Research

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

05 Mar 2026

Motherwork includes often difficult conversations as mothers try to regulate their adolescents’ social media use

This study rests on the premise that motherhood is composed of unaccounted invisible work. Moreover, motherhood is not a natural...

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04 Mar 2026

There are some cases where individuals can reasonably believe in claims of miraculous events

When people claim that a miracle has happened—like someone suddenly healing from an incurable illness or holy bread turning into...

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03 Mar 2026

Indigenous myths are closely connected to the lived experiences and ongoing struggle of the Lumad for self-determination

Myths that involve sacred spaces largely make up local knowledge among Indigenous Peoples across continents. Often, these myths are dismissed...

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02 Mar 2026

Study uses machine learning to predict whether a patient is intoxicated due to pesticide exposure

In response to a growing human population, greater attempts to correspondingly increase agricultural production become necessary. To boost crop production,...

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27 Feb 2026

Researchers use ChatGPT in their writing mainly out of trust in the technology than perceived usefulness

ChatGPT has attracted the attention of the scientific community. Unlike existing writing tools that are conventionally capable of checking styles,...

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26 Feb 2026

Croplands in Tarlac have been reduced due to their conversion into farms for solar power plants

Clean energy, such as solar power, is an important solution for reducing carbon emissions and ensuring a stable energy supply....

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25 Feb 2026

Films function as visual records of national violence and their inclusion in cinematic archives is crucial to preserve historical memory

This research revisits the discourses surrounding films about the regime of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. It proposes the employment...

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24 Feb 2026

Scientists develop a model that shows how heat moves during femtosecond pulsed laser ablation

Imagine a laser so fast, it can zap tiny bits of metal in the blink of an eye. This process,...

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23 Feb 2026

Density is not only experienced by residents but also actively produced through their discursive and material practices

While there is a long and varied history of research on urban density, there is little work examining how
high-density urbanism...

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20 Feb 2026

Nine plant species in the beach forest of Hijo in Davao del Norte are considered threatened

Philippine flora, noted for its high levels of endemism, is increasingly threatened by deforestation, climate change, illegal logging, and infrastructure...

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19 Feb 2026

ASEAN would benefit from a shared regulatory framework for business competition, particularly in relation to artificial intelligence

Big tech companies are facing more and more scrutiny over their business practices, especially in the US and Europe, where...

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18 Feb 2026

A comprehensive approach to landfill management is essential to enhancing urban resilience in the context of climate change

In 2050, the global waste levels are expected to rise by 69% from 2016 levels, reaching 3.4 billion tons. Unfortunately,...

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Research

In the Philippines, representation of gays has long been dichotomous. There is the bakla, depicted as flamboyant, effeminate and low class; and there is the gay (also called the Brokeback Mountain type), depicted as more refined and masculine-acting. With the advent of digital technologies, these representations of gayness have transcended the silver screen and found their way into dating apps and social media, subsequently birthing the concept of the halata.

This term first rose to prominence because of gay men in dating apps declaring “pass sa halata,” marking their rejection of a potential partner because of their being too much like the bakla. In my study, I move beyond the halata’s pejorative connotation on dating apps and study how it is being conceived and defined in the Facebook Group Samahan ng mga Halata, a Facebook group known for peddling gender-based content.

My results indicate that while the halata mainly pertains to people who take on the image of the bakla, it can now also be used to pertain to gay men who act straight. My results also uncover that the halata is inherently sexual, is fascinated with queer content, and is empowered by his co-halata in online spaces to rally against larger issues affecting him and the queer community at large. These results show that the halata is a term full of contradictions, but marks the latest iteration of gayness in the age of social media.

My research project constitutes the latest documentation of the shifting terms of Filipino gayness. This research is relevant especially in an age where gender and sexuality are continually displayed, defined, and depicted on social media.

My results further show that online spaces such as Facebook Groups can facilitate the (re)definition of gender identity. While these platforms can be used for comedic or banal purposes, they can also be used as an outlet for marginalized groups to showcase their personalities, bond over shared struggles, and rally around larger issues that affect them. Moreover, as the concept of the “halata” gay has often been used as a discriminatory term in the queer dating scene, my study allows for a better understanding of what it actually means to be “halata,” as well as the sentiments and frustrations that stem from such an experience.

Lastly, by applying symbolic interactionism as a framework to understand the online phenomenon of the “halata,” I contribute to existing literature on communication studies, social media, and gender research.

Author: Jethro Bryan Andrada (University of the Philippines Baguio, Department of Communication, College of Arts and Communication, University of the Philippines Baguio)

Read the full paper: https://doi.org/10.52518/2025-08andrd

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