Research

As the national university, we champion and support innovative research that addresses the country’s most pressing challenges.

25 May 2026

In the works of Jun Cruz Reyes, the figure and persona of the “palaboy” serve as a Filipino counterpart to the Western concept of the flâneur

Renowned Filipino writer Jun Cruz Reyes is a traveler, and so are many of his characters. This paper closely reads...

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19 May 2026

The use of technology had a negative psychological impact on nurse educators, whether digital natives or digital immigrants, particularly in relation to stress

Technostress is a modern adaptation issue resulting from the difficulty of adapting to technological use. Integrating technology in teaching and...

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15 May 2026

Study examines where and when marine mammals were stranded in the Philippines over an 18-year period

When marine mammals become stranded, these events can provide important information about their health, population changes, biodiversity, and where they...

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30 Apr 2026

Research explores extensions to the Fibonacci and Lucas sequences

If you observe nature, objects, such as pinecones, pineapples, and sunflowers, have a spiral-like structure. Often, these spiral patterns can...

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29 Apr 2026

Correctional officers address incarcerated persons with dignifying language but often revert to stigmatizing labels in private staff discussions

Language profoundly shapes perceptions, particularly within the confines of prisons. This study, which analyzed data from the Scandinavian Prison Project...

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28 Apr 2026

Study looks at how scientists have been able to extract nanocellulose from banana peel, turning waste into something useful

Banana peels (BP) are often thrown away as waste, but they actually contain valuable natural fibers called nanocellulose (NC). These...

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27 Apr 2026

Yerba buena has a wide range of potential health benefits, including antibacterial, pain relieving, and anticancer properties

Yerba buena (Mentha × villosa Huds., family Lamiaceae) is one of the ten herbal medicines endorsed by the Department of...

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24 Apr 2026

Social media, especially when guided by healthcare professionals, can be a powerful tool for patient education and emotional support

Thyroid conditions affect millions of people worldwide and can greatly affect daily life. Since managing these conditions usually takes a...

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22 Apr 2026

Men are likely to practice yoga when they are supported and encouraged by their family, friends, and partners

Despite the growing popularity of yoga, men remain underrepresented in yoga classes and activities. This research aimed to investigate the...

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21 Apr 2026

Areas of the Abra River watershed, particularly near human settlements, show signs of declining ecological health

The Abra River Basin and its associated watershed is one of the 18 major river systems in the country, flowing...

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17 Apr 2026

A community health club has seen improvements in the number of members with hypertension but not in those with diabetes

From 2013 to 2021, the UP Manila Community Health and Development Program partnered with the province of Cavite and its...

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16 Apr 2026

Tensions and disagreements within indigenous communities over representation and creative innovation influence indigenous traditional practices

Street protests led by Igorot left-wing activists feature sharp rhythms of gangsa (flat gongs), political speeches over loudspeakers, and chants...

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Research

Renowned Filipino writer Jun Cruz Reyes is a traveler, and so are many of his characters. This paper closely reads three literary texts written by Reyes: Ilang Taon na ang Problema Mo?, Tutubi, Tutubi, ‘wag Kang Magpahuli sa Mamang Salbahe, and Ang Huling Dalagang Bukid at ang Authobiography na Mali: Isang Imbestigasyon. It centers the figure of the “palaboy” or the “manlalakbay” as they move within, and also mobilize, the literary works. This is done to develop a Filipino counterpart to the Western “flaneur”—the mostly male, middle-to-upper-class individual with the privilege of time and resources to roam the emerging cities of 19th-century Europe, especially Paris. Paying close attention to the literary plot, setting, and events in Reyes’ works, the paper questions and expands the common association between the flaneur and modernity, locating the “palaboy” side by side with “multong modernidad” (apparitions of modernity). In turn, this hints at the familiar point about the ongoing, if not unfinished, project of (Western) modernization of the Philippines, and occasions a reflection on the suitability in the Philippine context of such models of modernity.

By analyzing the three literary works of Reyes, this research article adds to the body of critical writings on his works. The research article forwards the figure of the “palaboy” to engage the Western idea of the “flaneur” as seen in the three primary texts. In doing so, discourses on urbanization and urban-rural relationships, Philippine development, and history are brought up, underlining the paper’s interdisciplinary character. The paper can then be of interest to scholars and researchers doing work in urban and rural studies, human geography, and Philippine literature.

Author: Ivan Emil A. Labayne (Department of Humanities, University of the Philippines Los Baños)

Read the full paper: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/3/folders/1BqPFhYTvYk8vDRhYz59qp8qRpnQlpB42