Research

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

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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16 Feb 2026

New mechanical cacao bean huller achieves high-efficiency separation with high-purity nib output

Cacao beans are the key ingredients in making chocolate, and their quality and processing efficiency greatly affect the taste and...

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11 Feb 2026

Lalani of the Distant Sea creates an independent Philippine-inspired fantasy world that transcends national boundaries

Lalani of the Distant Sea, a middle-grade fantasy novel by Newbery Medal–winning Filipino American author Erin Entrada Kelly, illustrates how...

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10 Feb 2026

Some key infrastructure in the reclaimed areas of the Manila Bay Freeport Zone is experiencing significant subsidence or downward ground movement

Land reclamation has been on the rise in the Philippines due to growing demands for land driven by economic and...

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09 Feb 2026

The annual economic value of primary bioresources in Mt. Malindang Range Natural Park is estimated at ₱42.7 million

Mt. Malindang Range Natural Park (MMRNP) in the Philippines is a vital protected area that supports a rich diversity of...

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06 Feb 2026

Inflation in the Philippines is often driven by factors beyond the direct control of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

Inflation is a persistent economic concern that affects everyone in the Philippines, especially the poor. This study looks at what...

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05 Feb 2026

Yeasts collected from Mount Makiling can be viable sources of biofuel

In the quest for sustainable energy sources, scientists are increasingly turning to nature for solutions. A recent study published in...

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04 Feb 2026

Philippine regions differ in their pace of rural transformation, from lagging areas to those shifting beyond agriculture and a few with integrated rural–urban economies

This rural transformation study conducted in the Philippines provides a comprehensive understanding of the status and progress of the country’s...

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03 Feb 2026

A simple artificial intelligence method makes it possible to digitally restore severely degraded historical architectural drawings

Historical architectural drawings are important records of our cultural heritage, but many have been damaged or degraded over time. For...

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02 Feb 2026

New tool helps high school educators assess how well students think in an integrated, transdisciplinary way

In today’s world, solving big problems like climate change, global health, and social inequality requires thinking that extends beyond a...

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30 Jan 2026

Burong isda (fermented fish), indigenous to the Philippines, has probiotic potential for digestive and immune health

Fermented foods in the Philippines, such as burong isda (fermented fish), are not only part of our culinary heritage but...

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29 Jan 2026

The strength and structure of three commercially important bamboo species in the Philippines vary greatly by location

Timber shortages in the Philippines have increased demand for alternative materials such as bamboo, which is used as a substitute...

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Research

In response to a growing human population, greater attempts to correspondingly increase agricultural production become necessary. To boost crop production, pesticides have been widely applied against pests and plant diseases to attain enhanced crop efficiency. Unfortunately, routine application of pesticides brings about adverse effects unintentionally not only on human health but to the environment as well. Acute pesticide intoxication can happen due to the incorrect administration of pesticides, usually a high dose is either inhaled, ingested, or comes into contact with the skin or eyes. Other detrimental and dangerous health consequences can be attributable to the prolonged use of pesticides including problems involving the reproductive system, fetal maldevelopment, increased risk of cancer, and asthma. Identifying pesticide intoxication is important for implementing early intervention efforts.

This study aims to predict whether the patient is intoxicated due to pesticide exposure. Machine learning algorithms were trained and tested on an anonymized and publicly available pesticide exposure dataset.  It also identified which methodological enhancements to the feature selection step and class imbalance handling method would yield the highest predictive capability for pesticide intoxication. Results showed random forest with the most robust and optimum predictive capability generating the highest Matthews correlation coefficient and F1-score in all model configurations.

The integration of these machine learning tools in decision support systems for clinical observation of patients suspected of pesticide intoxication can be useful for swift diagnosis. This is a significant contribution to the health of agricultural workers while ensuring agricultural productivity. Future research can use another dataset with more varied pesticide intoxication. 

Authors: Hannah Gabrielle D. Buizon (Department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics, University of the Philippines Manila), Odedjinn Caezar Y. Suba (Department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics, University of the Philippines Manila), Rencio Noel Q. Simangan (Department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics, University of the Philippines Manila), Ma. Sheila A. Magboo (Department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics, University of the Philippines Manila) and Vincent Peter C. Magboo (Department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics, University of the Philippines Manila)

Read the full paper: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10908794

Image by zefe wu from Pixabay