University of Makati

Global health policy faces complex challenges shaped by persistent inequalities, emerging diseases, environmental change, and technological transformation. Despite advances in medicine and public health, many populations still experience limited access to quality healthcare, essential medicines, and financial protection. The growing burden of non-communicable diseases and mental health conditions further strains health systems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. At the same time, threats from pandemics, antimicrobial resistance, and climate-related health risks demand stronger global cooperation and preparedness. Innovations such as digital health and artificial intelligence offer opportunities to improve service delivery and surveillance, but they also raise ethical and governance concerns. Addressing these issues requires resilient health systems, equitable policies, and human rights–based approaches that prioritize universal health coverage, health equity, and sustainable global health governance.

Nurse-led telehealth is emerging as a powerful tool in chronic kidney disease care, improving treatment adherence, patient satisfaction and access to support while showing potential to reduce hospital use. As evidence continues to grow, these personalised, collaborative models are becoming an increasingly important part of modern kidney care. Background: Chronic kidney disease and its sequelae impose substantial clinical and economic burdens worldwide. Although tele-nephrology has emerged as a promising approach to extend specialist support, most programmes are physician-led, and the unique contributions of nurse-led telehealth models remain insufficiently characterised. Objective: To systematically review and synthesise evidence on the effectiveness of nurse-led tele-nephrology interventions for adults with chronic kidney disease, dialysis dependency or kidney transplantation, focusing on clinical outcomes, treatment adherence, quality of life, patient satisfaction and healthcare use. Methods: A systematic review with narrative synthesis was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines. Studies published in English between 2015 and 2025 were identified from five databases. Eligible studies evaluated telehealth interventions involving nurses and reported clinical, behavioural or patient-reported outcomes. Quality was appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Results: Seven studies were included. Interventions included telephone follow-ups, video consultations, messaging apps and remote patient monitoring. Nurse-led tele-nephrology consistently improved treatment adherence, discharge readiness and patient satisfaction. Studies showed reduced hospital admissions or emergency visits. Video and phone modalities were effective for coaching and behavioural support, while mobile messaging improved engagement and self-monitoring. Long-term clinical outcomes such as kidney function and quality of life were variably affected, though no harm was reported. Conclusion: Nurse-led tele-nephrology interventions enhance adherence, satisfaction and select clinical outcomes in chronic kidney disease care. High-quality, multicenter trials are warranted to confirm sustainability, cost-effectivenessnand long-term benefits, and to inform scalable, nurse-driven digital kidney care models. Implications for practice: Nurse-led telehealth should be considered as a key component of routine CKD care to support treatment adherence, improve patient engagement and satisfaction, and potentially reduce hospital utilisation. Successful implementation requires personalised, accessible telehealth models integrated within multidisciplinary kidney care teams, with ongoing evaluation to optimise long-term patient outcomes.

This study examines the transformation of Tandula-nen Tagbanua identity in Palawan, through their narratives of lived experiences, situating identity as a dynamic process rather than a fixed legal category. Tandula-nen social life was anchored in inogtula-nen or story centered on the tibor, a sacred jar imbued with spiritual authority and customary law. These stories functioned as the foundation of collective identity, regulating social order, land relations, and moral conduct before the mainstream interventions. Using an ethnographic approach, this research draws on ordinary encounters, conversations, and storytelling with the Katigulangan(elders) and Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representatives (IPMRs) across Tandula-nen settlements. The study locates identity not in territorial permanence but in narrative continuity, tracing how identity shifts from place- and object-centered into shared lived experiences of displacement, migration, and engagement with imposed law. The findings show that the Tandula-nen identity, from a singular, place-based identity symbolized by the tandol, is transformed into a plural yet collectively held identity carried across spaces and presently symbolized by the stone. This transformation diverges from the fixed and general definition of indigeneity imposed by the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA). While the law provides legal recognition and land claim rights, it simultaneously constrains Indigenous self-determination by standardizing identity.

Research productivity shapes how state universities compete for funding, talent, and global visibility, yet Philippine higher education still lacks a national, indicator-based picture of where that productivity stands and where it is heading. This study addresses that gap through a comparative bibliometric assessment of Philippine State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) using Scopus-indexed data retrieved through Elsevier SciVal for 2015–2025, combined with a five-year forecast (2026–2030) built on Holt's damped linear trend model. The analysis covers three core indicators, Scholarly Output, Citation Count, and Field-Weighted Citation Impact, aggregated across 17 Philippine regions and tested with the Kruskal-Wallis H test, Durbin-Conover post hoc comparisons, and epsilon-squared effect sizes. Results show a decade-long rise in publication output across nearly every region, led consistently by Region III (Central Luzon), which produced 1,952 cumulative publications and 14,365 citations, the highest totals nationwide. Regional differences in both publication output and citation impact are statistically significant across every period tested (p < .001), and the forecast indicates that this gap will persist through 2030 rather than close on its own. Citation performance, unlike publication counts, fluctuates sharply across periods, a pattern consistent with citation lag rather than declining research quality. These findings indicate that Philippine research policy has succeeded in raising publication volume nationally but has not yet closed the gap between leading and lagging regions, and that closing it will require capacity-building investment targeted at specific institutions rather than uniform, system-wide incentives.

BackgroundOnline harassment has emerged as a global crisis, impacting nearly 40% of adult internet users and inflicting deep-seated "soul pain." While traditional support is standard, there is a lack of structured interventions addressing the ontological insecurity caused by digital cruelty. This study explores the integration of biblical promises as "anchors" within spiritual nursing care to restore a victim's inherent sense of worth.MethodsFollowing Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines and the PCC framework, a scoping review was conducted across six major databases (2015-2025). Ten high-impact primary studies (N = 10) were selected for thematic synthesis based on their explicit focus on the intersection of digital trauma and faith-based coping.ResultsThematic synthesis revealed a four-stage trajectory: (1) digital displacement, (2) the clinical necessity of spiritual assessment, (3) the application of biblical anchors, and (4) identity restoration. Findings suggest that anchoring identity in the Imago Dei provides a stable alternative to the "digital mirror" of social media.ConclusionsThe proposed "Five Directional Statements of Restoration" framework operationalizes these findings for clinical practice. Ethical implementation is emphasized, requiring informed consent and alignment with the patient's faith tradition to ensure autonomy and avoid spiritual coercion. This review concludes that specialized spiritual nursing care offers a restorative remedy for digital shame, fostering unshakeable resilience.