The University of the Philippines (UP; Filipino: Pamantasan ng Pilipinas .mw-parser-output .noitalic{font-style:normal}or Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 2008), giving it institutional autonomy.Originally founded by the American colonial government on June 18, 1908, it was established through the ratification of Act No. 1870 of the 1st Philippine Legislature to serve as an "advanced instruction in literature, philosophy, the sciences and arts, and to give professional and technical training" to eligible students regardless of "age, sex, nationality, religious belief and political affiliation."The University of the Philippines system has 8 constituent universities (CUs): UP Diliman, which serves as the system's flagship university, UP Los Baños, UP Manila, UP Visayas, UP Open University, UP Mindanao, UP Baguio, and UP Cebu which are scattered across 17 campuses.Widely regarded and often cited as the Philippines' top university system, its alumni include a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, 7 of 16 Philippine presidents, 14 of 26 chief justices, 36 of 42 national scientists, and 40 of 57 national artists, the most of any university. UP's alumni also include more senators as well as members of the Philippine House of Representatives than any other university. Among its alumni are also 15,000 doctors, 15,000 engineers, 8,000 lawyers, 23,000 teachers, and thousands of graduates in other academic fields, which comprise some of its approximate 260,000 living alumni worldwide. UP has the most National Centers of Excellence and Development among higher education institutions in the country, and is one of the only three schools in Asia that have received institutional recognition in the Ramon Magsaysay Awards. Senate Resolution No. 276 of the Senate of the Philippines recognizes the institution as "the nation's premier university"; UP ranks as the country's No. 1 university, among the top 100 Asian universities, and among the top 400 universities worldwide in annual university rankings.mw-parser-output .mw-parser-output .mw-parser-output .mw-parser-output .mw-parser-output .mw-parser-output .mw-parser-output .
The Philippines typically experiences over 20 typhoons every year, resulting in catastrophic damage to both infrastructure and human lives. A dome-type structure has a potential to withstand such natural calamities, but its complex shape makes it challenging to model and analyze compared to conventional ones. This study identified which among the combinations of six cases of diameter (10m, 12m, 14m, 16m, 18m, and 20m) and 2 types of frequency (2V and 4V) yielded a geodesic dome that can withstand cyclonic-scale wind loading (313.8 kph wind speed of Super Typhoon Goni) by performing a structural analysis using a developed Excel tool incorporating the provisions of the National Structural Code of the Philippines (NSCP 2015). The study concludes that 2V geodesic domes with diameters of 14 meters and below, and 4V geodesic domes with diameters of 12 meters and below, are safe for use as residential units, capable of withstanding the strongest typhoons.
The paper presents a case of a civil society initiative that enables youth to lead advocacy campaigns to strengthen mental health governance in the Philippines. It begins by presenting how youth in the Philippines are affected by mental health issues and a quick review of government policies. It then shares the experience of and lessons from PRO-Health, a civil society health rights initiative, which is collaborating with the largest student organization in the country, the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP), to organize youth to lead advocacies to improve mental health governance. Particularly, it shows why and how young people should lead mental health advocacy, focusing on the kind of evidence that can be generated, how the capacities of youth can be enhanced, and the importance of multi-level and multi-sectoral linkages in youth organizing for accountability. The paper ends by discussing the Youth on Mental Health Assemblies being convened that have formulated a youth-led and youth-centered mental health agenda.
Kapok fibers exhibit high hydrophobicity due to the presence of cutin on its surface. It also has oleophilic properties, making it a suitable sorbent for oil spill cleanup applications. To further improve its sorption capacity for industrial oils, e.g. bunker oil, modification of kapok fibers via in-situ deposition of calcium stearate was conducted. Two solvents (ethanol and ethyl acetate based on solubility) were considered in the preparation, while the efficiency of post-washing in removing excess coating powder was also determined. Results showed using ethanol and ethyl acetate during modification enhanced the surface roughness and hydrophobicity of the kapok fibers. Then again, ethanol is recommended considering its chemical properties, environmental and health hazards, and economic factors. An increased in water contact angle from 136° to 143° was observed. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed that the calcium stearate coating on the modified kapok surfaces remained even after post-washing. Initial results for the BFO sorption capacity of raw and modified fibers were 43.61 g/g and 43.43 g/g, respectively. Although the performance of both sorbents were not significantly different ( p -value = 0.45), the coating of fibers can potentially mitigate its storage and transportation concerns including spoilage and flammability. The results of this study provide a basis for future research on the development of kapok-based sorbents for effective marine oil spill remediation.
Corn husks, containing 50-55% cellulose, offer a sustainable source of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) with high thermal stability, tensile strength, and biocompatibility, making them ideal for reinforcing Shape-Stabilized Phase Change Materials (SSPCMs). In this study, CNCs were extracted from corn husks and integrated into polyethylene glycol (PEG) composite films to enhance their thermal and structural properties. The extraction process, verified through functional group analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction, involved alkali treatment and bleaching. CNC-PEG composite films with varying CNC concentrations (0%, 2.5%, 5%, and 10% by weight) were fabricated via solvent casting and analyzed using TGA and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). DSC revealed exothermic and endothermic peaks indicating crystallization and glass transition, with CNC addition increasing the melting temperature (T m ) by 2.4°C at 2.5% CNC loading. While CNC slightly lowered the decomposition temperature, the improved thermal properties, particularly at 2.5% CNC, show great potential for enhancing the stability and performance of SSPCMs, making them more efficient for thermal energy storage applications.
