Research

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

25 May 2026

In the works of Jun Cruz Reyes, the figure and persona of the “palaboy” serve as a Filipino counterpart to the Western concept of the flâneur

Renowned Filipino writer Jun Cruz Reyes is a traveler, and so are many of his characters. This paper closely reads...

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19 May 2026

The use of technology had a negative psychological impact on nurse educators, whether digital natives or digital immigrants, particularly in relation to stress

Technostress is a modern adaptation issue resulting from the difficulty of adapting to technological use. Integrating technology in teaching and...

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15 May 2026

Study examines where and when marine mammals were stranded in the Philippines over an 18-year period

When marine mammals become stranded, these events can provide important information about their health, population changes, biodiversity, and where they...

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30 Apr 2026

Research explores extensions to the Fibonacci and Lucas sequences

If you observe nature, objects, such as pinecones, pineapples, and sunflowers, have a spiral-like structure. Often, these spiral patterns can...

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29 Apr 2026

Correctional officers address incarcerated persons with dignifying language but often revert to stigmatizing labels in private staff discussions

Language profoundly shapes perceptions, particularly within the confines of prisons. This study, which analyzed data from the Scandinavian Prison Project...

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28 Apr 2026

Study looks at how scientists have been able to extract nanocellulose from banana peel, turning waste into something useful

Banana peels (BP) are often thrown away as waste, but they actually contain valuable natural fibers called nanocellulose (NC). These...

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27 Apr 2026

Yerba buena has a wide range of potential health benefits, including antibacterial, pain relieving, and anticancer properties

Yerba buena (Mentha × villosa Huds., family Lamiaceae) is one of the ten herbal medicines endorsed by the Department of...

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24 Apr 2026

Social media, especially when guided by healthcare professionals, can be a powerful tool for patient education and emotional support

Thyroid conditions affect millions of people worldwide and can greatly affect daily life. Since managing these conditions usually takes a...

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22 Apr 2026

Men are likely to practice yoga when they are supported and encouraged by their family, friends, and partners

Despite the growing popularity of yoga, men remain underrepresented in yoga classes and activities. This research aimed to investigate the...

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21 Apr 2026

Areas of the Abra River watershed, particularly near human settlements, show signs of declining ecological health

The Abra River Basin and its associated watershed is one of the 18 major river systems in the country, flowing...

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17 Apr 2026

A community health club has seen improvements in the number of members with hypertension but not in those with diabetes

From 2013 to 2021, the UP Manila Community Health and Development Program partnered with the province of Cavite and its...

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16 Apr 2026

Tensions and disagreements within indigenous communities over representation and creative innovation influence indigenous traditional practices

Street protests led by Igorot left-wing activists feature sharp rhythms of gangsa (flat gongs), political speeches over loudspeakers, and chants...

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Research

Due to population growth and economic development, the sustainable management of municipal solid waste (MSW) remains a challenging issue for developing and even developed countries. To address this problem, different countries are implementing various strategies and technologies to decrease the environmental footprint of MSW. These include the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), segregation at source, composting, circular economy (CE), sanitary landfilling, and their combinations. Another promising technology is waste-to-energy (WtE), which complements the previous strategies by closing the loop of a CE. Waste-to-energy (WtE) technologies are clean technologies that support a circular economy by providing solutions to managing non-recyclable waste while generating alternative energy sources.

Waste-to-energy (WtE) helps reduce the need for new landfills, processes nonrecyclable waste, supports recycling and the recovery of valuable materials, and contributes to energy security by converting waste into usable fuel, heat, or electricity. Moreover, energy utilization of MSW makes it possible to simultaneously solve several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6, SDG 7, SDG 11, SDG 12, and SDG 13, by addressing waste management, improving public health, providing clean energy, promoting sustainable urban development, encouraging responsible consumption, and mitigating climate change.

Despite the promising benefits, technology adoption is challenged by financing constraints, technical maturity, environmental impacts, supporting policies, and public acceptance. A growing number of studies have analyzed the acceptability of WtE and identified the factors affecting the adoption of WtE technologies. This study aims to analyze these research hotspots, technologies, and acceptability factors through a combined bibliometric and systematic analysis. An initial search of the Web of Science and Scopus databases identified 817 unique documents, and refinement yielded 109 for data analysis.

The results present a comprehensive overview of the state of the art, providing researchers with a basis for future research directions. Among the WtE technologies in the reviewed literature are incineration, anaerobic digestion, gasification, and pyrolysis, with limited studies about refuse-derived fuel and landfilling with gas recovery. The identified common factors affecting the acceptability of waste-to-energy projects include perceived risks, trust, attitudes, perceived benefits, “Not-In-My-Backyard” (NIMBY), awareness, and knowledge. Moreover, the findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and WtE project planners to support WtE adoption and achieve sustainable, circular, and low-carbon economies.

Authors: Casper Boongaling Agaton and Marween Joshua A. Santos (Department of Community and Environmental Resource Planning, College of Human Ecology, University of the Philippines Los Baños)

Read the full paper: https://doi.org/10.3390/cleantechnol7030063