Research

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

07 Jan 2026

Senior high school students demonstrate low levels of environmental awareness, particularly in their knowledge of environmental topics

The Philippines, like other countries, is facing environmental challenges. One perpetuating problem is deforestation, which has a severe impact on...

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06 Jan 2026

Low-intensity physical activity through Sheng Zhen Gong supports physical and mental well-being during pregnancy

Maintaining some level of physical activity during normal pregnancy is widely recommended by healthcare providers. However, in many Asian cultures,...

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05 Jan 2026

A functional ingredient using pomace, a byproduct of pineapple processing, was developed as a sustainable approach to waste management

The study aimed to develop a functional ingredient using pomace, a byproduct of pineapple juice processing from selected varieties in...

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30 Dec 2025

UP Diliman, UP Los Baños

Advanced machine learning models now enable reliable prediction of maximum temperatures in Manila and Dagupan City

The extreme rise in temperature and accelerating climate change present significant challenges to sustainability, particularly in urban areas. Climate change...

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29 Dec 2025

UP Diliman, UP Manila

Remote sites benefit the most from primary care interventions with the highest increase in outpatient consultations and the largest decrease in out-of-pocket expenses

Unequal access to health services remains a major problem in the Philippines. Social, economic, and geographic barriers limit people’s access...

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26 Dec 2025

UP Los Baños

To preserve the Ifugao Rice Terraces, it is essential to integrate traditional knowledge with modern techniques

The Ifugao Rice Terraces in the Philippines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are a living testament to centuries of indigenous...

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23 Dec 2025

UP Diliman

Logistic regression is a reliable model for predicting licensure exam performance of future math teachers

In the Philippines, passing the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) is a crucial step in becoming a professional teacher, but...

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22 Dec 2025

UP Los Baños

Socio-structural explanations can support, rather than undermine, vice epistemology

Epistemic structuralism is a school of thought that says society greatly affects how we gain knowledge and understanding. This can...

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19 Dec 2025

UP Diliman, UP Los Baños

Newly developed algorithms make it easier to predict the long-term behavior of complex biological systems

Understanding how complex biological systems work—like how our bodies process nutrients or how the environment balances carbon—requires accurate models. Biochemical...

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18 Dec 2025

UP Diliman

In a small island community, government shortcomings in post-disaster housing reconstruction and flood adaptation projects have resulted in continued vulnerability

The article examines the material realities of housing reconstruction in Isla Sasa, an island community located in an estuary of...

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16 Dec 2025

The National Greening Program had little effect on forest cover in Central Visayas from 2013 to 2019

This study assessed the effectiveness of reforestation efforts in Central Visayas from 2013 to 2019 using satellite imagery (Landsat 8)...

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16 Dec 2025

Students perceive teachers as more credible and effective when using realistic avatars over cartoonish ones in the metaverse

Teaching in the metaverse presents a dynamic frontier for educational innovation. Avatars, serving as digital representations of teachers, play a...

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Research

This rural transformation study conducted in the Philippines provides a comprehensive understanding of the status and progress of the country’s regions toward transitioning from a purely agriculture-based to a non-agriculture-based rural economy. Rural transformation is part of the broader development process in a country. With poverty being highly concentrated in agriculture and rural sectors, there is a critical need to help the agriculture-dependent rural population improve their socioeconomic status by accelerating rural transformation in their areas, specifically by helping them shift from low-paying agricultural livelihoods or employment to more income-generating non-agricultural activities and ultimately linking them to the urban economy.

In this study, the different stages in the rural transformation process and the factors affecting them are discussed. Findings reveal that the regions in the Philippines are at different paces of transformation, where some are lagging, others are moderately shifting towards non-agricultural economic activities, while only a few, particularly those regions that are economically-advantaged and proximate to the National Capital Region (i.e., CALABARZON and Central Luzon), have almost fully transformed, with their rural and urban economies already well-integrated. The study confirms the important roles of institutional support, enabling policies and programs, and agricultural and rural investments at each stage of the transformation. However, it emphasizes the need to make these interventions targeted and timely with proper sequencing because the needs of each region vary depending on the level or stage of transformation.

This study provides an empirical investigation of the Philippines’ rural transformation, which is a critical step towards accelerating rural development and reducing poverty in the country. It contributes to the limited research done in the Philippine context and fills the literature gaps in the field of agricultural and rural transformation. The study provided recommendations to address the unique challenges of uneven regional transformation, which can help the Philippines fast-track its journey towards inclusive and sustainable rural development.

The findings and implications of this study also hold significant relevance for other developing Asian nations facing similar challenges, including those experiencing premature structural transformation, rural–urban divide, and spatial inequalities in rural transformation. They can guide researchers, policymakers, and development practitioners in planning strategies for accelerating rural transformation in other countries.

Authors: Karen Q. Custodio (College of Economics and Management, University of the Philippines Los Baños) and Mercedita A. Sombilla (Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, Los Baños)

Read the full paper: https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020253