Research

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

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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15 Dec 2025

The Abaknon’s use of local knowledge to conserve natural resources and adapt to climate change is sustainable

The Abaknon, an indigenous group in Capul Island, possesses unique traditional knowledge and practices that have enabled them to adapt...

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12 Dec 2025

Aggression increases an athlete’s risk of injury

The role of sports, particularly combat sports, in controlling aggression and shaping prosocial behaviors in young people remains unclear. The...

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10 Dec 2025

Luzon provinces are hotspots for severe depression, anxiety, and stress among emerging adults

Despite the enactment of the Philippine Mental Health Act, mental illness remains a significant public health concern, particularly among young...

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Research

This study rigorously explored the multifaceted impacts of the Japanese-funded farm-to-market road (FMR) project in Agdangan, Quezon, focusing on its effects on landowners, traders, and agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs). Through qualitative methods such as direct observations, interviews, and focus group discussions, the research assessed the effectiveness of the FMR in achieving poverty reduction and economic development in rural communities. The findings revealed that while the FMR boosted the economic activities of landowners and traders, it exacerbated inequalities, leaving ARBs marginalized and without equal access to resources. Applying Tanya Murray Li’s frameworks of “The Will to Improve” and “Capitalism from Below,” the study demonstrated how local political and economic structures influenced the distribution of benefits, reinforcing rural elites’ power and deepening existing disparities.

This research contributes to political science by highlighting the role of power dynamics and local governance in shaping foreign aid outcomes, emphasizing the need for inclusive approaches that address structural barriers. By focusing on how the project benefits certain groups, like wealthier farmers, while neglecting marginalized ones, it highlights the uneven impact of development projects. It calls for future research to explore the long-term impacts of such projects, with a focus on social justice and equity, and the influence of local political structures on international aid, aiming for more equitable and sustainable rural development. The study also explores how local power dynamics, such as landownership and political influence, shape the project’s outcomes, revealing that foreign-funded projects may reinforce existing social hierarchies rather than alleviate them. This work contributes to development studies by emphasizing the need for inclusive, context-aware planning to ensure that infrastructure projects foster equitable development for all.

Author: Ma. Josephine Therese Emily G. Teves (Department of Social Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Manila)

Read the full paper: https://brill.com/view/journals/ppsj/45/3/ppsj.45.issue-3.xml

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