University of Eastern Philippines

This study presents a comprehensive energy audit of the University of Eastern Philippines (UEP) aimed at assessing electricity consumption patterns, identifying inefficiencies, and proposing energy conservation strategies for institutional sustainability. The audit followed a three-phase framework—pre-audit planning, detailed audit and analysis, and post-audit evaluation—guided by the standards of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and ASHRAE. Data were collected from 25 major campus facilities using electricity billing records (2016–2018), field measurements, and stakeholder interviews. Results revealed a 51.4% increase in total electricity expenditure over three years, from ₱4.77 million to ₱7.22 million, driven by infrastructure expansion, increased equipment usage, and reliance on air-conditioning systems. The Cocofed Building, College of Business Administration (CBA) Building, and Bio-Physical Laboratory were identified as the highest energy-consuming structures, accounting for a substantial portion of total campus demand. Seasonal variations showed peak energy use from May to October, corresponding to high cooling loads. Based on audit findings, the implementation of targeted Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs)—including LED retrofitting, HVAC optimization, behavioral reforms, and potential solar photovoltaic integration—could achieve up to 15% reduction in energy use, equivalent to approximately ₱692,000 in annual savings. The study concludes that systematic energy auditing provides an essential framework for data-driven decision-making and long-term sustainability in higher education institutions, particularly in tropical and developing regions.

Notifiable flaviviral pathogens, particularly dengue, continue to pose significant health and economic challenges worldwide, especially in tropical regions where these infections remain endemic. In the Philippines, the risk remains high following the 2019 withdrawal of the Dengvaxia vaccine, with no alternative immunization currently available locally. Recent interest in nucleic acid-based immunogens highlights the need for scalable, non-infectious vaccine production platforms; however, generating high-dose DNA constructs capable of inducing effective immune responses without live-virus propagation remains challenging. Our work from 2018 to 2024 addressed this need through the development of computationally designed, cell-free, PCR-amplifiable DNA constructs using algorithmic overlap extension PCR (OE-PCR) and an improved technique, asymmetric extension supported by a simulator for oligonucleotide extension (AESOE). Subsequent integration of machine learning, including recurrent neural network-based amplification prediction and LAMP primer design, further improved synthesis efficiency and expanded applications for surveillance and diagnostics. The AESOE-guided OE-PCR platform enabled the assembly of synthetic flaviviral DNA fragments of at least 1 kilobase in length from overlapping oligonucleotides, supporting scalable production of synthetic immunogens without the need for infectious viral materials. These live-virus-free strategies may enhance biosafety, reduce development timelines, and improve accessibility for laboratories in resource-limited settings, potentially supporting next-generation vaccine development for dengue and other flaviviral diseases.

This study examined the relationship between teachers’ readiness in mental health capacity building and the mental health literacy of senior high school students. Utilizing a quantitative research design, the study involved 83 senior high school teachers and 342 student-respondents from selected institutions. Teachers’ readiness was assessed across four domains: mental health awareness, early identification, intervention strategies, and self-care practices. Meanwhile, students’ mental health literacy was evaluated in terms of beliefs, knowledge of mental health problems, first aid skills and help-seeking behaviors, and self-help strategies. Findings revealed that teachers demonstrated a generally very high level of readiness in all domains of mental health capacity building, with grand means ranging from 4.28 to 4.59, interpreted as “Very Much Ready.” Among the domains, self-care practices obtained the highest mean, indicating strong recognition among teachers of the importance of maintaining their own mental well-being. Teachers also showed strong readiness in fostering supportive environments, collaborating with mental health professionals, and referring students to appropriate services, although slightly lower ratings were observed in areas related to communication and application of specific intervention strategies. Correlation analysis showed significant positive relationships between teachers’ readiness and students’ mental health literacy. Specifically, all four domains of teachers’ readiness were significantly correlated with students’ beliefs about mental health, knowledge of mental health problems, and use of self-help strategies. These findings suggest that higher levels of teacher preparedness contribute to more positive mental health perceptions, improved knowledge, and increased use of coping strategies among students. Overall, the study highlights the critical role of teachers as frontliners in promoting mental health within schools. Enhancing teachers’ competencies in mental health capacity building can significantly influence students’ mental health literacy and well-being. The results underscore the need for continuous professional development programs to further strengthen teachers’ skills in communication, early identification, and intervention practices.

Purpose This trend paper argues that in disaster-prone regions of developing countries, teaching-led greening, rather than facilities-focused greening alone, has emerged as a future-shaping mechanism for eco-tourism systems. By embedding sustainability competencies, local knowledge and dynamic capabilities into curricula, disaster-exposed Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) can catalyze resilient, low-impact, and inclusive destination development. Design/methodology/approach The paper synthesizes emerging practices in education for sustainable development (ESD), dynamic capabilities theory and tourism futures research to examine how institutionalized teaching-led greening operates as a systemic lever linking curriculum design, assessment, governance and stakeholder partnerships to destination resilience. Findings Teaching-led greening enables HEIs to build a skilled green workforce, diffuse sustainability standards across tourism value chains, support transparent assessment and certification and strengthen community-based livelihoods, contributing to visitor trust, extended stays and climate resilience. Research limitations/implications Calls for comparative, multi-site evaluation of teaching-led greening initiatives and their measurable effects on destination-level tourism and resilience indicators. Practical implications Introduces a five-pillar teaching framework and a three-horizon roadmap linking curriculum levers to eco-tourism outcomes, with relevance for HEIs, tourism stakeholders and policymakers in disaster-prone developing regions. Originality/value The paper repositions the classroom, not only green infrastructure, as a core site of transformation in eco-tourism futures, framing sustainability as a repeatable, assessable capability rather than episodic advocacy.

This study examined the management styles of Chiefs of Police in the municipalities of Northern Samar and their contribution to peace and order using Luther Gulick's POSDCORB framework. Specifically, it described the respondents' demographic and professional profiles, assessed the management styles of Chiefs of Police across the functions of planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating, reporting, and budgeting, and identified organizational factors affecting police administration. The study employed a quantitative descriptive-correlational research design involving 292 respondents, consisting of Chiefs of Police, Police Non-Commissioned Officers, Non-Uniformed Personnel, and Municipal Advisory Group for Police Transformation and Development members. Data were collected using researcher-made questionnaires validated by experts and tested for reliability through Cronbach's alpha, and were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. The findings revealed that the respondents were predominantly male, married, college graduates with considerable law enforcement experience, professional training, and organizational affiliations. The Chiefs of Police demonstrated effective management practices across all POSDCORB functions, with directing and reporting receiving the highest assessments, while planning, organizing, staffing, coordinating, and budgeting were regularly practiced. Despite these strengths, police organizations continued to experience challenges related to staffing shortages, limited financial and logistical resources, and inadequate support for community-based auxiliary forces. The study further found that professional characteristics, particularly educational background, years of service, rank progression, training and certifications, and professional affiliations, played a greater role than personal demographic characteristics in influencing management styles. The study concludes that strengthening leadership development, professional education, resource support, and management competencies may further enhance organizational effectiveness and peace and order initiatives in Northern Samar. This study supports Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions by promoting effective and accountable police leadership and SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities through strengthened local peace and order. Its findings contribute to institutional, governance, and community sustainability by providing evidence that can support leadership development, organizational improvement, and public safety initiatives.