Research

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

14 Aug 2026

Research on climate change and health in the Philippines focuses mostly on Luzon, with very few studies utilizing long-term data

Climate change affects health worldwide, but its impacts are often greater in vulnerable countries like the Philippines.

In 2024,...

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12 Aug 2026

Child development research draws predominantly from North America, leaving low- to middle-income countries underrepresented

Increasing geographical and cultural diversity in research participation has been a key priority for researchers who are working on child...

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11 Aug 2026

Turtle taxa first appeared in Malesia or insular Southeast Asia during the Pleistocene

Situated between the Indomalayan and Australasian realms, Malesia (insular Southeast Asia)—comprising the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, and Timor-Leste—is a biogeographical province...

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07 Aug 2026

Moderate-density pond and pen systems yield the best growth, survival, and biomass for blue swimming crabs

The blue swimming crab (BSC) plays an important role in the crustacean fishing industry. However, its population in the wild...

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05 Aug 2026

Study compares the genetic profile of GL01, a novel Filipino non-small cell lung cancer cell line, with the commonly used A549 cell line

Lung cancer remains one of the most prevalent and fatal malignancies globally, accounting for over 1.7 million deaths in 2020....

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04 Aug 2026

A 10-megawatt solar power plant in three sites in Lanao del Sur can significantly reduce electricity costs while improving energy security and access in the province

In Lanao del Sur, many families continue to face limited access to affordable and reliable electricity. The local cooperative, LASURECO,...

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03 Aug 2026

Increasing cash transfers to 4Ps beneficiaries can help lift the poor out of destitution

As a conditional cash transfer initiative, the Philippines’ Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) aims to break future poverty. By incentivizing...

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31 Jul 2026

Despite government funding, R&D in the Philippines is hampered by budget constraints, bureaucratic delays, complex procurement, and talent shortages

Research and development (R&D) is important because it turns new ideas into better products, services, and processes that can make...

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30 Jul 2026

Students are more likely to cheat under intense pressure or when they rationalize the behavior

Technology has become a big part of education, making learning more convenient and flexible. However, it has also made cheating...

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29 Jul 2026

Tagalog-learning infants discriminate “na” and “nga” at 10–12 months but not at 4–6 months

Although infants are traditionally understood to possess universal discrimination abilities, this framework relies predominantly on studies of Indo-European languages. To...

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28 Jul 2026

Themes of betrayal and loyalty anchored the affective polarization seen in the 2025 Philippine midterm elections

Before the 2022 Philippine presidential election, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte formed a strategic alliance, combining two of the...

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27 Jul 2026

Nearly 31% of Philippine cropland converted to built-up areas was located within legally protected zones

Rapid urbanization in the Philippines has intensified pressure on agricultural lands, heightening concerns regarding national food security and environmental sustainability....

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Research

Climate change affects health worldwide, but its impacts are often greater in vulnerable countries like the Philippines.

In 2024, the Philippines registered the highest disaster risk in the world, with significant exposure to different intensity levels of earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones, coastal and riverine flooding, droughts, and sea-level rise. Its susceptibility to these disasters, lack of coping capacities, and lack of adaptive capacities jointly elevate such risk (Frege et al., 2024).

In this paper, we wanted to understand how research on climate change and health in the Philippines has evolved in recent years. This review looked at studies published from 2018 to 2023 and compared them to an earlier coping review.

We searched thousands of scientific articles and found 69 studies that met our criteria. These studies were grouped into six main topics: diseases and injuries linked to climate, direct effects of weather (like heatwaves and storms), effects on ecosystems that influence health, impacts through human systems such as healthcare and infrastructure, adaptation strategies to cope with climate risks, and health benefits that can come from climate change mitigation.

Compared to the previous scoping review (1980–2017), there has been a clear rise in research, especially in areas like mental health, gender-specific vulnerabilities, and adaptation measures. However, most studies were focused in Luzon, meaning other regions like Visayas and Mindanao are underrepresented. Very few studies used long-term data, and research on the added health benefits of climate change solutions remains scarce.

Our findings show that progress has been made, but important gaps remain. More research is needed in other parts of the country, with better long-term monitoring and analysis, to guide policies and ensure climate and health actions are equitable and effective.

Authors: Clarissa De Guzman (Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila), Megan Lorenza Cabaero (Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila), Jude Raphael Lo (Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila), Jimmy Loro (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, Makati, Philippines), Maria Vinna Crisostomo (Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila), Michelle Ylade (Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila) and Kristal An Agrupis (Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila)

Read the full paper: https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2025.1594793