The project is more on biological approach to gather information to mitigate conflicts and zoonosis in tourist areas and nearby communities where humans and long-tailed macaques interact. The study aims to understand the behavior of long-tailed macaques in human-modified landscapes in Leyte and Mindanao, and how habitat types or the presence of tourism can affect their behaviors. Moreover, the change of behavior of macaques is also linked to the possible change in macaques’ diet and preferences which could affect the species’ natural ecological functions and health. To have a better representation of macaques’ behavior and ecology, this project will be conducted for 2-year duration using scientifically accepted methodologies. A collaboration between researchers with different fields in biology is also a requirement in this project, such as staff specializing in taxonomy, and zoology. Aside from knowledge generation through publications and conference presentations, this project also aims to conduct awareness campaign in the local communities to increase positive perception and attitude towards wildlife in the area. Research-based policies will also be recommended to the Local Government Units of the sites, and to the management offices of the tourist spots. 

Ciliated protozoans are one-celled animal-like organisms characterized by the presence of hair-like structures called cilia. Just like any other organisms, the ciliated protozoans (e.g. Paramecium, Tetrahymena, Vorticella, Stentor) play a very significant link in the food chain as algal grazers and bacterial feeders, and in energy flow and elementary recycling in ecosystems.  Ciliates are popular model organisms for many microbial, cell and molecular biology studies, toxicity bioassays of pollutants, chemosensory responses, lysosomal studies and others (Jahn et al. 1979, Pauli 1997, Banno 1983, Madoni P. and Romeo M. 2006, Rao et al., 2012). As test organisms, ciliates have many advantages such as ubiquitous distribution, high reproductive rate, and cheap and ease of culturing in hay infusion. More than 50% of the population in organically polluted rivers and streams are ciliates, playing impressive role in the ecosystem as warning indicator of changes in the environment. They have been utilized as indicators of organic pollution and in monitoring the health of aquatic ecosystems (Lynn & Gilron 1992, Bick 1972, Mason 1996, Tushmalova et al. 2014 and  Radhakrishnan  & Jayaprakas 2015). Moreover, they are abundant in almost every environment with liquid water: ocean waters, marine sediments, lakes, ponds, and rivers, and even soils. Because individual ciliate species vary greatly in their tolerance to pollution, the ciliates found in a body of water can be used to gauge the degree of pollution quickly.  

There is no documented and published identification of ciliated protozoans in Lake Lanao, the heart of Lanao del Sur ARMM province, Mindanao island (Fig. 1). Though the work of Lewis (1985) on Lake Lanao mentioned ciliates as a group under protozoans but he did not segregate and identify a particular ciliate genus or species. Moreover, most lake studies in the country did not include ciliates. There are phytoplankton and zooplankton studies but no particular studies for ciliated protozoans. In the study of Aquino et al. (2008) on zooplankton in Paoay Lake, Luzon Island, ciliates were not included. Even in “An Illustrated Key to the Philippine Freshwater Zooplankton including some brackish water species from Laguna de Bay” (Petersen et al. 2014), only Paramecium, Vorticella (freshwater), and Tintinnidium (brackish) are described. This project therefore aims to conduct a preliminary inventory of ciliated protozoans in Lake Lanao. Specifically, it intends to identify and classify ciliates morphologically and molecularly by DNA barcoding; to take and compile photomicrographs and video clips of all ciliates found in the lake; to determine ciliate species composition, diversity, frequency, and abundance; to determine ciliates’ spatial and temporal variations in the lake; and to monitor the lake’s aquatic condition for two years utilizing ciliates as bio-indicators of pollution.  

Lake Lanao, the second largest lake in the Philippines with surface area of 354.60 km2, is famous for being one of the ancient lakes in the world and for its endemic cyprinids fish fishes. The Lake has played a vital role in the religious activities, cultural practices, transport system, and livelihood for the Maranaos, the “people of the lake”. There are six hydroelectric power plants along its single outlet, the Agus River, providing approximately 70% of the electric power needs of Mindanao. Bordering the lake's shores are 17 municipalities and a city, Marawi City. There were 475,401 people living along the shoreline of Lake Lanao that comprises 68,759 families.

(http://www.mysmartschools.ph/web/lakelanao/com munity-profile.html). NSO data revealed Lanao del Sur had a total population of 800,162 in 2000; it increased to 1,138,544 in 2007 and decreased to 933,260 persons in 2010 (http://web0.psa.gov.ph). Compared with the other lakes in the country, Lake Lanao is relatively free from industrial effluents. However, as early as 1966, there were reports that Lake Lanao had undergone environmental disaster because of the massive algae contamination and some decaying matters on waters (Villaluz, 1966). Presently, ocular inspection around the lakeshore reveals floating thrash and massive growth of water hyacinth and algae. The impact of the hydroelectric power plants, the confront of climate change, the increasing human population, the alarming reports of extinction of endemic lake fish species, the dominance of invasive exotic species, and many other anthropogenic factors, if left unchecked, the lake’s deterioration will surely affect the lives of thousands of Maranaos who are dependent on it for food and water. This project therefore hopes to generate data from utilization of ciliates as bio-indicators of pollution that will be submitted to the ARMM government of Lanao de Sur and will serve as one basis in assessing the condition of the Lake, formulating and implementing policies and strategies for effective management of Lake Lanao’s natural resource sustainability. Furthermore, the baseline data on ciliate species composition, diversity, frequency, and abundance, would be vital micro-faunal component of Lake’s biodiversity and taxonomic studies later. Ciliates are also cheaper alternative in toxicity bioassays and in environmental bio-indication studies since they can easily be cultured in hay infusion medium. They have shorter generation time hence studies using ciliates yield and indicate fast, reliable results.  The culture collection of ciliates the proponent plans to maintain will be useful for basic instruction and laboratory exercises, and for researchers, teachers and students. 

On the first year of the project, preliminary inventory will be conducted in eight municipalities bordering Lake Lanao as sampling stations. Randomly, sampling will be done in shallower (littoral) and deeper (pelagic) regions of the lake. Surface, subsurface, horizontal and vertical tow samplings will be done using Plankton nets and Niskin bottles. Morphological identification is mainly through microscopy and identification keys. Photomicrographs and video clips will be taken and compiled. Data generated will include ciliate composition, diversity, abundance and frequency as well as ciliates’ spatial variations between littoral and pelagic areas in the lake.  On the second year, the same data will be generated but the ciliates’ temporal (dry, rainy, mixing and non-mixing seasons) variations at two different sampling sites away from inlet and outlet will be evaluated. Quarterly monitoring of Lake’s water condition using ciliates as indicators will also commence on the 2nd year and will continue on the 3rd year at six ecological sites (inlets and outlet, domestic, agricultural, forested, and undisturbed sites).  Dominant key ciliate indicators will be classified according to saprobic system. Molecular identification of ciliate species will start on the 3rd year.   

  Lake Lanao is the second largest lake in the Philippines and is one of the 15 ancient lakes of the world. It is a home of 18 endemic cyprinid fishes and 42 endemic crab species. A hydroelectric plant installed on the Lanao Lake and Agus River system generates 70% of the electricity used by the people of Mindanao (Rosagaron, 2001). Lake Lanao is the lifeline of about 669,072 Maranaos (NSO, 2000) or the “people of the lake”. With this importance, Lake Lanao’s resources must be comprehensively explored and present status must be evaluated to provide a basis for future conservation programs. 

            Few researches about Lake Lanao in the past were focused on its status, management, fisheries (Rosagaron, 2001; Escudero, 1995) and phytoplankton (Lewis, 1978). No single published researches were done yet on the bacterial and fungal populations in Lake Lanao. While it is true that the flora and fauna of a lake ecosystem comprise the producers and consumers in the lake, respectively, but microorganisms are equally important being the decomposers that degrade dead organic bodies and make nutrients available to the producers, thus, maintaining a stable ecosystem. On the other hand, the presence of unwanted number of microorganisms as well as opportunistic and pathogenic species in the lake from exogenous sources may have contributed to the occurrence of diseases to both the aquatic organisms and indirectly affecting the community along the shorelines of Lake Lanao.

This study will look into the abundance and species composition of bacterial and fungal populations in water and surface sediments and how the physico-chemical factors affect these microorganisms in the lake. Water quality will be determined based on the presence or absence of indicator microorganisms particularly the total and fecal coliforms.  Sampling will be done in five selected sites every other month, that will be on January, March, May, July, September, and November within one year period.  Physico-chemical parameters such as pH, conductivity, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), salinity, and temperature, and the analyses for total N, P, and K as well as Ca, Mg, Na, Mn and Zn will be obtained  (in Project 1) and will be correlated with the data on microbial populations.  

 Microbial abundance will be determined through Serial Dilution Plate Count Technique following the procedure described by Tateishi et al. (1989). The number of total and fecal coliforms will be determined using the most probable number (MPN) method and the standard Coliform Test to confirm the presence of these water contaminants. Identification of bacterial and fungal isolates will include colony and microscopic examination and the Analytical Profile Index (API) system.  This microbial study is very important in completing the information needed to fully characterize and understand the current status of Lake Lanao. 

Lake Lanao is the second largest lake in the Philippines, wholly located within the province of Lanao del Sur. It is of great biological, ecological economic, and social importance – as the seat of evolution of an endemic species flock of cyprinids, as a sizable contributor to the local hydrologic cycle, as the source of water supply riving the Agus hydropower plants, and as the center of life and culture of its native inhabitants – the Maranaos who call themselves the “People of the Lake” (Hansel and Metillo 2016). The first extensive limnological study of Lake Lanao, which is included determination of some of its physical and chemical characteristics, was done by Frey (1969). This was continued by Lewis with his more in-depth field work performed in 1970-71 (Lewis 1973). Frey summarized his morphometric data for Lake Lanao as follows: area – 357 km2; volume – 21.5 km3; maximum depth – 112 m; mean depth (volume/area) – 60.3 m; replacement time (volume/mean annual discharge) – 6.5 years. His other findings showed that during mid-February to mid-March, the lake was essentially isothermal at 24.4 oC, then rapidly warmed to 26.5 oC. During May and June, the surface water warmed to almost 28 oC which was probably the maximum for that year. Lewis (1973) made a more exhaustive study on the occurrence of thermal stratification of Lake Lanao, showing it to be a monimictic lake. Freys additional findings show that dissolved oxygen ranged from 7.3-8.5 ppm at the top 12 m (trophogenic zone) and was slightly supersaturated (106%) from mid-May through mid-June. pH within the top 10 m ranged from 8.2 to 8.9. Methyl-orange alkalinity averaged about 1.2 m.eq. and conductivity about 120 micromhos (1 micromho = 1 microSiemens/cm). The 1% light intensity level varied from 11 to 25 m. Transparency was low during overturn. Since these first studies, various change has occurred. One was affecting the natural variation in the outflow of Lake Lanao, namely the construction of a Marawi Lake Regulation Dam at the mouth of Agus River, effectively making the lake itself its reservoir, which is started operation in 1992. The volume of lake outflow would influence the flushing rate, the rate at which water enters and leaves the lake relative to lake volume, usually expressed as time needed to replaced the lake volume with inflowing water, or its replacement time. Some unusual phenomena have taken place. The occurrence of a fish kill, diagnosed as epizootic ulcerative syndrome by an MSU Team (Escudero et al. 1998) was observed by Lake Lanao fisherman and lakeshore dwellers at around the latter part of December 1997. An unusual greening occurred in September 2006, wherein subsequent to its peak, a hydrobiological investigation of the lake was performed (Lagmay et al. 2006). These unusual occurrences point out the need for a regular periodic monitoring of the lake. Thus, this study sought to measure the current status of various physical and chemical characteristics of Lake Lanao. These include temperature, Secchi disk depth, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, nutrients (nitrate-N, ammonia-N, total phosphorus), alkalinity, and chlorophyll-a, and 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD).

The study would determine the present population status of the introduced species (Hypseleotris agilis and Glossogobius giurus) believed to have proliferated to such an extent that they affect the population of the endemic species, as wells as the remaining endemic species (only two, Puntius tumba and P. lindog are believed to be extant). Morphological characterization of these species would also be accomplished. The study would also do spawning and fecundity measurements. 

Present studies have shown populations of endemic species in Lake Lanao are declining (Escudero, 1984). Ismael (2011) in her survey of endemic species listed only two: Puntius tumba and P. lindog, of the 18 endemic described listed by Herre in 1924. Both these fishes are listed as endangered (Fishbase, 2004). 

These surveys were focused on the fish catch by fishermen which usually go fishing in established fishing areas within the Lake itself. The collection/sampling sites in this present study would focus on the streams and rivers that drain into the Lake, using fish traps and fishing nets. Fish landing surveys will also be accomplished in several fish landing zones to gather the total weight of each kind of fish landed.    

Poverty is pervasive in the mountainous region of Cordillera. In addition, food security and sustainability of the environment remain a challenge to people in the region. In response to these challenges, technologies are being tested, experimented, and proven. Despite research and development on appropriate technologies, there has been little effort to bring back and share research results to communities and to people who need them. This research project focused on how research-based information on 4 nutrient-water dynamics, biodiversity, and agricultural productivity in muyong (traditional forest) and payoh (rice terrace) systems can be communicated, evaluated, and translated into a policy brief to benefit farmers and their families in Banaue, Ifugao.

The muyong functions to: 1) provide irrigation water, litter, fuel wood and wood; 2) prevent downslope erosion; and 3) maintain soil fertility and biodiversity. The payoh uses sunflower as organic fertilizer to manage soil fertility and to preserve indigenous and local rice varieties (Macandog et al., 2009). Project Number E-216 was one of three projects under the NRCP-funded program on understanding and communicating nutrient and water dynamics, earthworm composition, and vegetation in the muyong-payoh system in Banaue, Ifugao. The other two projects were Project Numbers E-214 and E-215 carried out in 2012-2013. Dr. Damasa Macandog’s Project E-214 studied nutrient and water dynamics, plant biodiversity, and agricultural productivity in the muyong-payoh system. Project E-215, conducted by Dr. Nestor Baguinon, investigated earthworm species composition in an Ifugao muyong-payoh as they varied with vegetation and soil gradients. These two projects were carried out prior to the implementation of Project E-216. Both projects were implemented in Banaue, Ifugao. Projects E-214 and E-215 provided scientific results as inputs into the communication, evaluation, and policy formulation of popularized research-based information in Banaue, Ifugao. The research results of these two projects were used in Project E-216 to inform and educate farmers and other stakeholders on indigenous technologies and practices relevant to their muyong and payoh systems. Project E-216 focused on how to communicate, evaluate, and formulate policy on the research-based findings of Projects E-214 and E-215. Through communication and understanding of popularized research-based information on the muyong-payoh system, the farmers and other stakeholders were expected to be empowered to make the right decision and take proper action on using technologies to improve their farm production. The results of the evaluation of research-based information provided insights on the immediate effects as well as effectiveness of communication materials and methods used among the farmers and other relevant stakeholders. The evaluation findings also generated directions for future research on the physical and social sciences. Further, the evaluation results showed what aspects of the communication research or of the indigenous technologies can be improved.

The pandemic crisis brought about by COVID 19 is never gender neutral. The women more than men receive the hardest blow. For instance, the interruption of reproductive health services may increase unwanted pregnancies especially affected are adolescent girls (POPCOM,2020). In the recent report on UN women by Azcona, et al. 2020) the pandemic will push 96 million people worldwide into extreme poverty by 2021, of which 47 million are women and girls. Moreover, when schooling is interrupted and girls more than boys may not be able to return to school will bring about a widening socioeconomic gap but also education gender gap. It is in this light, that the study on teenage youth who got pregnant or bore a child during the pandemic is a national issue that should be brought to the attention to the policy makers.

In this study, social, economic and emotional characteristics of sample of teenage pregnant and teenage mothers would be narrated from their own stories in order to offer solutions in terms of programs and policy reforms on their most pressing needs and to empower them especially during pandemic. In a  study  by  Nelson and  Rodriguez, 2016, it was found  that the  socio-economic  characteristics of the  youth who got  pregnant  and who  experienced  disaster in the form of typhoons are those   who  are  living in an  extended households  but unrelated  families, are in a  consensual union with either their  spouses or partners, did not  go to  college  and  are  earning  a monthly income between Php 5,000 to  10,000. Thus, the young mothers are poor and were likely not to continue their education beyond high school. It would be interesting to find if these findings on teenagers who got pregnant during disastrous typhoon holds true to that of the of teenage youth   who find themselves pregnant and mothers in a pandemic crisis.

With the abrupt shift in teaching and learning, the proposed descriptive study intends to look into teacher practices as they enact their lessons remotely. The study proposes to focus on the coping mechanism of teachers in this current modality, which may inform the education agency of means (program and activities) for a work-life balance of teachers and project systems and strategies of bridging and shifting to the new normal. Furthermore, the study proposes to look into the assessment and feedback mechanisms implemented by teachers and their instructional delivery. Sourced findings in these foci may be triangulated with the intended learning outcomes and the envision outcomes to identify teaching and learning gaps to initiate plans of actions to bridge the gap.

The impact of large-scale disasters on mental health is well studies. However, there is a lack of documentation on the effect of a prolonged pandemic restriction on the health and well-being of affected communities. Further given the strain on our local health systems brought by the pandemic, it is important to find efficient and effective means to address mental health needs without relying only on the availability of health professionals. If indeed it can be shown that pandemics and other such related prolonged health emergencies, generate adverse impact on people’s health and well-being, especially mental health, understanding such phenomenon is critical to develop resilient communities. There is emerging evidence that for communities exposed to the stresses of modern day living, health outcomes are largely affected by lifestyle factors like sleep, exercise, diet, and engagement in meaningful social interactions. Through the work of several researchers, there is evidence that lifestyle modification like physical exercise improves mental health and wellbeing which in turn leads to better health outcomes. Given that the public health measures imposed during the lockdown pandemic, included restrictions on the normal routine of daily living, including work, school, social and religious activities, and even leisure activities, it is reasonable to assume that many families and individuals will be at risk for unhealthy behaviors. These behaviors may include but not limited to disrupted sleeping patterns, lack of physical activity or adequate exercise, poor eating habits, and social isolation. If the prolonged lockdown restrictions lead to poor psychological adjustments, they will have a negative impact in terms of health and well-being of people. Since wellbeing, both at individual (happiness) and relational (harmony) levels, is associated with better health outcomes, then poor sense of wellbeing will be expected to have the opposite effect. Understanding people’s health-seeking behavior during the prolonged lockdown will allow public health programs to target specific health behaviors that contributes to adverse health outcomes.