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Molecular method for specific detection of two babuvirus species causing bunchy top disease of abaca (Musa Textilis Nee)
Get PDFAbaca bunchy top is a major disease of abaca (Musa textilis Nee) caused by babuvirus species Abaca bunchy top virus (ABTV) and Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV). These viruses have similar biological properties but differ in some molecular characteristics that would allow specific virus detection. The study was conducted to validate primers for specific detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and design single-reaction specific methods for BBTV or ABTV. Validation of published primer pairs using multiple sequence alignment and in silico PCR identified four and ten primer pairs specific to BBTV and ABTV, respectively. Conventional PCR is
limited in requiring separate assays for each virus hence detection methods based on triple-primer PCR (TP- PCR) and rolling circle amplification-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RCA-RFLP) were designed
for single-reaction detection of ABTV and BBTV to circumvent this limitation. TP-PCR using the designed primers AbRF, AbRR1, and AbRR2 specifically detected BBTV and BTV in an in silico single reaction assay producing amplicons of 226 bp and 329 bp, respectively. Furthermore, the set of AgeI, AluI, BspDI, BspHI, and PstI restriction enzymes was identified and validated to yield unique restriction patterns for specific detection of BBTV and ABTV by RCA-RFLP. The specific molecular methods designed for ABTV or BBTV can be applied in efficient disease surveillance and monitoring, virus resistance screening, and indexing of abaca planting materials
Repositioning Marcosian politics: assessing Ferdinand Marcos Jr.\u27s first year of presidency
Get PDFFerdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s victory in the 2022 presidential elections materialized the growing sentiment and gradual loss of confidence in the Philippines’ post-EDSA democracy. This year marked the Marcoses’ return to power, exactly 50 years after Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. declared martial law to consolidate his iron-fisted and kleptocratic authoritarian rule under what came to be known as Marcosian politics. Backed by a 31-million electoral majority victory, Marcos Jr. began his inaugural year as president by endorsing expansive economic development initiatives, formulating diplomatic strategies to cultivate relations with global superpowers, fostering alliances with regional neighbors, and employing political maneuvers that deviate from traditional authoritarian leadership, albeit one that circumvents safety nets placed to prevent state encroachment and the bypassing of democratic processes. When Marcos Jr. took over the national executive role, he was bent on repositioning Marcosian politics while disassociating himself from its failures. Nevertheless, his intention to overshadow his family’s infamy with his own achievements and vision may be frustrated by the systemic defects associated with the country’s dysfunctional democracy. As Marcos Jr. appealed to be judged by his performance of duty and not by family history, he finds himself in a fragile balancing act of sustaining popular and elite support, pursuing an independent foreign policy in the midst of mounting geopolitical tensions, and navigating an uncertain path to national recovery
Estimating the Willingness to Pay of the Households in Brgy. Pauli 2, Rizal, Laguna for an Improved Solid Waste Management
No full textThis aims to assess the willingness to pay of the households in Brgy. Pauli 2, Rizal, Laguna for an improvement solid waste management (SWM) service in their municipality in an attempt to have an impact the aesthetic value in the barangay and the cost of waste disposal to sanitary landfills. The contingent valuation method was utilized to estimate the mean willingness to pay for improved solid waste management. The obtained mean WTP is expected to fund the proposed project which includes enhanced Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaigns for SWM, construction of additional Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), and operation of the current MRF.
The scenario where households are mandated to segregate their trash before dumping them to the designated pick-up points or MRF in their barangay resulted to an estimated mean WTP of Php 10.54 per month on top of the current 50-peso garbage fee. It was also found out that monthly household income, bid amount, the distance of the house from the pick-up point, and the number of the bags of garbage the household generates per week significantly affects the household WTP
Factors Affecting Online Purchasing of CEM-UPLB Students
No full textDuring the pandemic, there have been changes in the purchasing of consumers as they were exposed to online shopping. This study focuses on the factors that affect the online purchasing of the students of Cthe ollege of Economics, University of the Philippines Los Baños. It aimed to understand the relationship of online shopping expenditures to certain consumer characteristics. The data gathered for this study were conducted through an online survey that collected 145 valid respondents from CEM-UPLB students. In this study, it was determined that the average monthly online shopping expenditure has a significant relationship with sex, monthly allowance/income, and the average price of items purchased in a month. With this, there were limitations in the study that future researchers could focus on and analyze more
Profitability Analysis of Meat-Type Rabbit Production in Santa Maria, Bulacan, 2022
No full textThis study analyzed the profitability of meat-type rabbit production in Santa Maria, Bulacan. It aimed to describe the farm management practices in meat-type rabbit production; analyze the profitability of meat-type rabbit production by farm size and by type of product sold; identify the problems encountered by the meat-type rabbit producers and make recommendations to enhance the profitability of meat-type rabbit production.
Complete enumeration, snowball, accidental, and purposive sampling were performed. A total of 20 respondents who were selling rabbit breeds intended for meat consumption only, excluding the fancy types, participated in the study.
Results showed that the highest contributor to the investment for the small-scale rabbitries was the breeding stock, amounting to PhP48,611.40 per ten dams. For the large-scale rabbitries, the highest contributor to the investment would be the cages, amounting to PhP46,726.19 per ten dams. The rabbit raiser who sold rabbits as animal stocks had the highest investment cost at PhP293,281.25 per ten dams.
The cost and returns analysis revealed that feeds was the highest contributing factor to the cost. For small-scale rabbitries, it amounted to PhP 18,493.18 per ten dams, and for large-scale rabbitries, it amounted to PhP 16,845.00 per ten dams. Comparing the rabbitries based on farm size, large-scale rabbitries had the highest cost, amounting to PhP 20,411.66 per ten dams. In terms of gross returns, the small-scale rabbitries had the highest, amounting to PhP 60,289.72 per ten dams. As a result, small-scale rabbitries had the highest net returns, amounting to PhP 42,873.41 per ten dams.
When comparing the type of product, the rabbit raiser who sold animal stocks gained the highest gross returns, amounting to PhP 512,000.00 per ten dams. Moreover, the same rabbit raiser maintained their total cost to PhP 11,330.14 per ten dams, which enabled them to gain a net return of PhP 500,669.86 per ten dams.
The profitability analysis showed all of the rabbitries by farm size and product have ROIs higher than the current lending rate of the country. Therefore, Hypothesis 1: The meat-type rabbit production is profitable, was failed to reject. Although the ROI of the rabbit raisers who sold processed meat was higher than the one who sold dressed meat, the former’s Net Income per Cost was lower compared to the latter’s.
The researcher sees that the main problem in the industry is demand. Therefore, the researcher encourages the rabbit raisers to eat rabbits to encourage the end consumers to eat it. The rabbit raisers should also avoid calling the meat-type rabbits “pets” even if the raisers sell it to pet shops, as many would continue to label the meat- type rabbits as “cute.
Effects of LLDA-LED Cage Relocation on Tilapia Productivity and Profitability in Sampaloc Lake, San Pablo City, Laguna, 2022
No full textSampaloc Lake is a valuable lake for tilapia aquaculture and tourism. Due to neglect, and partially the success of tilapia aquaculture, the overall quality of Sampaloc Lake has degraded over the years. To solve this problem, steps were taken by local authorities and stakeholders to solve, rehabilitate, and sustainably develop Sampaloc Lake. One of the methods chosen was through a zoning plan by LLDA that relocated tilapia cages in Sampaloc Lake. This program sought to bolster tourism and at the same time improve the water quality of Sampaloc Lake. However, the LLDA-led cage relocation layout made the arrangement of cages too dense which led to concerns of dissolved oxygen depleting that may have eventually affected tilapia productivity and profitability.
This research studied the effect of the cage relocation in Sampaloc Lake. The specific objectives were to: (1) determine the dissolved oxygen trends in Sampaloc Lake; (2) determine the effects on productivity of cage relocation; (3) determine the effects on profitability of cage relocation; and (4) derive policy recommendations based on the results of the study.
To test the effects of the LLDA-led cage relocation, a counterfactual study was employed that assigned tilapia farmers in Bunot Lake as a control group and tilapia farmers in Sampaloc Lake as a treatment group. Secondary data for dissolved oxygen levels was collected from LLDA, while primary data on tilapia farming was collected from field surveys conducted in the two lakes. The methods used in the study were: descriptive analysis, analysis of dissolved oxygen trends using piecewise regression, costs and returns analysis, t-tests comparing profitability and productivity across the two sites, and estimation of a production function.
The trend analysis and identification of structural breaks revealed a significant decline in dissolved oxygen levels after the cage relocation that occurred in 2018. The mean dissolved oxygen levels were below the standard of 5 mg/L recommended for aquaculture operations. The t-test of mean difference of selected variables across the two sites showed no significant difference in yield, profit, inputs, and major cost components after the cage relocation. It was also revealed that farms in both study areas were operating at a loss. Finally, the estimation of the production function highlighted that tilapia feeds and fingerlings were significant variables that affected tilapia productivity in Sampaloc Lake. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the LLDA-led cage relocation produced an opposite result as originally intended.
Based on the findings, the study recommends to monitor the declining dissolved oxygen trend in Sampaloc Lake, improve the cage layout of the LLDA zoning plan, study the farms operating at a loss, and explore other areas for future study
Knowledge, Awareness, and Perception of the Selected Parents/Guardians of Pre-School Children on the Local Nutrition Programs, Pilar, Bataan, 2023
No full textAdequate nutrition is crucial for a child\u27s growth and development, as it sets the building blocks for a sound and healthy life for them. It is necessary that children are given access to nutrient-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables, grains and legumes, proteins from low fat dairy products, nuts or fish; all of which contribute essential vitamins and minerals required for proper growth. This study was conducted to assess the knowledge, awareness, and program perceptions of selected parents/guardians on the local nutrition program for preschool children in Pilar, Bataan. Analyses were done on the data obtained from the 96 parent/guardian respondents who are participants of the local nutrition programs in Pilar, Bataan.
The respondents were found to be 92 percent female, 42 percent aged 31 to 40 years old, 63 percent had at least reached secondary studies, 78 percent unemployed, and 55 percent have an average monthly income of Php 20,001 to 30,000. Other characteristics were also determined, number of children of the parent/guardian, barangay classification, and exposure to different media. There were 77 percent who have atleast one to two children, 50 percent living in urban areas, 94 percent do not use television, and 52 percent use cellphones or smartphones in acquiring nutrition-related information.
Knowledge and awareness of the respondents were determined and results showed that majority of the parents/guardian have low level of knowledge and medium level of awareness on the experts\u27 dietary recommendation for children. On the perception of the parents/guardians, majority or 94 percent of them agreed on the listed benefits or advantages, while 6 percent disagreed. The listed barriers that most parents/guardian perceived are the poor road conditions, house duties, work schedule, access to private institutions, and child not wanting to ingest to provided food and vitamins.
The correlation between knowledge, awareness, and perception was also determined. The results showed that knowledge and awareness are associated with one another with a weak positive monotonic relationship. Chi-square testing done revealed that employment status of the parents/guardians is strongly associated with awareness, and weakly associated with the perceived benefits. Furthermore, household income is strongly associated with knowledge and awareness; and lastly, education attainment is moderately associated with knowledge and strongly associated with the awareness.
Educational seminars, proper allocation of budget for daycare centers and workers, proper organization in program implementation, swift action on the recorded grievances of the community, and further studies on the participation of parents/guardians were recommended to address all the issues and concerns of the beneficiaries of the programs, as well as the whole community of Pilar, Bataan
Assessment on Cooperative\u27s Profitability and Consumer\u27s Perception on the Kadiwa Center in Lipa City, Batangas, 2023
No full textThe Kadiwa Ni Ani at Kita is a market system which enables local farmers and producers to sell major agricultural goods at reasonably low prices for low-income Filipino households. It was originally a project by former President Marcos Sr. way back in the 1980\u27s. As of today there is little to no studies about the Kadiwa Center in Lipa and the fulfillment of the objectives of this study will help in refining the program and be used as a pattern for further expansion of the program across the nation.
This study aims to describe the operations of the Kadiwa Center in Lipa City, describe the socio-economic characteristics of the selected consumers and business characteristics of cooperatives, compare the average prices of goods sold in Kadiwa Center from other non-Kadiwa market outlets in Lipa City, analyze the profitability of cooperative-sellers, determine the perception and satisfaction of consumers, identify problems encountered and recommend possible solutions which help improve the performance of the Kadiwa center in Lipa City.
There are two key stakeholders of this project: cooperatives and consumers. The Kadiwa program allows Farmer Cooperatives and Associations to sell to customers directly to ensure accessible and profitable market. Every week three cooperatives who offer different types of agricultural commodities: one cooperative for meat, one cooperative for processed products and cooperative for fruits and vegetables sell at the Kadiwa Center in Lipa. All nine cooperatives produce, process, package, transport and sell their commodities on their own. According to the computed partial budgeting, selling in non-Kadiwa markets will give cooperatives selling fruits and vegetables higher profit while cooperatives selling processed products would earn higher if they were to sell in the Kadiwa Center in Lipa.
A total of 47 consumer-respondents were interviewed capturing both the lean and peak days in the Kadiwa Center. Consumers gave satisfied ratings on the purpose of the program, convenience of the location, variety, quality and prices of the products sold.
Some of the problems encountered by both cooperatives and consumers were too low market prices for products sold in Kadiwa center, decreased sales as the health restrictions got weaker, losses due to inability to sell all products, limited options for consumers to choose from not much difference in prices compared to non-Kadiwa market. The Kadiwa center is open for everyone but majorly caters to households belonging to the poor and lower income classes. In order to know which trait of the program the implementing agency should focus on, consumers were asked about their satisfaction on the purpose of the program, convenience of the center\u27s location, variety, quality and prices of products sold- all of which resulted to satisfactory ratings.
Since cooperatives gain positive profit and consumers gave positive satisfaction ratings, there is great potential in the project if implemented accordingly in response to the problems encountered
CAS Accents, Vol. 25, No. 1 (2023 UPLB Graduation Issue)
Get PDFhttps://www.ukdr.uplb.edu.ph/accents/1011/thumbnail.jp
Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices on Farming Amidst Urbanization: Perspectives of Rice Farmers in Cabuyao City, Laguna
No full textWith the rapid urbanization in Cabuyao City, farmlands in Cabuyao are gradually converted into agricultural lands affecting the livelihood of local rice farmers. This is due to the demand for housing the growing population of workers from the industrial sector, putting farmers at risk of livelihood loss and displacement. The study aims to identify the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Cabuyao rice farmers amidst the urbanization, in order to identify possible interventions so that they could still be able to adapt with the ongoing changes in the city. Specifically, the objectives of the study include the following: (a) describe the socio-demographic characteristics of rice farmer respondents in Cabuyao City; (b) identify the effects of urbanization to rice farming in Cabuyao City; (c) assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of farmer respondents in rice farming amidst the urbanization; (d) analyze the correlation between such knowledge, attitudes, and practices and socio-demographic factors; and (e) Recommend actions in order for farmer respondents to cope with the effects of urbanization on rice farming.
Seventy-five (75) farmer respondents were identified using snowball sampling, and two key local government officials were interviewed to meet the objectives of the study. The interviews were guided by a questionnaire. The gathered data was grouped, tabulated and analyzed quantitatively using non-parametric instruments. The results of the correlation were used in understanding the relationship between the independent and dependent variables through using the themes generated from the respondents’ interviews.
The respondents of the study were not able to finish schooling and relied on farming as their primary livelihood. Majority of them are in the age range of 50-64 years old, classified as small scale farmers and earn below the minimum wage. More than half of them have 30-44 years of experience in farming and primarily rely on it as their source of livelihood.
Themes emerged from the knowledge about the implication of urbanization to farming includes poverty, farmland marginalization, lesser harvest and the prioritization of housing projects. Usual misconceptions about the effects of urbanization are climate change, crop rotation, high pest incidence and non-easy conversion of lands. The attitudes of the respondents are: Motivation towards subsidies, existence of lands, achievements, contribution to the local production, and machinery; demotivation towards sold lands, lack of livelihood opportunities, and costs of machineries; fear of hunger, competition, low income, full conversion, calamity, and taxes; and dissatisfaction on irrigation, income and high prices of inputs. For the practices of the respondents, some capacity in terms of income and insurance but incapacitated in terms of irrigation and high prices of inputs. Also, their intention to continue farming are affected by the decades of experience in farming, lack of educational attainment, and the income they generate. On the other hand, discontinuing are affected by the decision of the landowner to stop cultivating the lands, and the retirement of some of the respondents. Lastly, it is evident how there is a lacking in terms of consultations, training, and seminars for the respondents to cope with the ongoing urbanization.
The identified knowledge gaps roots from the lack of information dissemination. Then, the attitude barriers were the results of lack of safeguard within the conversion law, lack of subsidy to optimize farming, low income and uncertainties which result to the deem lands as unproductive and become subject for conversion. Lastly, the practice patterns of the respondents include the lack of utilization of associations to maximize participation and the lack of initiative to demand from institutions.
The researcher recommends that the farmers become more proactive in organizing themselves and in consolidation their concerns, struggles, and demand’s. Collective action could also be essential in pooling their scarce resources in order to maximize their production. Lastly, utilization of technologies such as high yielding and drought resistance varieties and other livelihood opportunities could be beneficial increasing the income of the farmers. On the other hand, the local government unit could further strengthen the law in order to assert farmers’ rights. Also, budget prioritization could alleviate the struggles of farmers. With this, incentive programs could be implemented to further boost the local production. Lastly, the local agricultural office could prioritize the farmer s into the transition of urban farming in which local farmers could still practice their decades of experience on smaller spaces amidst the conversion of lands