University Knowledge Digital Repository UPLB (University of the Philippines Los Baños)
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3 - Good Health and Well-being
No full text3 - Good Health and Well-beinghttps://www.ukdr.uplb.edu.ph/un-sdgs_images/1002/thumbnail.jp
Economic Cost of Violence Against Women and Children in the Philippines in 2023
No full textViolence Against women and Children (VAWC) remains to be a pressing issue in the Philippines. According to NDHS (2022), one in every five women aged 15-49 experiences different types of abuse. While often regarded as a human rights issue, VAWC makes the economy bleed in silence. This study aims to estimate the national economic cost of VAWC in the Philippines for the year 2023 using the bottom-up approach, providing economic evidence for policymaking and proper budget allocation. Grounded in the methodologies of Figueroa-Yap (1998), Solano (2001), and Diez (2013), the study draws on ten case studies from survivors and integrates national data from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Direct costs - including medical care, shelter, transportation, and legal aid - were averaged at ₱11,120.20 per survivor monthly. Indirect costs, including lost income, productivity loss, and unpaid domestic work, reached ₱235.1 to ₱244.6 million.
When combining both direct and indirect costs, the estimated economic cost of VAWC in the Philippines in 2023 varies widely depending on the data source. Conservative estimates based on reported cases from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) place the cost at ₱2 billion (0.012% of GDP) and ₱388.3 million (0.0016% of GDP), respectively. However, after adjusting for underreporting using prevalence rates from the National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), the total economic cost surges to an estimated ₱1.3 trillion - equivalent to 5.39% of the country’s GDP
The Effects of Individual Households\u27 Perceived Risk on Behavior and Preparedness for Flood Events: A Study in Lakeshore Communities of Pila, Laguna Philippines
No full textFloods caused by natural calamities pose risks to vulnerable communities in the Philippines. Existing studies emphasize the influence of socio-demographic factors, past disaster experiences, and risk perception on household preparedness for flood events. However, there are still gaps in understanding the direct relationship between perceived risk and adaptation behaviors. This study examines the relationship between risk perception and household adaptation strategies. Through a structured questionnaire, the socio-demographic characteristics, proximity to the coastline, previous flood experiences of selected households, and influence on the implementation of structural, avoidance, emergency preparedness, and insurance measures were also investigated. Results reveal that prior flood experiences, age, and proximity to the coastline are statistically significant factors. However, risk perception was not found to be statistically significant. The findings highlight the importance of tailoring flood adaptation strategies to community-specific needs, addressing economic barriers, and enhancing awareness to improve flood preparedness
Marketing Efficiency of Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) Produced in Laguna, Philippines, 2024
No full textThis study examines the marketing efficiency of virgin coconut oil (VCO) produced in Laguna, Philippines. Specifically, the study aimed to (1) describe the processes in producing virgin coconut oil (VCO) in Laguna, (2) identify the marketing channels of VCO production in Laguna, (3) determine the profitability and marketing margin of VCO stakeholders in Laguna, and (4) recommend policy interventions to improve marketing efficiency of VCO production in Laguna.
Both primary and secondary data were utilized. The primary data was gathered through interviews with VCO processors, assembler-wholesalers, and retailers to analyze their processing activities, costs, and pricing among different marketing channels. On the other hand, the secondary data included collecting a list of registered VCO processors from the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and analysing previous related VCO studies. Moreover, processor respondents were purposively selected based on their availability and willingness. From the processors, forward tracing was employed to gather data from VCO assembler-wholesaler, retailers, and consumers. Moreover, the analytical tools utilized were marketing margin and profitability analysis to assess price differences, marketing costs, net returns, and profit margins.
Findings showed that there were four main VCO processes that are utilized by Laguna VCO processors; that is, cold-pressed A-no-heat, wet-cold, fresh-wet centrifuge, and traditional heating. Three marketing channels were identified; specifically, processor-consumer, processor-retailer-consumer, and processor-wholesaler-retailer-consumer. Moreover, marketing margin analysis revealed that the processor-consumer channel was the most efficient, mainly due to its minimal marketing cost and higher net returns. Conversely, the processor-retailer-consumer channel incurred the highest marketing costs relative to net returns, making it the channel with the lowest efficiency. Profitability analysis, on the other hand, showed that large-scale processors and wholesalers achieved higher returns due to economies of scale, export market penetration, while small-scale processors and retailers had thinner margins.
Laguna’s strategic location and abundant coconut resources make it a prime location for virgin coconut oil (VCO) production, with six registered processors contributing significantly to local and global supply chains. Policymakers can improve Laguna’s VCO industry by providing technical and financial support to small-scale processors to enhance their production capacities, strengthening market linkages for improved price competitiveness, and pursuing premium export certifications. Overall, the study emphasizes the importance of channel selection and targeted policy interventions to bolster profitability and long-term sustainability in Laguna’s VCO industry
Research-intership with mini-study on parametric measuring of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) yield using rice bran as substrate
No full textPolyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable polymers recognized as promising alternatives to conventional plastics derived from fossil fuels. However, the high production cost remains a challenge. To address this, the use of agricultural waste as a low-cost substrate has gained significant traction in recent years. In the Philippines—an agro-industrial nation with abundant agricultural byproducts—rice bran presents a viable yet underutilized resource for PHA production. The study evaluated the potential of rice bran hydrolysate as a substrate for PHA synthesis using Cupriavidus necator (KCTC 2649), a PHA-producing bacterial strain. To determine the optimal pretreatment conditions, a 2k factorial design experiment was conducted to assess the effects of acid concentration and incubation time on total reducing sugar (TRS) yield. The ideal condition—0.1 N sulfuric acid for 22 minutes—yielded a predicted TRS concentration of 12.083 g/L, with only a 0.644% error from experimental validation. Using these optimized parameters, three fermentation setups (RB1, RB2, and RB3) were designed to compare PHA yield, productivity, and TRS consumption. Among the three setups, RB1 demonstrated the most favorable conditions, achieving the highest PHA yield (21.718 g/L) and the lowest TRS consumption (1.522 g/L), indicating high productivity with minimal substrate use. RB2 showed the highest TRS consumption (7.880 g/L) but resulted in the lowest PHA yield (12.343 g/L), suggesting lower conversion efficiency. RB3, meanwhile, consumed 3.736 g/L of TRS and produced a moderate PHA yield of 15.419 g/L, reflecting a more efficient sugar-to-PHA conversion than RB2, though still less optimal overall compared to RB1. These findings show the potential of rice bran as an efficient, low-cost substrate for PHA production, supporting its integration into sustainable bioplastic development. Future research is encouraged to investigate a wider range of acid hydrolysis parameters and explore other locally available agricultural wastes to further improve PHA yield and support cost-effective bioplastic production in the Philippines
Bridging paws and people : analyzing High School students\u27 engagement in pet shelter website for adoption and awareness
No full textAmid the widespread animal homelessness in the Philippines, animal shelters that take in and care for these animals often have limited resources and ways of reaching out to potential adopters, donors, and volunteers. To widen their reach to the public, this study created a website for a local animal shelter and evaluated user engagement toward adoption, donations, and volunteering. Specifically, it evaluated whether website characteristics such as surface credibility, aesthetics, usability, navigation, interactivity, content organization, and content credibility affected user engagement, motivation, and awareness. The website was made in WordPress using Elementor and had seven pages: Home, Blog, Adopt, Pet Care, Donate, Volunteer, and Contact. Data was collected from Grade 8 students in a laboratory school in the Philippines and analyzed through frequency charts and correlation analysis. The data had a majority of positive responses from users towards all website factors: Surface Credibility Aesthetics, Surface Credibility Usability, Surface Credibility Navigation, Surface Credibility Content Organization, Surface Credibility, Surface Credibility Interactivity, Content Credibility, User Engagement Involvement, User Response, and User Awareness. Results showed a positive correlation between all website characteristics and user engagement, motivation, and awareness. Among these characteristics were content credibility and website interactivity, which focused on the website’s trustworthiness of content and communication features respectively. For a better measure of engagement, future studies should track the website’s engagement and success with changes in the shelter’s adoption, donation, and volunteer rates. This method can offer more strategies to enhance website development for animal awareness and aid the animal shelter’s promotion
Capstone internship at the Samsung Research Philippines with a mini study on : GAS: optimizing exam proctoring schedule using genetic algorithm
No full textClass scheduling is a crucial yet frequently neglected aspect of school administration. In the University of the Philippines Rural High School (UPRHS), the existing process consists of manually marking teacher assignments in Google Sheets and then running a custom-developed scheduling software. Yet, the said software runs for 24 hours and still generates errors like overlaps of teachers, unused rooms, and conflicts in schedules—though it takes extra time to manually correct it. The main objective of this capstone project is to create an intelligent, optimized scheduling system based on a Genetic Algorithm (GA) that minimizes computation time and maximizes accuracy.
The solution based on GA proposes encoding candidate schedules as chromosomes and evolving them through generations by means of a fitness function. This function takes into account significant scheduling constraints like teacher availability, subject specialization, teaching loads, and classroom allocations. The algorithm\u27s performance is tested using dummy data derived from actual UPRHS scheduling formats in the research. Preliminary testing shows that the GA is capable of creating conflict-free, effective schedules within a fraction of the time currently necessary, and it is scalable for future use on similar institutions of higher learning.
Through automating and streamlining the class scheduling process, the project seeks to assist school administrators, enhance teacher work-life balance, and facilitate timely and organized learning delivery. Subsequent versions could include real-time reassignments and integration with school information systems. This study not only solves a local operational issue but also adds a scalable model for other public schools in the Philippines looking to modernize internal systems with low-cost, intelligent solutions
Empowering inclusive education : a narrative case study exploring special education teaching approaches and experiences in an intervention center in San Pablo City, Laguna
No full textInvesting in the professional development of special education (SPED) teachers is critical to enhancing the quality of education for students with special needs. Equipping teachers with up-to-date knowledge, strategies, and practical tools not only improves instructional delivery but also supports the achievement of meaningful learning outcomes. Despite growing research on SPED practices, limited attention has been given to the real-world challenges novice teachers face, particularly in local intervention centers where resources and support systems may be lacking. This study explored the teaching approaches of five early-career SPED teachers in a selected intervention center in San Pablo City, Laguna, with the aim of identifying effective approaches, challenges, and areas for professional growth. Using a narrative case study design and data triangulation, the research gathered insights through an open-ended survey, focus group discussion (FGD), key informant interview (KII), and class observation. Thematic analysis revealed eleven key themes, including: (1) Individual Student-Centered Teaching Approaches, (2) Effectiveness of Behavioral Approaches, (3) Effectiveness of Individualized Instruction, (4) Indicators of Student Improvement and Development, (5) Challenges Faced in Teaching, (6) Student Resources and Environment, (7) Role of Stakeholder Support in Learning, (8) Lack of Training, (9) Community Support, (10) Resourcefulness in Professional Growth, and (11) Inclusive and Multi-approach Training. Findings indicate the effectiveness of individualized instruction, behavioral interventions, and multi-sensory learning while also highlighting persistent challenges such as limited resources, student behavior, inconsistent parental support, and insufficient professional training. The study recommends expert-led, content-specific training programs and stronger institutional frameworks to empower teachers and promote an inclusive, responsive learning environment for students with special needs
12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
No full text12 - Responsible Consumption and Productionhttps://www.ukdr.uplb.edu.ph/un-sdgs_images/1011/thumbnail.jp
2 - Zero Hunger
No full text2 - Zero Hungerhttps://www.ukdr.uplb.edu.ph/un-sdgs_images/1001/thumbnail.jp