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
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
4 - Quality Education
No full text4 - Quality Educationhttps://www.ukdr.uplb.edu.ph/un-sdgs_images/1003/thumbnail.jp
Analysis of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Back of Package Labels (BOP) of BasIC Necessities on Consumer Behavior and Dietary Quality in Selected Barangays of Silang, Cavite, 2025
No full textThis study analyzed the effects of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of the back of package (BOP) labels of basic necessities on consumer behavior and dietary quality. Using systematic sampling, a total of 67 primary household food decision makers from the three most populated urban barangays of Silang, Cavite were interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire. These barangays are Bulihan, Tartaria, and Putting Kahoy. Moreover, discrete and volumetric choice experiments were carried out with the aid of nutrition facts panel (NFP) and ingredients list of basic necessities mockups. Concurrently, to obtain dietary data, a 24-hour food recall was administered.
The study found that primary household food decision makers are moderately knowledgeable about BOP labels and have a positive attitude toward BOP labels. However, despite these, they rarely practice BOP label use before purchasing the product for the first time.
On the other hand, primary household food decision makers prefer canned sardines and instant noodles with added vitamins the most, while the lowest calories with 3-in-1 coffee. This concurs with the highest percentage of hypothetical purchases of canned sardines (44%) and instant noodles (46%) with added vitamins and 3-in-1 coffee (62%) with the lowest calories. Given the opportunity to choose between two brands, with and without food additives, an overwhelming majority of the respondents choose no food additives for canned sardines (96%), instant noodles (97%), and 3-in-1 coffee (97%). On average, they are also willing to pay an additional price to decrease caloric content (PhP 0.79), decrease sodium content (PhP 0.89), and increase added vitamins (PhP 1.28), all by ten percent. They are also willing to pay an additional PhP 1.22 to completely eradicate monosodium l-glutamate, PhP 1.22 (tertiary butylhydroquinone), PhP 1.26 (hydrogenated oils), and PhP 1.16 (aspartame) from food formulations, respectively. Lastly, the most important NFP attribute is added vitamins (97%), while tertiary butylhydroquinone, hydrogenated oils, and aspartame are the most important to be removed (93%).
In the measurement of dietary quality, NOVA I (unprocessed or minimally processed foods) is the most consumed relative to total energy. However, majority of the respondents have a high risk of poor dietary quality outcomes.
Finally, through binary and ordered logistic regression analyses, it was found that education positively influences knowledge, while age and household size negatively affect attitude. Meanwhile, education has a positive relationship with practice, but household monthly food budget and household size negatively affect practice. Moreover, education and household size positively affect dietary composition, while practice have a negative relationship with dietary composition. Interestingly, knowledge negatively affects dietary quality outcomes, whereas education has a positive relationship. Lastly, using Kendall rank correlation, canned sardines’ consumption and practice, marginal willingness to pay and attitude, and nutrition facts panel importance and attitude, were found associated