Bea Clarisse B. Garcia, Ma. Angela Z. Dimasupil, Pierangeli G. Vital and Windell L. Rivera Institute of Biology Natural Sciences Research Institute College of Science UP Diliman Fecal Contamination in Irrigation Water and Microbial Quality of Vegetable Primary Production in Urban Farms of Metro Manila, Philippines. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part B, 50 (10): 734-743 2015. Catchy title of research: Contaminated surface water is used for the irrigation of fresh produce in farms of Metro Manila. Food contamination causes diarrhea and other diseases, especially to children, elderly and immunocompromised people. These diseases are caused by harmful bacteria that can be […]
Local government units can now identify exactly which activities contribute to carbon emission and carbon reduction
Although the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emission of the Philippines represents only less than 0.5 percent of emissions worldwide, the country continues to implement policies, mechanisms and programs to keep its emissions in check. But two criticisms have been leveled against Philippine-prepared plans. The first is that there are no specific targets for lowering GHG emissions within a given time frame. The second is the absence of a baseline data against which the impact of action plans can be evaluated. To resolve these gaps, the group of Professor David Leonides Yap of the UP Diliman School of Urban and Regional Planning (SURP), Professor Toshiaki Ichinose of the Graduate […]
Universities and HEIs commit to internationalize and better higher education in the Philippines
Roughly 80 presidents, vice presidents, chancellors, vice chancellors, deans and institute directors from 24 academic institutions in the country agreed on a resolution that sought the support of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on the internationalization strategies and initiatives of Philippine higher education institutions (HEIs). The decision was reached at the end of the Conference on the Development of International Quality Higher Education Institutions held from August 26 to 28 at Microtel by Wyndham in Diliman, Quezon City. Organized by the University of the Philippines through the Office of International Linkages, the conference aimed to help Philippine universities/HEIs and state universities and colleges in […]
Anthropological and geographical societies to hold “Dagat ug Kinabuhi/Maritime Cultures, Spaces and Networks”
The Ugyanang Pang-Aghamtao, Inc (UGAT) and the Philippine Geographical Society will be holding their joint regional conference on the theme “Dagat ug Kinabuhi/Maritime Cultures, Spaces and Networks” at the Silliman University, Dumaguete City from 22 to 24 October 2015. The conference hopes to create an interdisciplinary regional forum (encompassing the area between the Indian and the Pacific Oceans) to discuss issues and debates revolving around maritime contexts as (structured and structuring) fluid zones of spatial connection and separation, and within which contemporary insecurities and vulnerabilities communities must find ways to keep afloat (Dagat ug Kinabuhi means ‘the sea and life [lifeways/strategies]’ […]
Workshop: Writing a great paper and getting it published in a research journal
The USAID Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for Development (STRIDE) Program is inviting heads of research, academic faculty, graduate students, and officials/staff from relevant government agencies to join the learning session Writing a Great Paper and Getting it Published in a Research Journal. This half-day activity is designed and implemented in partnership with Elsevier, to help Filipino researchers discover international best practices in: (a) publishing, preparing and submitting the correct manuscript language; (b) structuring articles; and (c) understanding ethical writing. Individual sessions will be held in Cagayan de Oro (October 6), Manila (October 7) and Iloilo (October 8). Registration can be done online […]
Social learning and not genetic inheritance explains sperm whale groupings
A team of biologists and physicists from universities in Canada, the United States and the Philippines revealed that it is biased social learning and not genetic inheritance or pure social learning that accounts for the groupings of sperm whales. Their discovery, published recently in the high impact international journal Nature Communications, drew the attention of over 30 news outlets including Time, Washington Post, Newsweek, Nat Geo, Discovery, Smithsonian, BBC News, CBC News, NBC News, Nature, and Science. UP’s own Dr. Reniel Cabral of the National Institute of Physics is part of the team. “I am proud that a Philippine institution is included in a paper published in one […]
Gawad Pangulo Choral Competition
The Competition is open to all students (undergraduate and graduate), personnel and faculty members of the University of the Philippines ( all students/all staff/all faculty or a combination of students, faculty and staff). Established UP choirs (e.g., UP Madrigal Singers, UP Singing Ambassadors, UP Concert Chorus, UP Manila Chorale, UPLB Choral Ensemble and other touring groups) are not eligible to join. The constituent units will provide accommodations, meal allowances, and transportation to and from the competition venue during the final round. Deadline for submission of entries is 18 October 2015. For inquiries, please contact Ms. Eva Cadiz at (02)926-0026 or at [email protected] […]
In a rural community in Mindoro, ecological problems not only result in poverty but are also triggered by it
“Poverty is both a driver and a result of complex ecological problems.” This was the conclusion derived by Dr. Adrian Wagner of the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, Dr. David T. Yap of the School of Urban and Regional Planning of UP Diliman and Dr. Helen T. Yap of The Marine Institute of UP Diliman from examining interrelated socio-ecological variables in the coastal barangay of Udalo in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro. In the recently published article “Drivers and consequences of land use patterns in a developing country rural community,” the three researchers noted the “gradient of political and economic power […]
