017/2018 3.633

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Joey D. Ocon
Department of Chemical Engineering
College of Engineering
UP Diliman

Electrochemically-Synthesized Tungstate Nanocomposites γ-WO3/CuWO4 and γ-WO3/NiWO4 Thin Films with Improved Band Gap and Photoactivity for Solar-driven Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 762: 90-97, 25 September 2018.

Solar-driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting process is a potential method to convert solar energy to chemical energy via production of hydrogen. Among many materials being investigated, tungsten oxide (WO₃) is a potential photoanode since it can absorb visible light spectrum, and also exhibits high resistance and stability in acidic solution. However, there is a high rate of electrons, that were excited through solar energy, does not proceed in the water-splitting process. In order to resolve the issue, WO₃ is coupled with copper tungstate (CuWO₄) and nickel tungstate (NiWO₄) to improve performance. The combined materials were synthesized using electrodeposition and heated at high temperature which were characterized using various tests. The band gap of WO₃/CuWO₄ and WO₃/NiWO₄ combination were lowered which corresponds to wider solar spectrum coverage. Upon testing their water splitting performance, the WO₃/NiWO₄ combination shows 400 µA/cm² at 1.5 V (vs. Ag/AgCl (4M KCl)), which is more than three (3) times improved performance as compared to using WO₃ only.

Link to the article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925838818318632
Impact Factor: 2017/2018 3.779

________________________________________

Aleyla Escueta-de Cadiz
Department of Biological Sciences and Environmental Studies
College of Science & Mathematics
UP Mindanao

AIG1 Affects In Vitro and In Vivo Virulence in Clinical Isolates of Entamoeba histolica. Plos Pathogen, 14 (3): https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1006882, 2018.

Schematic representation of the AIG1 family protein gene-containing region that is missing in strain KU27, and phylogenetic analysis of AIG1 family proteins. (A) Graphical view of the region, containing AIG1 family protein genes, in strains HM-1, KU50, and KU27. Three AIG1 genes in strains HM-1 and KU50, and one recombinant gene in strain KU27, are depicted with blue arrows. (B) A depiction of a recombination event that likely resulted in loss of the EHI_176590 gene in KU27. (C) Phylogenetic tree of AIG1 family proteins in HM-1 and strain KU27. A best maximum likelihood tree was produced using 28 and 27 AIG1 family protein sequences from strain HM-1 and KU27, respectively. Bootstrap values, at each node, with 1000 replicates, are color coded. The scale bar indicates the number of amino acid substitutions per site.

Amoebiasis, caused by Entamoeba histolytica, have varying effects on people, with some appearing healthy and others with bloody-diarrhea and extra-intestinal abscesses. While the virulence of the pathogen and the reaction of the host’s immune system play vital roles to the outcome of the disease, there are no studies to date that looked at the genetic factors. In the study, we used a next-generation sequencing and looked at the genetic sequence from two strains: from a patient with diarrhea (KU50) and a patient without diarrhea (KU27). Using databases and gene sequencing tool, we compared the strains with a reference strain HM-1:IMSS and successfully identified two genes: EHI_089440 and EHI_176590, that were absent in KU27. Further analysis revealed that one family gene code (EHI_176590) was deleted from KU27 which should normally have three sets. The HM-1:IMSS EHI_176590 was also over expressed which results to increased formation of cell-surface protrusions which allowed the pathogen to attach to human red blood cells. This gene was found in 56% of amoebiasis patients but only 15% in healthy patients. Results of the study suggest that presence of EHI_176590 gene is linked to the incidence of the patients showing symptoms of the disease. Furthermore, the data collected strongly indicate that AIG1 family protein, which includes EHI_176590 gene, plays a pivotal role in the virulence of E.histolytica by controlling the pathogen’s ability to attach to the human host cells.

Link to the article: https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1006882
Impact Factor: 2017/2018 6.158

________________________________________

Shelly F. Dela Vega, Leah A. Palapar and Angely P. Garcia
Institute on Aging
National Institutes of Health
UP Manila

Mixed-Methods Research Revealed the Need for Dementia Services and Human Resource Master Plan in an Aging Philippines. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 102: 115–122, October 2018.

Dementia is not a normal part of aging and is a major cause of disability and dependency among older people, affecting individuals, families, communities and societies. People with dementia show deterioration in cognitive functions as it affects memory, thinking, orientation, comprehension, calculation, learning capacity, language and judgement.
The number of people living with dementia is growing rapidly and nearly 60% of them lived in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) including the Philippines. With this, the study sought to determine the status of dementia care services and workforce in selected public and private hospitals and geriatric care facilities in the country. The study utilized a framework analysis of 54 key informant interviews, 4 focus group discussions, and survey of 167 workers in 26 purposively selected facilities.
Three dementia care models emerged: (1) separate unit, seen in 2 facilities, (2) partial dementia services, 9 facilities, and (3) integrated with the general services, 15 facilities. Only 1 of 26 facilities had specific outpatient services; only 1 provided care exclusively to dementia patients. Community day care services were rare. Nutrition and physical therapy services were generally available.
In terms of health workforce, physicians, nurses, and nursing assistants were available in all institutions. There was a scarcity of physician specialists (e.g., geriatrics) and occupational therapists. Half of the workers surveyed rated the quality of their service at 80 or higher, 27% defined dementia correctly. Attitude toward dementia was very positive, in the form of willingness to care for and willingness to learn more.
The research recommended the following: (1) establishment of a case registry and database of dementia cases, (2) further understand the role and needs of informal carers, (3) determine the push-pull factors for allied professionals, and methods and models of enhancing quality care, (4) study the attitude of policymakers, funding agencies, business, and private organizations toward dementia care, and (5) conduct of comparative effectiveness studies and family preferences on the venues of care.

Link to the article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0895435617313938
Impact Factor: 2017/2018 4.245

________________________________________

Andrian P. Gajigan, Aletta T. Yñiguez, Cesar L. Villanoy, Maria Lourdes San Diego-McGlone, Gil S. Jacinto and Cecilia Conaco
Marine Science Institute
College of Science
UP Diliman

Diversity and Community Structure of Marine Microbes Around the Benham Rise Underwater Plateau, Northeastern Philippines. PeerJ, 2018: e4781, 17 pages, May 2018.

Benham Rise, Philippines. Benham Rise is an underwater plateau located northeast of the Philippines. Physicochemical parameters were measured at 24 stations (blue dots) while water samples for microbial community analysis were collected from various depths at five stations (red dots). Stations were plotted in Ocean Data View (Schlitzer, R., Ocean Data View, https://odv.awi.de, 2018).

The Benham Rise, also known as Philippine Rise, is an underwater plateau located northeast of the Philippines in the Western Pacific Ocean. This is where a convergence of waters occurs with surface currents coming from the North Pacific subtropical water, North Equatorial current and Kuroshio recirculated waters. Although this area is vital to global ocean circulation, climate, and the fishing industry, few studies have been done to look at the marine microbial taxa in the area. In this study, we describe the microbial community in the waters of the Benham Rise, Philippines using a high-throughput sequencing method. We discovered that Benham Rise exhibits vertical zonation of marine microbes with increasing biodiversity as one goes to deeper depths. The presence of specific microbes correlated with physicochemical properties of the water column. The abundance of specialist microbial taxa suggests that the waters in the Benham Rise are heterogenous and can support a rich diversity of microbes, which in turn may support the diversity of marine life observed in the area. These findings provide foundational information on marine microbes in Philippine waters. However, additional studies are warranted to gain a more complete picture of microbial diversity within the region.

Link to the article: https://peerj.com/articles/4781/?utm_source=TrendMD&utm_campaign=PeerJ_TrendMD_0&utm_medium=TrendMD
Impact Factor: 2017/2018 2.118

________________________________________

Mary Jane B. Rodriguez-Tatel
Department of Filipino and Philippine Literature
College of Arts and Letters
UP Diliman

Pag-Iimahen sa Batang “Katutubo” sa Ilang Piling Kuwentong Pambata: Sipat at Siyasat sa Kolonyal na Diskurso ng “Tribu” (Imaging the “Indigenous” Child in Selected Stories for Children: Revisiting and Revisioning “Tribe” as a Colonial Discourse. Humanities Diliman, 15 (1): 57-84, January-June 2018.

Bakit may mga grupong tinatawag na “tribu”/natibo/katutubo” kung tayong lahat naman ay isinilang sa bansang ito? Bakit sila tinatawag na “minorya” kahit pa sabihing sa kanilang lugar mismo, sila naman ang nakararami? Ano ba ang batayan ng mga nasabing katawagan? Bilang o kung paano sila tinitingnan? Bakit sila tiningnan nang iba o hiwalay sa kapwa-Pilipino? Dadalhin ka ng mga katanungang ito sa isyu ng paggamit ng etnikong kategorya sa pagpapanatili o di kaya nama’y pagbabago ng status quo. Hindi lamang ito simpleng katawagan, bagkus may bitbit din itong motibo o agenda na maaaring para sa o laban sa pagbabago ng mga ugnayan sa ating lipunan batay sa grupong kinabibilangan. Ginamit at pinalaganap ng mga kolonisador ang “tribu” upang pag-iba-ibahin at hatiin tayo, kasama na ang mga negatibong konotasyon nito, gaya ng “di-sibilisado,” “salbahe,” atbp. Subalit nagpatuloy at naging bahagi na ng karaniwang kaalaman ang ganitong katawagan, hanggang sa tanggapin na rin ng mga pinapatungkulang grupo bilang bahagi ng kanilang identidad. Sa pagitan ng agenda ng mga kolonyalista noon hanggang sa asersiyon para sa sariling identidad ng mga nasabing grupo ngayon, masasabing nagkaroon na ng mga panibagong kahulugan ang kataga. Ibig sabihin, sumailalim na ito sa proseso ng reproduksyon, kakabit ng mga bagong imahen bilang grupong naggigiit ng kanilang mga karapatan para sa sariling pagpapasya. Sa nasabing proseso nakibahagi ang labinlimang kuwentong pambatang itinampok sa pag-aaral na ito. Kakabit nito ay ang paglalarawan din sa ating “mayoryang Pilipino” bilang “kababayan,” “kaibigan” at “kapatid” din nila, sabi nga sa mga kuwento.

Link to the article: http://journals.upd.edu.ph/index.php/humanitiesdiliman/article/view/6241/5525
Impact Factor: Not yet available

________________________________________

Remil L. Galay
Department of Veterinary Paraclinical Sciences
College of Veterinary Medicine
UP Los Baños

Evaluation of Vaccine Potential of 2-Cys Peroxiredoxin from the Hard Tick Haemaphysalis longicornis. Experimental and Applied Acarology, 74 (1): 73–84, January 2018.

Purifcation of recombinant Haemaphysalis longicornis 2-Cys peroxiredoxin (rHlPrx2). rHlPrx2 was expressed in E. coli and purifed by fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). The E. coli lysate and purifed rHlPrx2 were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and CBB staining. The molecular weight is shown on the left side of the image. The arrowhead indicates a band of rHlPrx2 protein.

Ticks are parasitic arthropods that feed exclusively on the blood of their host. Their blood meal exposes the ticks to harmful substances like hydrogen peroxide that can induce cellular damage. Ticks have antioxidant enzymes, such as peroxiredoxin, which protect them from the negative effects of hydrogen peroxide. In other parasites, peroxiredoxin has been targeted in vaccine development, but its potential as anti-tick vaccine antigen has not been investigated. In this study, a recombinant peroxiredoxin, rHlPrx2, was prepared from Escherichia coli and was used to immunize mice after purification. The mice were infested with nymphs of Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks after immunization to determine whether immunization with rHlPrx2 will provide protection against tick infestation. rHlPrx2 was able to stimulate the immunity of mice with production of antibodies against it. However, there were no significant differences in the parameters observed from ticks infested in immune mice compared to those of ticks infested in control (non-immune) mice, suggesting absence of effect in tick infestation. Nevertheless, the immunogenicity of rHlPrx2 indicate that it may still have the potential for inclusion in anti-tick vaccine development, together with other antigens

Link to the article: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10493-018-0209-3
Impact Factor: 2017/2018 1.9

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For CIFAL Philippines, knowledge must radiate towards those who most need it.

Established in March 2016 by the University of the Philippines and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), CIFAL Philippines serves as a hub for training, advocacy and research on the interwoven themes of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, migration and gender equality. CIFAL stands for Centre International de Formation des Acteurs Locaux or the International Training Center for Local Actors, which is implemented by UNITAR under its Local Development Programme.

Today, the global CIFAL network has nine centers in Africa, North and South America, Europe and Asia. Each center is designed according to the needs of local actors. In the Philippines, the center focuses on migration and development and gender equality. CIFAL Philippines also works on issues such as climate change and disaster risk reduction and how these relate to migration and mobility.

With the expertise and experience of UP faculty members as well as local and foreign practitioners, CIFAL Philippines trains national and local authorities, policymakers, technical officers, development workers and other stakeholders on migration crisis management, migration data analysis, and the dynamics of gender and sustainable development. 

Other activities led by UP CIFAL Philippines include the pilot study on Korean migration to the Philippines and a youth camp on sustainable development. The forum on inclusive business, which UP CIFAL Philippines launched this June in UP Cebu, is also slated to be held in other UP campuses.

Early this month, UP CIFAL Philippines joined three other CIFAL centers to officially create the CIFAL Asia Pacific Network. UP CIFAL Philippines director Dr. Edna Co, CIFAL Shanghai director Genxiang Wang, CIFAL Newcastle director Dr. Graham Brewer, and CIFAL Jeju director Amb. Young-sam Ma signed the Declaration to Strengthen the CIFAL Global Network to formalize the regional cooperation.

Participants at the inclusive business forum in UP Cebu pledge to support activities such as protecting marine diversity, investing in clean and affordable energy, and tapping communities for sources of raw materials. (Photo by UP CIFAL Philippines)

The agreement to create regional cooperation among four CIFAL centers in Asia Pacific was signed on 9th August. Dr. Edna Co represented UP CIFAL Philippines as its director. (Photo by CIFAL Jeju via the UP CIFAL Philippines website)

Know more about UP CIFAL Philippines here.