Research

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

26 Nov 2025

The service convenience of live broadcast shopping increases impulse buying by boosting perceived value and e-trust

With the growth of social media and social media marketing, it is natural that the hospitality and tourism industry should...

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25 Nov 2025

Time can only be accessed around a particular set of times

To measure time is to measure a clock. Historically, to ask “how long before harvest?” or “when will the festival...

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24 Nov 2025

The sedimentary rocks in the Central Cordillera, formed about 33–17 million years ago, came from volcanic rocks produced by an underwater volcanic region

Approximately 90% sedimentary rocks cover the Earth’s surface. These rocks are formed from the erosion and weathering of pre-existing rocks....

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21 Nov 2025

A guitar-based program resulted in improvements in hand function among stroke patients comparable to those from conventional therapy

This study aims to determine the effects of guitar lessons (intervention group) in comparison to conventional occupational therapy sessions (control...

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20 Nov 2025

The commemoration of Juan Luna as a nationalist illustrates the dynamic and selective nature of public memory

This paper examines the creation and configuration of public memory in the Philippines by studying the case of Juan Luna....

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19 Nov 2025

Except for changes in the settings featuring women and men, gender portrayals in TV ads in 2010 and 2020 remained largely stereotypical

This study compares Philippine television advertisements in 2010 and 2020 to examine possible differences in gender representation. We conducted a...

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17 Nov 2025

Young adults face many personal conflicts rooted in the belief that personal gain at others’ expense is morally wrong

This study examined how Filipinos in their 20s use different moral discourses to negotiate their personal conflicts. Many conflicts centered...

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14 Nov 2025

Two in five individuals do not want to live in socialized housing, saying the units are too small, poor in quality, and still unaffordable

The most common housing concerns in the Philippines are affordability and supply. In response, the government divided the housing market...

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13 Nov 2025

Evidence shows that during the Pleistocene, Luzon—long thought to lack native large mammalian carnivores—was home to a sizeable predator

Fossils are preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms, often turned to rock. Body fossils include parts like shells, teeth,...

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12 Nov 2025

Some communities in Los Baños, Laguna still face challenges in accessing safe and clean drinking water

Due to rising costs or the inaccessibility of commercial water, many rural communities rely on artesian well (“poso”) water as...

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11 Nov 2025

Walkability in urban cities should also consider the varying accessibility needs of people of all ages

Cities are meant to be places where people can easily access everything they need within a short walk or bike...

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24 Oct 2025

A new approach to volunteerism encourages schools to treat volunteer activities as long-term commitments

This research explored the motivations of students as a basis for deeper and more meaningful engagement among educational institutions in...

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Research

Stingless bee honey is gaining recognition as a superfood because of its exceptional health and therapeutic benefits, which rival—or even surpass—those of the world-famous Manuka honey. As a result, some now describe it as a “miracle liquid” and the “next superfood.”

In our study, we developed a method using handheld X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (hXRF) with machine learning techniques to classify Philippine honey based on its entomological origin. Machine learning makes food authenticity and traceability more reliable. The method will screen or confirm if the honey from Philippine stingless bees is authentic or collected by bees from flowers. This will ensure food authenticity for the benefit of consumers and strengthen the honey industry and economy in the country.

Honey samples from three different bee species were analyzed, specifically the European honeybee (Apis mellifera), the Philippine giant honeybees (Apis breviligula and Apis dorsata), and the Philippine stingless bee (Tetragonula biroi). Random forest and logistic regression models were used on the hXRF dataset for entomological origin classification.

The optimized random forest model classified entomological origin with 85.2 % (225 out of 264) overall accuracy. The logistic regression model confirmed the entomological origin of Philippine stingless bees with 94.1% accuracy and 100.0% specificity. As such, honey that passes this model’s test is undoubtedly made by Philippine stingless bees, making it an excellent screening tool for authenticating Philippine stingless bee honey.

Authors:

Angel T. Bautista VII (Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Nuclear Research Institute), June Hope D. Aznar (Department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Manila), Remjohn Aron H. Magtaas (Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Nuclear Research Institute), Mary Margareth T. Bauyon (Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Nuclear Research Institute), Andrei Joshua R. Yu (Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Nuclear Research Institute), Joshua Kian G. Balaguer (Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Nuclear Research Institute), Jervee M. Punzalan (Department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Manila | Dodd-Waals Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies, Department of Chemistry, University of Otago), Jessica B. Baroga-Barbecho (Bee Program, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños) and Cleofas R. Cervancia (Bee Program, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños)

Read the full paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.143165

Image by stevepb from Pixabay