The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) is a public research and open university and distance education institution headquartered in the town of Los Baños, Laguna, with satellite offices in Quezon City, Metro Manila. It is the fifth constituent university of the University of the Philippines System.Established in 1995 from the UP Distance Education Program. UPOU offers both graduate and undergraduate degrees as well as diploma courses and Professional Teaching Certificates (PTC) to Filipino students in more than 70 countries. It also offers MOOCs on various subjects through its official platform, Massive Open Distance eLearning (MODeL), and hosts it's degree programs through its official student portal, MyPortal, both learning platforms were developed using a free and open-source learning management system called Moodle. As of 2019, UPOU had 4,086 students enrolled in various programs representing 7.3% of the student population of the entire university system. This makes it the 4th largest constituent university by student population after UP Manila, and just slightly more than UP Visayas, which had 7.2%, while having the smallest budget of any constituent university. UPOU is a member of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE).
BACKGROUND:The worldwide acceleration of digital transformation in healthcare underscores the need for professionals to continuously adapt and sustain robust digital health competence, shaped not only by individual characteristics and institutional environments but also by broader social, cultural, and geopolitical factors. OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to identify distinct clusters of digital health competence among healthcare professionals across 19 diverse countries and regions, and to examine the factors influencing the development and distribution of these competence clusters. METHODS:A cross-sectional international survey study was conducted between 2023 and 2024, using a validated survey instrument measuring digital health competence and its influencing factors. Data were collected from healthcare professionals in 19 countries and regions (n = 6440; n = 5945 used for this study), following a harmonised protocol with shared demographic templates and instruments. K-means cluster analysis was employed to derive digital competence profiles, with comparative analyses conducted to investigate associations between the identified clusters and individual characteristics (e.g., age, education, professional experience). RESULTS:Five distinct clusters of digital health competence were identified: (1) Beginners, (2) Developing Professionals, (3) Emerging Users, (4) Proficient Practitioners, and (5) Pioneers. Higher competence clusters (4 and 5) were associated with younger age, higher education, hospital-based work, and stronger perceived support from management, organisational structures, and colleagues. In contrast, lower-performing clusters reported limited digital engagement and minimal support. Perceived leadership influence, particularly managerial commitment to digital change, was a key differentiator across clusters. CONCLUSIONS:The findings demonstrate substantial variation in digital health competence across healthcare professionals internationally. Cluster-specific strategies, such as targeted upskilling, peer mentoring, and leadership engagement, are needed to address competence gaps. The results provide a foundation for policy development and workforce training frameworks aimed at strengthening digital readiness in global healthcare systems. Future research should explore longitudinal competence development and evaluate targeted interventions.
Theater arts serves as a transformative space that nurtures both personal growth and collective well-being. Beyond performance, theater fosters flourishing through embodied storytelling, mindfulness, and reflection, enabling participants to regulate emotions, build resilience, and strengthen empathy. Within the university curriculum, theater integrates creativity, collaboration, and cultural engagement, preparing students with essential life skills while affirming identity and community. Rooted in Filipino values and supported by global practices such as drama therapy and applied theater, it emerges as a holistic tool for education and healing. Ultimately, theater cultivates authenticity, resilience, and connection, making it central to human flourishing.
The COVID-19 pandemic compelled higher education institutions to transition from traditional classroom instruction to flexible learning to sustain educational continuity. Framed within Daniel’s Iron Triangle of Education Framework and moving beyond descriptive accounts, this study explored how the perspectives of students, faculty, and administrators shape these tensions between issues of access, quality, and cost. Thematic analysis revealed that participants viewed FL as a combination of traditional and digital approaches, a product of the pandemic, and a potential means to attract new students. Divergences emerged between increased access and decreased student motivation; enhanced faculty skills and increased workload; and institutional affordability versus the need for additional investment. The study concludes that flexible learning entails ongoing negotiation among cost, access, and quality shaped by stakeholder perspectives on FL itself. Recommendations emphasise the need for inclusive planning, sustained faculty training, and investment in digital infrastructure, and strategically framing FL as a long-term and sustainable mode of education.
This study aims to analyze the risk and return efficiency from the selected 30 financial firms that are recognized by the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) from 1993 to 2022. The Mean-Variance Portfolio is used in order to create an optimal portfolio that will balance the risk and return efficiency. The gathered data from the following financial firms’ documented stocks are meticulously studied compared with the performance of the processed portfolios in the PSE Index (PSEi). The study also underwent descriptive analysis, including a one-sample t-test on paired-return differences, to assess the comparison between the portfolio’s performance and the benchmark. In accordance with this, the top three companies were identified per risk-return factor (RRF) based on their percentage. The results showed a selective difference in the performance of portfolios depending on the level of the risk-return rate. This study suggests that when the RRF level is lower, it is likely beneficial and practical for conservative investors, but it has a lower return, compared with a higher RRF level, it has the potential to have a higher return, with higher risk. This study may serve as a guide for investors or other organizations that will also undergo the same research discussion on portfolio optimization.
Portfolio selection aims to maximize investment returns while maintaining an acceptable level of risk. It aims to maximize returns while keeping risk within acceptable limits. This approach involves choosing investments that yield the highest possible return without exceeding a defined risk threshold. This study explores a framework for building portfolios that could outperform a benchmark, using a safety-first approach and analyzing 30 years of historical returns from nine subsectors within the Service Sector. Back testing indicates that some portfolios from these subsectors have the potential to outperform both the broader Market and the overall Service Sector. However, t-test results do not provide strong statistical evidence that any of these portfolios significantly outperform the Market. The selected portfolios are determined based on their mean and cumulative returns, specifically including Telecommunications (SF1), and Casino and Gaming (SF1). The study identifies a statistically acceptable portfolio for some subsectors, as the t-test results are significant across varying portfolio parameters, while the comparison with the benchmark using the t-test result stated otherwise.
