Research

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

02 Apr 2024

UP Diliman

Philippine presidents have used different strategies in their Labor Day speeches to appeal to audiences

How do Philippine presidents frame their messages about labor and migration, especially during Labor Day? Studying this research domain is...

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26 Mar 2024

UP Diliman

ChatGPT, although a promising tool that can complement nutrition education, still has substantial limitations such as incorrect responses

The field of health and medical sciences has witnessed a surge of published research exploring the applications of ChatGPT. However,...

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20 Mar 2024

UP Diliman

Living alone increases level of anxiety; no link between anxiety and time spent with smartphones

This quantitative research was completed with the primary objective of determining whether anxiety and digital phenotypes might be regarded as...

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13 Mar 2024

UP Manila

False information about the unsuccessful rollout of Dengvaxia® has made it harder for the public to value vaccination programs

The study aimed to identify various issues related to the Dengvaxia® (a dengue vaccine) controversy and link these issues with...

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08 Mar 2024

UP Diliman, UP Los Baños

Violence Against Women desks in barangays lack equipment and officers who can carry out responsibilities effectively

The Violence Against Women (VAW) Desk, established by virtue of Republic Act 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women, is...

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08 Mar 2024

UP Los Baños

Research analyzes the shortcomings in Catholic schools’ responses to sex abuse cases that occurred under their watch

This article focuses on sex abuse and abuse of power in Catholic schools in the Philippines.

I used a theological...

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06 Mar 2024

UP Diliman

High concentrations of endocrine-disrupting compounds from domestic wastewater and industrial effluents have been detected for the first time in major rivers in Mega Manila

Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are environmental contaminants of emerging concern due to their possible health effects on humans and aquatic...

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01 Mar 2024

UP Diliman

The economic dynamism indices of cities and municipalities in metropolitan areas are spatially correlated, which suggests “complementation” rather than competition

The measurement of cities and municipalities competitiveness in the Philippines has been put in place by the Department of Trade...

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29 Feb 2024

UP Diliman

New research confirms the Philippines’ Last Glacial Maximum antiquity at 20,000 to 25,000 years ago based on oldest fossil remains which include the iconic tiger

Across the last 20,000 years, human societies adapted to significant climate and environmental change. One key region for investigating these...

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22 Feb 2024

UP Diliman

State suppression of human rights activism and civil society restrictions will hinder Indigenous languages from being “preserved, revitalized and promoted”

In 2019, the United Nations announced its intention to hold an International Decade of Indigenous Languages starting in 2022, in...

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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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Research

The research, conducted over seven years and involving over 80 scientists worldwide, aims to contribute to our understanding of butterfly phylogeny. It determined the initial flight paths of butterflies and identified their first host plants. The study revealed that butterflies originated approximately 100 million years ago, with all but one family present before the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. Based on aggregated datasets and global distribution records, it is likely that butterflies initially fed on the pea family and originated in what is now the Americas. Following the Cretaceous Thermal Maximum, butterflies migrated across Beringia and diversified in the Paleotropics.

Another significant contribution of this research is the importance of the Philippines in studying the dispersal, colonization and evolution of butterflies. This research will create more opportunities for research in the Philippines in understanding the evolution of other taxa in the country and interrogate how other insects of economic importance arrived in the Philippines as well as their potential as pests. Studies such as this can enrich class discussions and inspire students to do similar work in the future.

Authors: Jade Aster T. Badon (Animal Biology Division, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Banos) et al.

Read the full paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-023-02041-9