Research

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

20 Feb 2024

UP Los Baños

Study describes the expansion of three types of universe and the likelihood of having advanced civilizations among us

In this study, we investigate how life can spread from one planet to another in a simplified universe where planets...

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15 Feb 2024

UP Baguio

Wild sunflower, an invasive weed, can serve as a natural pesticide against the golden apple snail

This article focuses on investigating the molluscicidal properties of an invasive weed, Tithonia diversifolia (wild sunflower) against Pomacea canaliculata (golden kuhol) which has been considered...

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13 Feb 2024

UP Visayas

Oysters and mussels may contain high loads of bacteria by the time they reach consumers which makes them unsafe for raw consumption

Oysters and mussels are widely cultured shellfishes in the Philippines mostly intended for local consumption. After harvesting, they are transported...

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12 Feb 2024

UP Diliman, UP Mindanao

Davao City’s dual thoroughfares have good landform, light and color, and vegetation, and are relatively peaceful according to quantitative study

This study sought to assess the visual quality of dual thoroughfare streetscapes in Davao City, specifically identifying existing visual components...

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08 Feb 2024

UP Manila

Vaccination significantly reduces the chances of getting long-COVID and, in some cases, improves existing long-COVID symptoms

The emergence of COVID-19 brought about a global health crisis of unprecedented proportions. As vaccination campaigns were rolled out, researchers...

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07 Feb 2024

UP Los Baños

Higher education, marriage and abstaining from smoking lower risk of undernutrition whereas being female increases likelihood of overnutrition

Malnutrition in multiple forms is a public health crisis in many countries. The different forms of malnutrition affects numerous countries...

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06 Feb 2024

UP Diliman

Researchers modify the Friedmann equation and predict unique signs for the current era of the universe for the first time

Moments near the Big Bang, the universe underwent rapid and accelerated expansion called inflation. Any two objects that were 1...

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05 Feb 2024

UP Manila

Before intervening in SOGIE-based harassment, bystanders consider the type of harassment, risks to their safety and victim’s need for help

In the Philippines, there have been rising incidences of harassment directed at Filipinos who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans,...

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02 Feb 2024

UP Cebu

Filipino students value competence the most in business leaders whereas Finnish students prefer friendliness

This article sets out to examine cultural differences in perceiving leaders’ visual and non-verbal behavior. It examines and compares how...

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01 Feb 2024

UP Diliman

Embodying the Filipino “transpersonal worldview” can remind us of our relationship with nature and promote respect for it

In the indigenous Filipino belief, nature is filled with spirits. After we pass on, we return to nature, becoming anito....

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31 Jan 2024

UP Diliman

The Libingan ng mga Bayani is a social space where epitaphs signal social relationships and realities

In this paper, I looked at the epitaphs found on grave markers in Libingan ng mga Bayani. I investigated how...

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30 Jan 2024

UP Manila

Review explores how genetic and social factors contribute to the development of gender-based cancer differences among Asians

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally. Sex differences in cancer are evident in death rates and...

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Research

Stringent lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic and the systemic exclusion of transgender (trans) experiences and narratives in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in the Philippines cultivated precarious access to SRH systems among local trans communities during the public health crisis. With the shift toward digital health initiatives (DHIs), this study aimed to explore the experiences of local trans communities in using DHIs to access SRH care and gender-affirming services, information and providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing from online interviews with 13 self-identified trans Filipinos living in the Philippines during the pandemic, I argue in this article that DHIs during the COVID-19 pandemic presented opportunities for local trans communities to access trans-specific and responsive healthcare amid longstanding geographic, economic and social barriers to health-seeking. These online communities of care not only connect trans Filipinos to culturally competent and affordable care but also foster a sense of belongingness and support, especially given the social and physical isolation that intensified due to pandemic lockdowns.

However, as the narratives of trans Filipinos illustrate, DHIs that connect trans communities to the formal healthcare system are limited in their capacity to address structural and systemic inequities vis-à-vis trans health. In response to such inequities, local trans communities leverage diverse digital spaces to navigate community-based trans-responsive pathways to care to ensure that their health needs and rights are met and secured. To that end, this study underscores the need to reevaluate the implementation of DHIs in the country vis-à-vis its responsiveness to the trans community’s specific health needs. Taken together, this study underscores the need to go beyond technical access to care to ensure that trans-inclusive and trans-responsive sources and providers of care are made available throughout the healthcare system. As the narratives of trans Filipino communities illustrate, the narratives, experiences, and practices within their online communities of care may be the key to actualizing such a healthcare system not only in the Philippines but all over the world. The findings of this study emphasize that DHIs address discontinuities in access and delivery of gender-affirming health services, especially those that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Author: Luis Emmanuel A. Abesamis (Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of the Philippines Manila/Department of Sociology and Behavioral Sciences, De La Salle University Manila)

Read the full paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116284