University Knowledge Digital Repository UPLB (University of the Philippines Los Baños)
University Knowledge Digital Repository UPLB (University of the Philippines Los Baños)Not a member yet
25810 research outputs found
Sort by
Case Study on the Alabat Island Kaanib Coconut Hub: Focus on Social and Economic Profits
No full textThe Philippines is the world\u27s top supplier and the second-largest producer of traditional coconut products, yet the coconut industry faces significant challenges as coconut farming sectors and coconut-producing provinces are plagued by poverty and low productivity. The untapped potential lies in addressing productivity issues, such as an abundance of old and unproductive trees and a lack of value-added enterprises, to foster growth and expansion in the coconut industry.
Coconut sugar, a major product made from the sweet sap obtained from coconut inflorescence, is on the rise in the country, providing a new source of income for rural coconut farmers. This is exemplified by the establishment of the Alabat Island KAANIB Coconut Hub as part of the KAANIB Coconut Hub Project (KCHP), a community-driven initiative by the Alabat Island Farmers Producers Cooperative (AIFPC), centered on the production and processing of coconut sugar.
This study assessed the social and economic profits of the Alabat Island KAANIB Coconut Hub. Specifically, it aimed to present the business profile, describe the external environment, discuss the practices according to the business functions, examine the social profit, analyze the economic profit, and recommend future strategic directions of the Alabat Coconut Hub.
The frameworks SIMPLE Holistic Quadruple Bottom Line (4BL) Impact Model and Social and Inclusive Business Models were applied in this study, which consist of three (3) main segments: the business environment, the social profit equation, and the economic profit equation.
The business environment conceptualizes and puts the Alabat Coconut Hub into context context, encompassing its overall business performance. This segment c . omprises five (5) key dimensions, namely, external drivers, internal drivers, stakeholders, mission and values, as well as activities.
The social profit equation describes how the Alabat Coconut Hub provides social benefits and raises social concerns in terms of community, education, finance, and health situations and/or conditions.
The economic profit equation analyzes the challenges and opportunities in the Alabat Coconut Hub, as defined by sales revenue, cost structure, and net profit earned, incurred, and generated, respectively.
This study employed the descriptive qualitative case research design, with participants including coconut sugar farmer-producers, coconut tappers or sap harvesters, and Coconut Hub staff and/or personnel. Out of the 64 beneficiaries of the Alabat Coconut Hub, a total of 55 served as the participants of the study, consisting of 11 farmer-producers from the Alabat Island Coco Sugar Producers Association, 20 coconut tappers or sap harvesters across the different coconut sap sugar production farms, and 24 staff and/or personnel of the Alabat Coconut Hub. Data collection methods involved Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), assisted surveys, physical store checks, product testing, and operational trials. Data analytical tools incorporated a stakeholder map, project conceptgram, External Factor Evaluation (EFE) matrix, value addition analysis, marketing mix, horizontal and vertical analysis, profitability ratio analysis, descriptive analysis, relative frequency, frequency scale, Mann-Whitney U test, and thematic analysis.
The Alabat Island KAANIB Coconut Hub Project, simply known as the Alabat Coconut Hub, was established as part of the national government\u27s Accelerated and Sustainable Anti-Poverty Program or ASAPP. It aims to drive economic growth, create job opportunities, and increase farmers\u27 income by harnessing the untapped potential of coconut in the island municipality. The Alabat Coconut Hub, owned by the Alabat Island Farmers Producers Cooperative (AIFPC) in partnership with the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), is primarily involved in the wholesale and retail production of organically certified coconut sugar. This project has garnered support from various government agencies and generates profits that are allocated to socio-economic development projects, enterprise reserves, and the cost recovery scheme of the Philippine Coconut Authority or PCA. Coconut sugar, derived from coconut sap, offers a natural sweetener with health benefits, making it a desirable product in the market.
The Alabat Coconut Hub is influenced by various factors across different dimensions that impact its operations and success. Politically, the Coconut Productivity Enhancement Program implemented by the Philippine Coconut Authority or PCA plays a significant role in shaping the coconut sugar industry, and the Alabat Coconut Hub strives to capitalize on this opportunity. Economically, the growing market projection for organic coconut sugar is highly significant, but the Alabat Coconut Hub’s efforts to capitalize on this opportunity are limited. Socioculturally, the emergence of coconut sugar as a high-value product influences the coconut sugar industry, but the Alabat Coconut Hub’s strategies to capitalize on this are average. Technologically, the Alabat Coconut Hub faces challenges in terms of supply improvements and skilled workers for coconut tapping, and its strategies to address these are inadequate. Environmentally, the susceptibility of coconut fruit to heat and water stress affects the coconut sugar industry, and the Alabat Coconut Hub’s strategies to mitigate this are insufficient. Legally, the free trade agreement on sugar importation poses a threat, but the Alabat Coconut Hub’s strategies to minimize adverse effects are lacking. Furthermore, the Alabat Coconut Hub relies on coconut sugar farmer-producers as input suppliers and uses external service providers for delivery and packaging. Its customer base includes local buyers, retailers, wholesalers, toll packaging firms, and institutional buyers. Market channels, such as social media, trade fairs, and word-of-mouth, help expand the reach of the Alabat Coconut Hub. Competition comes from private businesses and companies located outside Alabat Island, supplying similar products to institutional buyers.
The Alabat Coconut Hub is responsible for the production and processing of coconut sugar, from the collection of coconut sap to the packaging of the final product. The process involves tapping coconut palms to collect sap, which is then filtered and boiled to create coconut syrup. The syrup is further processed by boiling and stirring to create coconut caramel, which is granulated, sieved, and oven-dried to produce coconut sugar. The coconut sugar is packaged, weighed, and distributed to both local and international markets. All these stages in the entire production and processing of coconut sugar are made feasible with a range of personnel, including the Operations Manager, Bookkeeper, Administrative Staff, Production Manager, Hub Cooks, Machine or Dryer Operators, Production Workers, Utility Aide, and Coconut Tappers or Sap Harvesters. The Alabat Coconut Hub sells coconut sugar in various packaging sizes and mainly targets institutional buyers and/or exporters. The local government provides support and assistance in various aspects of the Alabat Coconut Hub’s operations, as well as partnerships with institutional buyers and participation in trade fairs to help expand its market reach. In financial terms, the cost of goods sold and operating expenses have a significant impact on the Alabat Coconut Hub’s net sales and income. Overall, the Alabat Coconut Hub has several strengths in production, processing, marketing and sales, human resources, and finance, which positively contribute to its business operations.
The Alabat Coconut Hub, a community-based social enterprise, has had a positive impact on the social conditions of its beneficiaries, including farmer-producers, tappers or sap harvesters, as well as staff and/or personnel. Through data analysis using the Mann-Whitney U test, it was found that there were significant improvements in community, educational, financial, and health situations for all beneficiaries after the project implementation. This indicates that the Alabat Coconut Hub has effectively improved the lives of farmer-producers by providing employment opportunities, stable income, and access to basic necessities. However, there are still concerns raised by farmer- producers, such as unstable climate conditions and unorganized sap collection. Similarly, tappers or sap harvesters face challenges such as unfavorable weather conditions and risks associated with their work but have gained benefits like higher income, increased productivity, and support for family needs. While staff and/or personnel at the processing facility have encountered concerns related to the inconsistencies in the supply and quality of coconut sap syrup of coconut sap syrup but they have acquired employment, higher income, and personal . development. Overall, the Alabat Coconut Hub has brought positive changes to the community, education, finance, and health of its beneficiaries.
The Alabat Coconut Hub, a community-based social enterprise, aims to be economically viable to repay the Philippine Coconut Authority’s or PCA’s invested capital and become self-sustainable in the long run. However, the analysis of its income statements from 2019 to 2022 reveals fluctuating cost structures, with operating expenses decreasing and increasing at different periods, while sales revenue also showed both increases and decreases. Although there have been net profits, they are decreasing over time, indicating inefficiencies in managing operations, thus, failure to meet its financial projections, and struggles to effectively manage operations with high costs and declining profits. The Alabat Coconut Hub faces various challenges in production, processing, marketing and sales, human resources, and finance, which hinder its optimal performance. This includes a lack of high-yielding coconut palms, a limited supply of coconut sap syrup, and inadequate marketing efforts. Despite these challenges, there are opportunities for growth, such as the increasing demand for coconut sugar and the shift towards organic and natural products. The Alabat Coconut Hub can capitalize on these opportunities due to the abundance of resources and market potential to offer additional prospects for its development.
After thoroughly examining and analyzing various aspects of the study, it has been determined that there are certain gaps and lacking capabilities within the enterprise that require improvement. Four business functional gaps have been identified within the Alabat Coconut Hub: (1) lack of coconut sugar farmer-producers for major raw material supply; (2) inconsistencies in the quality of coconut sap syrup for further processing; (3) lack of promotion, linkage, branding, and positioning for coconut sugar products; and (4) absence of entrepreneurial and business management skills training for the beneficiaries. Addressing these shortcomings may create an avenue for the Alabat Coconut Hub to learn, develop, and implement competitive strategies, enabling it to achieve sustainable economic profit while also generating relevant social profit. The researcher has then proposed strategic recommendations for each of these gaps to strengthen and revitalize the formerly good deal of business of the Alabat Island KAANIB Coconut Hub
A Case Study on Luntiang Republika Ecofarms in Alfonso, Cavite
No full textThe agritourism industry is an emergent market that has opened new tourism doors, offering hands-on experience in farm activities, a rural lifestyle, and a green, peaceful ambiance. The Luntiang Republika Ecofarms, the subject of this research, is an integrated, diversified organic farm located in Barangay Taywanak Ilaya 1, Alfonso, Cavite, with 1.8 hectares and bounded by the Catmon River, which runs alongside the farm\u27s vicinity. It mainly operates in farm tourism, crops and livestocks production, agricultural-based training, and value-added processes, aiming to promote a sustainable way of farming in which the current development does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The farm is owned and managed by Mr. Eduardo Cleofe and his family, together with their four organizational officers, four-stay-in employees, farmers and on-call employees.
The study entitled A Case Study on Luntiang Republika Ecofarms in Alfonso, Cavite was conducted to assess the business performance of Luntiang Republika Ecofams in Alfonso, Cavite. The specific objectives were to: (a) present the historical background and profile of Luntiang Republika Ecofarms; (b) discuss the current business environment of Luntiang Republika Ecofarms; (c) evaluate the four business functions, namely marketing, production, personnel, and finance, of Luntiang Republika Ecofarms; (d) identify the key business issues of Luntiang Republika Ecofarms; (e) evaluate the alternative solutions to the identified business issues encountered; and (f) design an implementation plan for the recommended solution.
The study primarily used a descriptive research design, specifically the case study approach. The data used were primary and secondary data to gather the necessary information to assess the business performance of Luntiang Republika Ecofarms. The primary data is gathered through personal and remotely held interviews with the organizational officers and observations during the 30 hours of apprenticeship training, while the secondary data were the files and documents provided by the owner, including access to at least three years of financial statements, the farm\u27s profile and historical background, and any internal and confidential information to use solely for research purposes. Other data were collected from the research materials and publications, including the journals, local and international government units, and other institutions\u27 publications, consolidated reports and articles.
The study used external, internal, and integrated assessments to evaluate the primary and secondary data collected from Luntiang Republika Ecofarms and other source data and information. The external evaluation involved the discussion of the macroenvironment and microenvironment of Luntiang Republika Ecofarms, which used the PESTLE analysis and Michael Porter\u27s Framework of Analysis, respectively. Meanwhile, the internal assessments which are done descriptively utilized the four business functions (marketing, production, personnel, and finance) and the historical background and profile of the Luntiang Republika Ecofarms to evaluate the status and performance of the farm. Lastly, the integrated assessments utilized the results of the internal and external assessments, using the SWOT Analysis and Problem Tree Analysis.
Other data analytical tools used were a competitor analysis framework, horizontal analysis, financial ration analysis, Decision Grid, and Zmijewski\u27s Score Model, which revealed that the Luntiang Republika Ecofarms\u27 primary concern is the farm\u27s organizational survival in the next two years, considering the heightened risk of bankruptcy. Hence, the ability of the farm to persevere in these conditions will significantly affect it long-term success and potential.
The problem flowchart indicated that the root cause of the core problem includes the lack of revenue streams and inefficient operations. The lack of revenue streams may be broken into three causal factors: (a) ineffective market and promotional strategies; (b) failure to adapt to changing market conditions; (c) lack of financial resources. These causal factors have led to difficulties attracting and retaining customers, decreased sales and revenues, missed opportunities for growth and development, inability to meet financial obligations, and limited access to credit. Meanwhile, the inefficient operations of the farm can be categorized into four areas of concern: (a) inadequate technology or equipment; (b) inefficient use of tome and resources; (c) lack of personnel; and (d) poor management practices. The areas concerns have led to increasing costs in the operations, lower quality of products and services, a decline in employee morale and productivity, and lack of balance on short- and long-term plans.
On the other hand, the integrated analysis, notably the SWOT Analysis, identified the internal factors (strengths and weaknesses) and external factors (opportunities and threats) used to determine the SO, ST, WO, and WT Strategies. These strategies included strategic partnership, diversification and cost reduction. Another alternative is operational efficiency, which will be included in the implementation plan of the best possible alternative.
The Decision Grid of the alternatives showed that the best alternative to immediately address the core problem of the Luntiang Republika Ecofarms is implementing a cost reduction program. If this alternative does not immediately produce results in terms of streamlining operations, then the company can pursue diversification of market channels, products, or services, and customer base as its contingency plan to shore up revenue streams, mitigate potential negative consequences, and ensure that Luntiang Republika Ecofarms can effectively respond to disruptions
Four decades and counting: trends in the thesis topics pursued by the students of the Bachelor Arts in Sociology program of the University of the Philippines Los Baños from 1979 to 2019
Get PDFThis is an archival research that analyzed the trends in the BA Sociology theses of the University of the Philippines Los Baños from 1979 to 2019. Of particular interest are the (1) identification of the different subfields of Sociology wherewith each thesis could be classified under and determination of how prevalent each subfield is and (2) how the prevalence of these subfields changed over the course of four decades. A total of 317 theses were included in the study. Results showed that while a total of 30 different subfields can be identified as areas of interest among the theses, four subfields – (1) Labor, workplace, and industrial relations, (2) Family, (3) Gender and sexuality, and (4) Social Psychology – are the area of interest of the majority. These four were found to be consistently part of the most prevalent subfields, albeit their prevalence relative to the other subfields vary from one time interval to another
The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Senior High School student-beneficiaries from Los Baños, Laguna’s perception on the program
No full textThe Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is a program by the government of the Philippines that provides cash grants to beneficiaries. Depending on the type of cash grant they choose: with P500 for pregnant women and children with regards to health expenses and P300-P500 for children in school if they are attending 85% of their classes per month and attending school until they are 18 years old. This research aims to provide enough information on learning the perspective of senior high school student-beneficiaries about the challenges and opportunities of the program, especially about their education to be able to provide insights and recommendations for the student-beneficiaries. Surveys were given to student-beneficiaries and those who agreed and answered will then participate in focus group discussions/interviews where they were given questions that are not in the survey to formulate data that cannot be gained from the questionnaires. The data gained would then be transcribed to formulate insights and conclusions for the recommendations about the topic. Many of the student-beneficiaries said that they were helped by the program. Even if there are many challenges within the program’s process to give out the financial aid to the beneficiaries like the inconsistent time that the financial aid is given or the unequal amount of money given to them every payday, having a financial help with their education or just generally on their living expenses is still helpful for these student-beneficiaries. It is then concluded that the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program has been successful as it is a big help to ease their livelihood. But it does not take into account that the financial aid given to them is given at inconsistent times and not given with the right amount. With this problem, the student-beneficiaries that are supposed to be given cash grants to help with their school expenses, are not able to finance their educational needs and are adjusting the family expenses to use the financial aid to pay for necessities for their family that are not within the expenses used for their education. The problem of the beneficiaries not being able to aid their educational expenses should be fixed by giving the financial aid with the right amount and with consistency to the beneficiaries
The knowledge, attitude, and willingness of the Universit of the Philippines Rural High School students in adopting single-use plastc alternatives
No full textSingle-use plastics (SUPs), also known as disposable plastics, are plastics that are used only once and then thrown away. The plastic industry in a third world country like the Philippines is essential due to its cheapness and convenience. The diverse negative impacts of plastic on sustainability clearly demonstrate that there is a tough and persistent problem. In the past years, the Philippine Government has passed multiple bills into law to address the alerting increase of single-use plastic. To address the global plastic crisis, emerging technologies and research are directed to the development of an alternative material. This research specifically aims to determine the extent of knowledge, attitude, and willingness of high-school students regarding SUPs. The investigation intends to provide data that can help determine the social aspects of SUP alternatives since youth involvement and perspective are significant and can bring social and environmental reform to society. The study adopts a mixed methods research design to analyze the data collected from randomly selected students in the University of the Philippines Rural High School. The research identified the correlational relationship between knowledge, attitude, and willingness of the target respondents regarding SUP alternatives; and showed that there is only a weak positive correlation for both knowledge to attitude and knowledge to willingness, while a moderate positive correlation for attitude to willingness. From the findings, it was inferred that most of the selected students reside within Laguna and cited “no control over product packaging” as the main reason for using SUPs often. It was revealed that most respondents have knowledge levels about SUP that are moderately in a good position; possess positive attitudes; and hold a strong sense of willingness to support efforts against SUPs. This study would help future studies understand and shed light to the problem instead of directly solving the problem found from the results
A quantitative study on the perceived effects of self-image related trends of Tiktok on the self-image and self-perception of Grade 12 UP Rural High School Students
No full textSocial media has been known to greatly impact the audience that uses it, and the time users spend on social media is directly related to how they compare themselves to unrealistic standards. The study aimed to determine the effect of exposure to certain TikTok trends related to self-image and self-perception on the perceived self-image of University of the Philippines Rural High School students. Thirty-eight Grade 12 students were asked to
answer a survey with 45 statements. Two scales with scoring systems, Rosenberg Self- esteem Scale and Richards Physical Self-Concept Scale, were used in the survey
questionnaire. The survey was answered twice by the participants, one before watching the videos and one after watching top trending Tiktok videos. The data were then analyzed using t-test. Results showed that at α = 0.05, there is no significant difference between the physical scores (p-value=0.7). On the other hand, at α = 0.05, there was a significant difference in the comparison of the scores from the general self- esteem part of the survey (p-value \u3c0.001). With these results, it can be concluded that participants who use TikTok more often developed a negative effect on their general self-esteem as compared to those participants who are not Tiktok users or use Tiktok rarely
A study on the influence of Gacha games on selected teenage players\u27 lifestyle
No full textGacha games have gotten popular over the years, especially with teenagers. Gacha games and some of their mechanics have gained a reputation for being predatory, tricking players into spending money and playing for more time. Teenagers may be especially vulnerable to the game\u27s perceived influence on its players due to them being in an influential period of their lives. The study aims to expand knowledge about the influence of gacha games on players. The study first determined if the notion of gacha games having an influence on players is true and if it is, what the extent of that influence is on player\u27s lives. The study was done by interviewing nine (9) teenage gacha game players from ages 14-19 years old selected through convenience sampling. The interviews are transcribed and then analyzed using thematic analysis. The study has found that gacha games do have an influence on players\u27 lives. The extent of the influence ranges from spending habits, frequency of playing, emotional states, behavior. The study supports the idea that gacha games have influences on players\u27 lives and thus needs more attention paid to it. The study scope was limited to teenagers and a convenience sampling process and may not be applicable to other populations. Future studies could look deeper into the scales of the influences of each mechanic and weigh them with each other to develop a better understanding on how these influence players
A case study on how K-Pop Culture influences the behavior of Grade 9 Grade 12 University of the Philippines Rural High School Students in their consumption of officila K-Pop merchandise
No full textThis qualitative study aimed to investigate the merchandise consumption behaviors of adolescent K-pop fans, with a specific focus on understanding the factors that influence their consumption and the corresponding behavior_ Despite the abundance of literature on K-pop, there is a notable research gap regarding adolescent Filipino consumers, particularly with the factors that influence their merchandise consumption behaviors_ This study sought to address this gap and provide valuable insights into the emerging patterns and themes surrounding the purchasing behavior of young consumers of K-pop merchandise. With a total of eighteen (18) UPRHS students, ranging from Grade 9 to Grade 12, with ages ranging from 15 to 18 years old, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The behavioral factors in merchandise consumption are personal motivations, the impact of social influences, the role of idol identification, the significance of random culture, and the effectiveness of marketing strategies employed by entertainment agencies and merchandise manufacturers. With the use of thematic analysis, key insights were derived from the transcriptions of the interviews regarding (1) types of merchandise buyers: Impulse Buyers, Occasional Buyers, Sparks Collectors, and Casual Buyers; (2) the notable behaviors and motives behind the participants\u27 merchandise consumption, such as fostering a sense of community and connection, demonstrating support for favorite idols, using the act of buying and the merchandise items as coping mechanism, and (3) the influence exerted by peers, social media, school, online communities, and other aspects of the participants\u27 personal lives in shaping consumption behaviors and purchase decisions among adolescent K-pop fans_ The qualitative data acquired and key findings paved the way for the analysis of the prominent themes and patterns in official K-pop merchandise consumption among young consumers
The use of social media on UP Rural High School Senior High School Students\u27 political participatin during the 2022 national elections
No full textDuring the 2022 National Elections, social media was widely used by people for personal entertainment, communication, and to spread/disseminate [political] information online. The political atmosphere depended on social media. The study focused on the UP Rural High School senior high students. The main goal was to analyze their use of social media in political participation during the 2022 national elections. The researchers sent a survey to the senior high school students of UPRHS. The researchers used the data gathered from their quantitative survey to analyze the frequency of the respondents that used social media for political involvement. Most survey respondents were minors and were ineligible to vote during the 2022 national elections, despite this 70.8% of the respondents often engage in politically related posts on social media, mostly on Facebook and Twitter. From the survey responses, the researchers gathered participants that were to be interviewed. The data gathered from the interviews was used to determine the impact of social media on political factors and classify the factors that affect political participation through thematic analysis. The study found that social media was mostly used as a source of political information. The identified factors that affected their political participation include social environment, political environment, government, education, and the economy. Social media was mainly a source of information and a means for communication, particularly during the 2022 National Elections for young adults. The study found that the information online had positive and negative impacts on the participants. Even though social media showed negative effects and that participants had different backgrounds and situations, participants still willingly involved themselves more in political affairs
Case study of using facebook as a marketing tool for micro, small, and medium food enterprises
No full textFacebook is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, with billions of active users. Understanding how businesses utilize Facebook can be useful for individuals interested in pursuing a career in marketing or social media management, as well as for business owners and managers looking to improve their strategies. The general objective of the research is to assess how Selected Local Micro, Small, and Medium Food Enterprises (MSMEs) use Facebook as a tool for marketing. The further objectives are to determine the business background of the respondents and their businesses, to determine how the respondents\u27 food businesses make use of Facebook for marketing and, to assess the marketing content of selected MSMEs in Facebook. The researchers gathered data for this research by interviewing the owners of the businesses that are included in the MSME sector. Additionally, content from their posts in their Facebook pages was also collected and analyzed. After gathering all the information, it was analyzed by thematic analysis and content analysis. All of the businesses have used Facebook for their marketing goals, though some did not fully utilize other features. Facebook helped three businesses grow, improve their performance, and develop a good brand image. Facebook posting was the most used and effective feature for marketing, while Facebook Insights was the least used feature. Businesses were unaware of its uses and have not fully utilized the platform. Researchers found that MSMEs use effective marketing strategies to establish a decent brand image. These strategies include applying emotional appeal to post captions, including the business owners\u27 personal life, humor, catchy captions, posting of customers, scarcity, replying to comments, hashtags, and maps, addresses, and contact information. These strategies have been proven and tested and have helped these businesses in the long run