Gout is disease that predominantly occurs in men and post-menopausal women. Hyperuricemia which is caused by urate monohydrate crystal deposition in joints and kidneys is the underlying metabolic disorder in gout. The deposition of the urate crystals causes the inflammation of the joints. It has been linked to the development of other illness like hypertension, cancer, hyperlipidemia, diabetes and obesity. Xanthine oxidase is an enzyme found in the liver and the small intestinal mucosa, that oxidizes hypoxanthine to xanthine and xantine to uric acid which leads to hyperuricemia. Allopurinol, the commercially available drug for hyperuricemia and gout, is a purine analog that inhibits xanthine oxidase. It is very effective but it comes with a lot of serious side effects from allergic reactions to renal failure and liver malfunction It is for this reason that novel XO inhibitor alternatives must be discovered.

The Broad Mite, Polyphagotarsonemus latus, has been previously recorded on 45 host plants in the Philippines. Recently, P. latus was recollected from these host plants and 16 more were added to the list as new host records. Reported host plants of P. latus are dominated by the plant family Leguminosae with 13 species, but also include eight species of the family Solanaceae, five Cucurbitacea, four each of the families Asteraceae and Brassicaceae, three Malvaceae, two species each of the families Anacardicea, Euphorbiacea, Moraceae and two species each of Amaranthaceae, Basellaceae, Caricaceae, Convolvulacea, Dioscoreacea, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae, Portulacaceae, Tiliaceae, and Virtaceae. Weed hosts include two species of Convolvulaceae and one species of each of the families Asteraceae, Portulacaceae, Solanaceae, and Verbenaceae.

P. latus suck plant sap when feeding and injury is characterization by reduced size and deformed leaves, flowers and fruit, stunting and premature death of the infested plants. Growth inhibition and a decrease in leaf number and area, and aberrations in the whole leaf tissue, such as complete loss of epidermis and thickening and distortion of mesophyll cell walls are also manifested in some infested plants. Symptoms similar to those caused by virus diseases, herbicide toxicity and micronutrient can be attributed to the Broad Mite.

From the previous 10 predatory mite species reported associated with P. latus there are now 12 species, 10 of which belong to the family Phytoseiidae and one each to the Blattisoscidae (=Ascidae) and Cunaxidas. The most frequently found with the pest was Paraphytoseius orientalis, one of the 108 species of the family Phytoseiidae that have been reported from the country.

This taxonomic survey focused mostly on weed hosts to be able to know where P. latus is hen its crop hosts are not around; for instance, during harvest time, or before planting these crops. The study would like also to further the information on the diversity of predatory mites associated with P. latus, as well as other mites inhabiting weeds hosts of the latter and the litter underneath where predators may find alternate prey or refuge. The role of weeds on colonization and establishment of these predatory and other species for P. latus management focusing on biological and cultural methods would be better understood.

Studies on acanthocephalans feature many aspects of parasite biology. These parasites are known to play important roles in shaping ecosystems through regulation of their hosts’ population structure. Studies have also shown both their potential as agents of disease upon reaching epizootic levels and biomonitors of anthropogenic disturbances. Hence, this research was conducted to identify the acanthocephalan fauna of the Philippine freshwater fishes and to generate baseline information on their infection dynamics in their fish hosts. It also aimed to determine the pathogenicity of acanthocephalans in their fish hosts as well as their efficiency as bioindicators of heavy metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems. Fishes were collected in the wild from Seven Lakes of San Pablo Laguna namely; Bunot, Calibato, Mohicap, Palakpakin, Pandin, Sampaloc, and Yambo Lake, from February 2013 – March 2015. Freshwater fishes include Carassius carassius (Crucian carp), Channa striata (Snakehead murrel), Cyprinus carpio (Common carp), Giuris margaritacea (Snakehead gudgeon), Glossogobius giuris (White goby), Leiopotherapon plumbeus (Tiger perch), Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia), Parachromis managuensis (Jaguar guapote), Red Nile tilapia, and Vieja sp. (Flowerhorn). Species of Acanthocephala namely Acanthogyrus sp. was found in all the lakes. It was found to frequently infect O. niloticus, P. managuensis, Vieja sp. and Red Nile tilapia all belonging to F. Cichlidae. Highest infection rate of Acanthogyrus sp. in O. niloticus was recorded in Palakpakin, followed by Sampaloc, Pandin, Yambo, Mohicap, Bunot, and Calibato Lake with prevalence values of 79.4%, 73.0%, 71.5%, 51.1%, 50.9%, 48.7% and 31.3%, respectively. The overall mean intensity was four parasites per fish in the Seven Lakes, with Palakpakin showing the highest (9 parasites per fish), and Calibato Lake as the lowest (1 parasite per fish). Furthermore, observed prevalence was higher during dry season (56.6%) than wet season (55.0%). Similar trend was observed on the mean intensity with value of 5.0 ± 3.0 and 3.0 ± 1.0 during dry and wet season, respectively. The potential use of acanthocephalan parasites as heavy metal bioindicator in aquatic ecosystem was investigated. Parasitized fish accumulated lower lead (Pb) concentration (7.64 mg/kg) than in the uninfected fish (21.87 mg/kg). Parasites recovered from the infected fish accumulated higher Pb concentrations (10.13 mg/kg) than the fish liver (6.19 mg/kg), intestine (2.80 mg/kg), and muscle (0.75 mg/kg). Also, parasites showed Pb bioaccumulation capacity which was 3015 times higher than the established bivalve bioindicator, Corbicula fluminea. The uptake of Pb by acanthocephalan, Acanthogyrus sp. is clearly beneficial to its host and is therefore valuable as environmental indicators, particularly for assessing aquatic heavy metal pollution. Further analyses were conducted to evaluate the effect of the parasites on the general health of its hosts. Hematological and histological manifestations of the parasitized fish were evident but revealed no severe effect on the overall health of its fish hosts. Likewise, pattern of distribution of the parasites infecting the fish host population was found to be highly aggregated (D=0.73) which implies that a general healthy fish populations is maintained. However, superinfections in the host could cause serious epizootics particularly during an adverse condition in the environment. This study could serve as baseline information for future investigation on acanthocephalans and their role in shaping ecosystems in the Philippines. In addition, this study demonstrates the emerging potential use of parasites as monitors of environmental quality implying a novel role as sentinels of metal pollution in aquatic ecosystem.

Minute ladybird beetles belonging to the subfamily Scymninae are predators and have a very close association with sternorrhynchans such as: mealybugs, aphids, psyllids, whiteflies and scale insects because they live in or within their colonies. The larval forms of these beetles, on the other hand, have the ability to mimic their prey, which makes it easier for them to penetrate the colonies without being recognized and regulate pest populations. Nevertheless, people often mistake these ladybird larvae for pests and eventually killing them by the use of pesticides. Elimination of natural enemies, therefore, results in increased pest problems or sometimes pest outbreaks. To manage pest outbreaks, the use of alternative management such as the use of natural enemies is suggested. These minute predatory ladybird beetles play a very significant role in integrated pest management as potential biological control agents. Their ability to reduce pest population largely contributes to decrease in pesticide use and increase yield of vegetable crops. However, as a potential biological control agent, the subfamily Scymninae has been rarely studied in the Philippines. There are only very few species recorded in the Philippines used for this purpose. The life history and functional response of Acarinus philippinensis Kapur (tribe Aspidimerini) to Aphis gossypii Glover reared on Capsicum sp. was studied by Lapiz in 1994. On the other hand, Garcia and Calilung studied the biology of Scymnus (Pullus) trukensis Chapin (subfamily Scymninae, tribe Scymnini) under the tribe Scymnini in 1996. . The latter predator was fed with Pentalonia nigronervosa Coquerel, one of the major pests of banana in the Philippines. Cendaña (1953) successfully reared the imported beetle Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant, in the laboratory which was used to control the Florida red scale, Chrysomphalus ficus Ashmead, a pest of coconut in Cebu which became worst in 1956. Records also show that C. montrouzieri was reported to feed on the mealybug, Dysmicoccus brevipes (Cockerell), and a pest of citrus in the Philippines (Booth and Pope, 1986). Despite their importance, the group has been relatively neglected. The diversity of these predators within the colony is not yet known. Since limited information has been published on Philippine species, a comprehensive taxonomic and systematic study of the group is necessary to assess the richness and diversity, distribution and their involvement with sternorrhynchans colonies. Currently, among 10 tribes reported to be placed under the subfamily Scymninae, there are only four (4) tribes recorded in the Philippines: Aspidimerini, Ortaliini, Scymnini and Stethorini, which consists of 7 genera and 12 species. These generic records are only 12% in comparison with the other 58 genera, which remains to be discovered. With these meager information and studies regarding this very important group, there is a great need to discover the other species, which may later help, reduce pest populations. Moreover, knowledge on the conservation of the predatory beetles could be administered. This could aid the clientele for long term control with the presence of the predatory beetles. The project hopes to provide comprehensive information and collection of Philippine Scymninae with their corresponding Sternorrhynchan prey and host plants. Moreover, provide ample information regarding these beneficial organisms through extension materials such as posters, pamphlets, handbooks or field guide on their potential value as biological control agents. A reference collection will be established at the museum to provide assistance to researchers, students, the public and other interested individuals

Holthuis (1980) listed 48 species of Macrobrachium that are consumed as food and hence of economic importance. Among the numerous species of Macrobrachium, it is M. rosenbergii that has been widely studied and cultured. A number of manuals on the seed production and culture of M. rosenbergii has been published which describes the seed production and grow-out techniques for the species (New, 2002; Cuvin-Aralar et al, 2011a, 2011b). However, there are limited references available on the domestication and culture of other species of Macrobrachium. In China, aside from M. rosenbergii, they have domesticated their own native species of oriental river prawn M. nipponense and have successfully produced them in culture (Weimin & Xianping, 2002). The success in the culture of M. nipponense in China has demonstrated the potential of other Macrobrachium species for culture. In Vietnam, experiments on seed production and culture of M. nipponense were also conducted to develop the commodity into a high value enterprise (An et al., 2003). Macrobrachium amazonicum, a native species in South America was also investigated for domestication and culture (Moraes-Riodades & Valenti, 2004). In India and Pakistan, Macrobrachium malcomsonii or the monsoon river prawn is being cultured using wild-caught seeds and there were attempts to produce post larvae for stocking in the hatchery (Kutty et al., 2000). 

Both Macrobrachium lar (Fabricius, 1798) and M. mammillodactylus (Thallwitz, 1872) are indigenous to the Philippines. Like other species of prawns, they are commercially exploited and sold in the local market in the municipalities where they are caught. Both are considered “large” species by Short (2004). The same author describes in detail the morphological characteristics of the two species. Among the easily distinguishable features are the rostrum and the second cheliped. In summary, M. lar has a short rostrum in fully developed males. There are 7-10 dorsal rostral teeth and the 2-4 ventral rostral teeth. The second chelipeds are unequal with protective setae present in all segments of the cheliped.The merus is much shorter than the chela but longer than the carpus. Early specimens of M. lar (1908 to 1909) were obtained from the provinces of Benguet, Mindoro, and Cebu (Chase and Bruce, 1993). M. mammillodactylus has a short to medium rostral length with the dorsal carina generally straight with upturned tip with 9 to 18 dorsal teeth and 2-6 ventral teeth. The second pair of cheliped is isomorphic in shape and maybe subequal or equal in length. The merus is shorter than the carpus which is in turn distinctly shorter than the chela (Short, 2004). Early specimens of this species were found in San Juan and Pasig Rivers by R.P. Cowles in 1914 and in Aringay River, La Union by D.G. Frey (Chase and Bruce, 1993).

The earliest published attempt at larval rearing of M. lar was by Atkinson (1977) but he was unable to obtain full metamorphosis to post larvae. Recently, Lal (2012) was able to successfully obtain a few PL of M. lar in studies conducted at the University of South Pacific. Subsequent studies involved salinity and temperature requirements for the larval rearing of this species, again Fiji (Lal et al, 2012). The larval rearing of M. mammillodactylus remain unstudied (Short, 2004) and there are also no records available in the literature of attempts to close the life cycle of this species. 

Sight word recognition is an essential reading skill for beginning readers. When a child can read a word instantly without hesitation, it can be said that that word is a sight word for that child. The term sight word can refer to any word that is taught or must be learned by sight rather than through analysis of the parts (Cooper and Kiger, 2005). Sight words, also called high frequency sight words, are commonly used words that young children are encouraged to learn as a whole by sight, so that they can automatically recognize these words in print without having to use any strategies to decode.

Sight words account for a large percentage of the words used in beginning children's print material. The advantage for children being able to recognize sight words automatically is that beginning readers will be able identify the majority of words in a beginning text before they even attempt to read it; therefore, allowing the child to concentrate on meaning and comprehension as they read without having to stop and decode every single word.

On the other hand, word lists are collections of words that must be part of the sight words of a chiled in a specific grade level. Unlike dictionaries that provide list of words of a child in a specific grade level. Unlike dictionaries that provide list of words and their definitions, word lists can be used as a tool for assessing a child's word recognition skill as well as basis for developing reading materials for specific grade levels. An example is the DolchBasic Sight Word (Dolch, 1942) which consists of 220 high-frequency words divided into lists from pre-primer to grade three. Another is Fry's Word List which is made up of 1000 of the most commonly used words in the English language.

The Philippines is a multilingual nation with more than 170 languages being spoken nationwide. With the implementation of the Mother Tongue Curriculum in grades K-3 which uses 19 Philippine Languages, there is perceived need to develop wordlists in these languages. This need is compounded by the fact that not much instructional materials in the mother tongues, as well tools assessing reading skills such as sight word recognition and fluency, have been developed yet for these pupils in the primary grade.

This project aims to generate basic information on S. dorsalis being an invasive pest of mango. The intrinsic and extrinsic factors that contribute to its persistence will be identified. The localization of different population from several mango growing areas as influenced by its parthenogenetic trait will be determined as well as the biology and behavior of S. dorsalis on different hosts.

Antibiotics have revolutionized medicine in many aspects, and their discovery is considered a turning point in human history. Nevertheless, the major consequence of the use of antibiotics is the contaminant development of resistance against them, thus there is a decline in the number of new antibiotics approved for clinical use. Terrestrial Actinobacteria have severed as a primary source of antibiotics for more than five decades, however, a rapid decrease in the discovery of new effective antibiotics strongly necessitates new approaches or drawing interest to new ecological niche such as marine sediments. Actinobacteria thriving in unexplored marine sediments, represent untapped sources of potentially new bioactive compounds such as antimicrobials. The Philippines is uniquely positioned in the tropics that host very diverse marine organisms and microorganism. The Actinobacteria thriving in the Philippine marine sediments have not been explored for its antibiotic potential, thus we focused our investigation on isolating unique and diverse marine sediment-derived actinobacteria from the Philippines as resource for new antibiotics. We collected marine sediments from eleven Islands (Unisa Island, Nogas Island, Seco Island, Mararison, Island Batbatan Island, Danjugan Island, Apo Island, Sumilon Island, Balicasag Island, Olotayan Island, and Crocodile Island) in Western and Central Visayas, and Isolated marine sediment-derived actinobacteria by culture dependent isolation technique. We now have a library of 2,406 marine sediment derived actinobacteria isolates from Western and Central Visayas.

The island group of Siargao (coordinates: 9° 52’ N, 126° 03’ E) is a complex of over 50 islands, islets, reefs, and atolls, of which the islands of Siargao and Bucas are the largest and the most populated. It is located northeast of Mindanao and east of Dinagat Islands, between Dinagat Sound and the Pacific Ocean. Siargao falls under the political jurisdiction of Siargao del Norte, Province and is comprised of nine municipalities under the province’s first district, namely, Burgos, Dapa, Del Carmen, General Luna, San Benito, Pilar, San Isidro, Santa Monica, and Socorro and with a total of 132 barangays. In territory size, the largest is Del Carmen (with 20,189 hectares) and the smallest is Burgos (1,905 hectares). The island group of Siargao is a protected area and is collectively known as Siargao Island Protected Landscape and Seascape (SIPLAS).

Siargao island group occupies an area of 62,796 hectares. Terrain is generally rugged and mountainous with numerous low hills and mountain ranges that straddle the islands, but none of which reach heights of no more that 300 meters. The basal rocks of Siargao and adjacent islands are composed of limestone karst. The soil type of Bucas Island and adjoining islands is ultramafic and is rich in mineral ores. In contrast to other surrounding islands (such as Dinagat and nearby islands), the islands of Siargao have not been strip-mined for precious metals.

Many of the islands in the Siargao group, especially the low-lying hills and mountain ranges, are still covered with sizeable tracts of various types of forest: forest over limestone karst, forest over ultramafic rocks, beach forest, and mangrove forest. Mangroves are especially extensive at the western region of Siargao at the Municipality of Del Carmen; smaller tracts occur at inland bays of Siargao, Bucas, and adjacent smaller islands. This type of habitat is among the most threatened in the Philippines and has greatly declined in the area. This makes Siargao one of the most important areas in the Philippines in terms of biodiversity conservation of mangroves.

SIPLAS is one of the key biodiversity areas of the Philippines and was declared as a protected area by virtue of Presidential Proclamation 902 in October 1996. Its marine and terrestrial biodiversity, however, remains poorly studied. For instance, no major biological expedition to survey the region’s terrestrial biodiversity has been undertaken since the early 1970’s. A series of surveys of the marine biodiversity of Siargao was conducted in the late 1990’s but were limited to a few sites.

We propose to conduct biological field surveys at 5-10 sites across the mangrove forests of Del Carmen of Siargao Island in order to assess the degree of diversity and abundance of flora (phytoplankton, marine algae, seagrass, flowering plants) and fauna (zooplankton, crustaceans, marine fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals).

Studies on these groups will center on qualitative and quantitative description and analysis of patterns of species richness, abundance, distribution, and habitat preferences. By generating this scientific information, this project will directly support efforts by the local government office of the Municipality of Del Carmen, Siargao, and of the Province of Surigao del Norte to have the mangrove ecosystem in the Municipality of Del Carmen be recognized as a wetland of international importance as one of the Ramsar sites in the world.

This project will directly support efforts by the local government of Del Carmen and the Province of Surigao del Norte to the Siargao Island impact future conservation efforts in the Philippines and will provide unique insights into patterns of distribution, abundance, species richness, and dispersal abilities across a diverse group of vertebrates.

Actinomycetes are known to be major producers of antibiotics and other metabolites. Watve et. al. (2001) estimated that more than 105 antibiotics are produced by Streptomyces and only a small portion (3%) of these antibiotics have been discovered thus far. Antibiotics are the third largest pharmaceutical drug market segment with more than US$25.7 billion global sales in 2004 (vom Nussbaum, 2006).

The search for new antibiotics from microbes continue due to a) development of resistant pathogens, b) evolution of new diseases, c) the existence of naturally resistant bacteria, and d) the toxicity of some of the current compounds.

Antibiotic resistance is a major problem in the management of infections caused by pathogens that are resistant to multiple classes of antibiotics. Resistance could spread at interspecies and intergeneric levels when gene encoding resistance mechanism are transferred between pathogens.

The occurrence of various antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, historically known as MRSA is a global problem because of its virulence and high transmissibility, and because of limited treatment options for infected patients. Local investigators have reported the presence of MRSA in the Philippines. Ontengco et. al., (2004) showed that of 373 S. aureus isolated from in-patients of three tertiary hospitals from years 1999-2003, 18.2% (68) were comfirmed MRSA by oxacillin agar test, cefoxitin disk breakpoints, and the heterogenous expression with oxacillin disk. On the other hand, nosocomial gram-negative pathogens like Pseudomonas and members of the family Enterobacteriaceae are causing epidemics and outbreaks. They are also resistant to multiple antibiotics. When recovered from patients of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), they are associated with increase mortality rates, prolonged hospital stay of survivors and increased healthcare cost.

Cognizant of the UN and the Philippine governement's goal of alleviating poverty through education, this research aims to map out and develop culturally-relevant and an empowering education pedagogy model in addressing the special needs of poor students. Grounded on the current data that children from poorer households are more likely to delay the start of their education (UN MDG Report 2013), the research will not only answer how the children learn but also how will they be empowered to make informed decisions in their lives to play active social role in the community and in the long term to effect changes in the society.

The biodiversity of the Philippine ecosystem gives the opportunity to harness such abundance and utilize this particularly on drug discovery. This study aims to determine the potential antihypertensive, antihyperlipidemic and antidiabetic activity of the extracts of selected plants that will be collected from Alabat Island.

Estrogenic pollutants have been the focus of numerous research undertakings in contemporary ecotoxicology. Exposure to these endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) has caused reproductive impairment in vulnerable organisms. The presence of 17β-estradiol (E2), an estrogenic endocrine disruptor, has been confirmed in Laguna de Bay. Effects that corresponded to estrogen exposure in caged male fish were also observed (Paraso and Capitan, 2012). E2 is a pollutant of either human or animal origin that reaches the aquatic environment via untreated sewage effluent. The public health implications of EDC exposure have warranted the adoption of the “precautionary approach” for endocrine disruptors in advanced countries like US, Canada and Europe. In effect, relevant environmental policies and/or regulations have been implemented that would inhibit, if not, minimize the release of these compounds into the environment “in advance of scientific certainty to prevent harm to humans and the environment” (O'Riordan and Jordan, 1995). Most local freshwater systems serve as a sink to domestic, agricultural and industrial effluent. Coupled with the lack of sewage treatment plants in the country, contamination of bodies of water with estrogenic pollutants is highly probable but remains largely unstudied. However, in addition to screening surface waters for the presence of these compounds, assessing exposure impacts on the aquatic biota should also be endeavored. The use of biomarkers as tools for monitoring estrogenic contamination of aquatic ecosystems has gained popularity in recent years. Biomarkers are biochemical or cellular alterations that may be attributed to the occurrence and magnitude of toxicants; thus, may serve as early warning signals (van der Oost et al., 2003). Measurement and characterization of these biomarkers not only gauge overall fish health but also aid in the identification of pollution hotspots. There is currently a paucity of published data on the impact of estrogenic pollutants on aquatic organisms in the Philippines, particularly those measured by biomarkers. This research project was aimed at evaluating sensitive fish biomarkers that may be utilized as parameters to determine contamination of Laguna de Bay with environmental estrogens. Vitellogenin response, a biomarker of exposure to these compounds, were assessed in feral fish together with liver and gonad histopathology parameters, and gross indices such as the gonadosomatic index (GSI) and hepatopancreas-somatic index (HPSI). The information gained in this research is hoped to establish the applicability and sensitivity of biomarkers in measuring and assessing estrogenic contamination of local freshwater resources.

This is a qualitative research using case study method that will look into the cultural metaphors of the poor on poverty, development and education. Moreover, the investigation of how the mindsets, concepts, and ideas were formed will serve as bases in creating education model/s or education policies to empower the poor so that they can develop themselved and their communities.

There is a popular belief that a large earthworm species has spread and are living in the walls of rice terraces and are the main factors causing their collapse. Corollary to this is the belief that this earthworm species invaded the rice terraces only recently during the last three decades. Local people in the area speculate that they were introduced just like the golden kuhol and million dollar fish which came in the area also only recently. Since they are perceived as the culprit to the collapse of terrace walls, there is the popular desire among the local people that the said giant earthworm should be exterminated and that this will save the local tourism industry. The present investigators however believe that more scientific investigation should be done to confirm whether or not the allegations against the aforementioned giant earthworms are indeed true. In order to establish the truth, the present study is being conducted. Empirical information from the current study will provide the scientific basis for appropriate informed-decisions to save the Ifugao rice terraces on top of a possibility to help farmers increase their rice production. The Philippines is part of the Indo-Australasian region, home of the earthworm Pheretima-species complex (Sims & Easton, 1972), family Megascolecidae. Particularly, for the Philippines and other islands east of the Wallace’s line, the family Megascolecidae is the only native earthworm family. For any earthworm collected from the field, it is easy to pin down its family by dissecting the worm and carefully note its external and internal morphological characters. With the help of Blakemore’s Introductory Key to the Revised Families of Earthworms of the World (Blakemore, 2006), both external and internal morphological characters of the worm should lead to its correct family. Thus, when an earthworm from the field does not conform to the family Megascolecidae, then there is large probability it belongs to an alien earthworm family. The Philippines claims a record of 71 megascolecid species (Blakemore, 2007) spread among the pheretimoid genera Amynthas (12 species), Archipheretima (4 species), Dendropheretima (2 species), Isarogoscolex (2 species), Metaphire (8 species), Pheretima (12 species), Pheretima (Pheretima) (9 species), Pithemera (2 species), Pleionogaster (16 species) and Polypheretima (4 species). The presence of the tropical Asian megascolecid Perionyx 2longate2, common in dung heap of piggeries and livestock is extant in the Cordillera. A family related to megascolecids, family Octochaetidae, is represented by the genus Dichogaster. Dichogaster nr.curgensis has been reported by Barrion and Litsinger (1997) to infest rice plants in the Cordillera highlands. The family Moniligastridae in the Philippines is credited with 1 genus (Drawida) and 3 species and these could have been unwittingly introduced by man. A certain introduced alien is Pontoscolex corethrurus of the South American family Glossoscolecidae. External and internal morphological descriptions of the aforementioned earthworm species are available in the literature (Baguinon, 1981; Beddard, 1900a, 1912; Blakemore et al., 2007; Easton, 1976; Flores, 2007; Gates,1965; Hong and James, 2004, 2008a, b; James, 2004, 2006; Michaelsen,1900b; Sims and Easton, 1972; Stephenson, 1923). A recent publication by James (2009) describes five new species of Archipheretima thus the number of recorded earthworm species in the Philippines is now pegged at 76.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are promising materials that are readily extracted from plants and other cellulose-containing organisms. In this study, CNCs were isolated from freshwater green algae (Cladophora rupestris) thriving in a volcanic lake, using hydrobromic acid (HBr) hydrolysis. Morphological and structural studies revealed highly crystalline CNCs (94.0 % crystallinity index) with preferred orientation to [100] lattice plane as shown by XRD measurements and have an average diameter of 20.0 (+4.4) nm as shown by TEM. Thermal studies showed increased temperature for thermal decomposition of CNCs isolation. The isolated CNCs were reinforced into starch based biocomposites via solution casting and evaporation method. Mechanical strength was improved as high as 78% upon addition of 1% cellulose nanocrystals in the films. The primary hydroxyl groups of CNCs were modified to produce an Azide-bearing CNC derivative. The cholesterol to be attached was first converted to alkyne-bearing cholesterol. The azide and alkyne was reacted using click chemistry to attach the cholesteric compound into the cellulose. Characterization reveal successful grafting of cholesterol as evidence by TEM, XRD and NMR albeit in low incorporation of 1:42. By attaching optically active substances in cellulose nanocrystal, these derivatives could be used as novel materials in light related applications.

This is a survey research to generate scientific evidence such as knowledge, attitudes, risk perceptions and intention (acceptability) of the people towards COVID-19 vaccination.

The project will take a 2-pronged approach to look into the emotions generated by the pandemic.  One will be to "scrape" through the social media pages of select popular news sites to get a quick feel for public sentiment at various periods or phases of the outbreak.  The other will be to conduct a small survey to obtain a better grasp of the context and content of people's feelings and reactions to information obtained with regard to the pandemic.

The current COVID19 pandemic has highlighted the mental health problems that has been affecting the Filipino population. Mental health is seen as the next pandemic resulting from COVID19.  As in previous humanitarian emergencies, the situation once again emphasizes the need for mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services and provides the opportunity to build back better. MHPSS services are integral to the response and recovery phases of this global public health emergency. 

The proposed study  aims to explore the various MHPSS services provided by individuals and  organizations in the Philippines in response to the COVID19 pandemic using the 4Ws (Who is Where, When, doing What in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support) developed by the Inter-agency Standing Committee (IASC) Reference Group for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services. It is designed to identify (i) the key players in the delivery of MHPSS services including their clientele and/or institutional partners; (ii) geographical reach of their services; (iii) nature of cases handled, and(iii) the type of programs and/or services offered

In 2013, a similar research was done for Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) which led to an in-depth analysis of MHPSS response in the country in several emergency situations, resulting in the development of the National Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) Memorandum No. 62 s.2017 National Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergencies and Disaster Situations. This was in coordination with the Department of Health and funded by UNICEF.

Comprehensive studies on Philippine forest spiders currently take a back seat to the larger more charismatic species. However, the introduction of exotic species as well as biodiversity studies requiring comprehensive taxonomic sampling of the country's biota, knowledge regarding these little-known understory and ground-dwelling spiders becomes all the more important.

In a nutshell, this study seeks to provide baseline data on these spiders by: 1) collecting understory and ground-dwelling spiders in the forest ecosystems and nearby habitats, and correlate the impact of forest degradation of habitat quality (i.e) type of vegetation) on spider faunal diversity; 2) identifying these spiders and determining their taxonomic diversity and relative abundance; 3) compiling information on the bionomics of this group of spiders; 4) recording distribution data and updating country inventory; and 5) producing a pictorial field guide on Philippine spiders.

The latter output of this study aims to entice students to pursue a science career in the natural sciences and arm our quarantine officials with the necessary information materials needed to conduct strict quarantine procedures.

The study is focused on mapping out the various ideas and sentiments of Filipinos regarding post-pandemic scenarios and possibilities by tracing discourses of post-pandemic futures circulated via online content and platforms. While the scope and focus of this project are limited, this forms part of an envisioned larger multipronged program aiming to gather insights that could prove useful for transitioning to a post-pandemic life. In the immediate future, results of this research will inform the overarching program which is composed of three projects that are interdisciplinary and multi-method in approach, covering quantitative, qualitative, discursive, social, and developmental aspects of imagining a viable future even as the world still presently grapples with the changes in personal and social life occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The present study is exploratory in approach, allowing for a diversity of data source in terms of genre (e.g., blog, social networking sites (SNS) posts, online news articles, institutional write-ups), platform (e.g., websites, blog sites, social media), and mode (e.g., write-ups, images, video, audio). Moreover, it acknowledges the diversity of voices in terms of, for instance, class, gender, cultural differences, and political persuasion in the discourses culled from the data. Analysis is thematic with attention to discourse (i.e., text-internal themes are framed in wider systemic contexts) initially through a qualitative analysis software and ultimately via collective data interpretation, where potential meanings of cases are discussed by the research team bringing in various epistemological premises from different disciplinal backgrounds. Results of the study are hoped to inform policies and programs that aim to create a more just and robust future for Filipinos beyond the confines of the present pandemic.

This paper examines the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on ecotourism in the Philippines as well as the lessons learned and ways to go through a case study of ten ecotourism sites in the Philippines from Luzon to Mindanao. Unprecedented global travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders caused tourism to large cease in March 2020 and resulted to the most severe disruption of the global economy since World War II. This study made use of a COVID-19 impact assessment tool based on eight criteria of ecotourism and two focus group discussions with tourism officers and ecotourism management officials. The study found out that the ecotourism sites were closed starting on the middle of March 2020 till the time they were placed under modified GCQ when some of the sites re-opened but only for local tourists or residents within their town, province, or region. The closure of the sites for several months resulted to tremendous losses in terms of livelihood and income. Positive aspects included show of resilience of the ecotourism workers in finding other means of livelihood and the improvement of bioecology and protection of culture and the environment with community participation. The study concludes that most of the sites lacked a contingency plan for epidemics and that their major concerns are having financial assistance and livelihood projects for the laid off staff, sustaining support for their partner communities, and the lack of back up plans and funds. Furthermore, re-booting tourism would involve planning for and re-starting tourism with sustainability in mind while balancing health and the tourism industry.

Currently, determining global vulnerability to impacts of climate change is in the hands of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC is the international body for assessing the science related to climate change, set up in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to provide policymakers with regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation. In assessing impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation to climate change, a large array of methods and tools pertain to specific sectors, scales of analysis, and environmental and socioeconomic contexts are used but little or no attention has been given to how culture defines vulnerability (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2014). Instead, physical and biological indicators are used like size, extent, and position of margins of various elements of the cryosphere (sea ice, river and lake ice, snow cover, glaciers, ice cores, permafrost) is used as indicators of current climate change and Physiological and ecological indicators of species distributions (i.e., where species can survive and reproduce) and the timing of their life cycles. The vulnerability index to climate change generated in this study will identify which ethnic group is the most
vulnerable to climate change and what cultural characteristics plays a major role of their vulnerability. Further, the

results will provide input to policy makers in the implementation of climate change adaptation and mitigation policies.

The funeral traditions of Filipino Catholics that involve the coming together of relatives and friends to pay last respect to the deceased and console the grieving family is one situation that is regulated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing the interpretive phenomenology, this case study aims to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic health protocols imposed by the government on the traditional funeral practices of Filipino Catholics in an urban context. Thematic analysis was used to analyze 30 in-depth interviews with persons who are familiar with the funeral traditions of Catholics, and the immediate family members and relatives of persons who died and were buried or cremated in 2020. We generated eleven themes: (1) entitlement to the ministries of the church, (2) social cohesion in times of someone’s death, (3) final disposition of dead bodies, (4) regulation of the Church’s ministries, (5) limited participation in funeral traditions, (6) immediate disposition of dead bodies, (7) spatio- temporal freedom, (8) the warmth of physical presence (9) constricted human connectedness, (10) familial solidarity, and (11) deprived to physically convey love and respect for the deceased. We conclude that as funeral traditions are valued, observance of such are partially altered in consideration of the health protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Catholics’ adaptive capacity allows them to still observe the funeral traditions in a limited sense without totally neglecting the observance of health protocols through the aid of communication technologies and the internet. Keywords: death and dying, funeral traditions, health protocols, COVID-19

The concept of water security is used from the household to the global level. Water security, as defined by UN-Water (2013) is ““The capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human well-being, and socio-economic development, for ensuring protection against water-borne pollution and water-related disasters, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability.” This definition embodies the different aspects captured between water resources protection and socio-economic perspectives. As central tenet of climate change adaptation, management strategies are vital in using water resources to limit the gap of water supply and demand of a nation. Ensuring water security is seen as an urgent challenge that impacts lives and livelihood of billions of people if not addressed . Urbanization is a significant global phenomenon that intersects water security. 66% of the global population is expected to live in cities by 2050 and is expected to increase for years. This leads to urban water security being recognized as a crucial factor to achieve sustainable development. Aligned with the Agenda 2030 for sustainable development of the United Nations, urban water security directly supports to two Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) namely SDG6 (Clean water and sanitation) and SDG11 (Sustainable cities and communities). This indicates its relevance in achieving sustainable development . To address and develop water security in a large viewpoint, measuring specific indicators and variables needs to come first. Development towards equitable and sufficient water has been primarily assessed using measures of water availability, often at a global, state and national level. These indicators of water security assessments can mask significant variations in security at a local scale. This may indicate that a country may be water secure based on the identified dimensions at the national scale however may be very different when closely analysed in a local scale. In this project’s setting, the water security level of the entire Philippines may not be the same with Central Visayas’ water security evaluation result. As of this writing, there has been few number of researches that covers local scale assessments. Note that local assessments are vital to in assessing the national water security concepts and will usually require a bottom-up approach. No paper has been published on measuring local-scale or urban-scale water security most specifically in Central Visayas Philippines.

Zoonoses are diseases or infections transmissible from animals to humans, which can be due to bacteria, viruses, parasites, or unconventional agents. Transmission of zoonotic agents can be through direct contact or consumption of contaminated food (food-borne). Other means of transmission include inhalation, fomites, insects acting as vectors. In general, zoonoses are essential in agriculture and economics as these diseases, aside from affecting the health of the animals, also disturbs the production and marketing of animal products. With the increasing demands for poultry products, a corresponding farming intensification increases chicken density in farmhouses. In the Philippines, poultry products from free-ranged production are also becoming popular (Philippine Statistics Authority, 2020). Nonetheless, backyard poultry raising has long been practiced in the country . The increase in the number of poultry kept in a house in intensified farming increases the risk of poultry workers' exposure to poultry-borne zoonoses. On the one hand, backyard farming has a higher risk of zoonoses because of a higher frequency of human-poultry contact and poor implementation of biosecurity measures and the mode of transmission is more on direct contact. Aside from those people working closely with poultry (farm owners/workers, veterinarians, slaughterhouse workers and inspectors, those with exposure to wild birds), several people in the community are also at risk, which includes those who are below 5 years old, 65 years old and older, immunocompromised and pregnant women. It is essential that stakeholders should be aware of poultry-borne zoonoses and those working closely with poultry are capable of detecting diseases in poultry. One of the measures to reduce the community spread of zoonoses is through comprehensive health education, including education campaigns, especially concerning hygiene and behavioral interventions. This measure should be based on the gaps in knowledge, attitude, and practices, especially among those at risk. Hence, this project component will focus on poultry raisers and farm workers, veterinarians, and government livestock