A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of 60 caregivers regarding complementary feeding and its impact on the nutritional status of their children aged 6–23 months in Panicuason, Naga City, Philippines. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect data using pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s R Correlation tests were used to analyze the data at p<0.05. The results indicated that the households involved had poor conditions in terms of educational attainment, occupation, and household income of the caregivers. The prevalence rates revealed a medium level of underweight (10.0%) and stunting (23.4%), and a poor level of wasting (5.0%). The KAP results demonstrated medium knowledge, positive attitudes, and poor practices among the caregivers. Several KAP components were found to be significantly associated with socioeconomic factors and water sanitation practices. The study found a weak positive correlation between weight-for-age and employment and a weak negative correlation between height-for-age and caregiver-child relationship. This study highlights the urgent need for nutrition education interventions focused on complementary feeding to improve the knowledge and practices of the caregivers. Such interventions are essential for enhancing child nutrition outcomes and potentially influencing positive changes in the attitudes of the caregivers.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of 60 caregivers regarding complementary feeding and its impact on the nutritional status of their children aged 6–23 months in Panicuason, Naga City, Philippines. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect data using pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s R Correlation tests were used to analyze the data at p<0.05. The results indicated that the households involved had poor conditions in terms of educational attainment, occupation, and household income of the caregivers. The prevalence rates revealed a medium level of underweight (10.0%) and stunting (23.4%), and a poor level of wasting (5.0%). The KAP results demonstrated medium knowledge, positive attitudes, and poor practices among the caregivers. Several KAP components were found to be significantly associated with socioeconomic factors and water sanitation practices. The study found a weak positive correlation between weight-for-age and employment and a weak negative correlation between height-for-age and caregiver-child relationship. This study highlights the urgent need for nutrition education interventions focused on complementary feeding to improve the knowledge and practices of the caregivers. Such interventions are essential for enhancing child nutrition outcomes and potentially influencing positive changes in the attitudes of the caregivers.

The volcanic Molucca islands have provided the world with their precious cloves, which have been highly valued in medicinal properties for millennia. Cloves have antibacterial, antiviral, and analgesic characteristics. They were considered silver bullet cures in medieval epidemics and the early COVID-19 pandemic response. Cloves originated from Ternate Island, the center and regional trade hub of the Molucca Islands. Its cloves had reached Babylonia 4,000 years ago, marking its importance in global trade. Qualitative research was conducted on the 1775 Mount Gamalama eruption’s impact on indigenous knowledge development. To confirm the findings, I conducted field visits, key informant interviews, field observations, and a literature review. Tolire Lake is an apparent landmark in Takome village, which has a sacred white crocodile, a java plum hill, a lush forest, stunning landscapes, and an underwater mythical village. The residents are testaments to human resilience, preserving indigenous knowledge and turning it into disaster risk reduction tools. They built settlements on safer ground and designated parts areas for conservation-based tourism. In addition, modern science introduction enhances disaster early warning and alert systems and empowers indigenous communities. Understanding indigenous knowledge and wisdom is critical to building resilience and sustainability through disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts. Indigenous knowledge produces lessons in environmental protection, social justice, and economic growth. The world can learn from indigenous and scientific knowledge combined to sustain the island, its people, and its prosperity.

The volcanic Molucca islands have provided the world with their precious cloves, which have been highly valued in medicinal properties for millennia. Cloves have antibacterial, antiviral, and analgesic characteristics. They were considered silver bullet cures in medieval epidemics and the early COVID-19 pandemic response. Cloves originated from Ternate Island, the center and regional trade hub of the Molucca Islands. Its cloves had reached Babylonia 4,000 years ago, marking its importance in global trade. Qualitative research was conducted on the 1775 Mount Gamalama eruption’s impact on indigenous knowledge development. To confirm the findings, I conducted field visits, key informant interviews, field observations, and a literature review. Tolire Lake is an apparent landmark in Takome village, which has a sacred white crocodile, a java plum hill, a lush forest, stunning landscapes, and an underwater mythical village. The residents are testaments to human resilience, preserving indigenous knowledge and turning it into disaster risk reduction tools. They built settlements on safer ground and designated parts areas for conservation-based tourism. In addition, modern science introduction enhances disaster early warning and alert systems and empowers indigenous communities. Understanding indigenous knowledge and wisdom is critical to building resilience and sustainability through disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts. Indigenous knowledge produces lessons in environmental protection, social justice, and economic growth. The world can learn from indigenous and scientific knowledge combined to sustain the island, its people, and its prosperity.

Research in human ecology and sustainability holds significant importance in addressing global challenges related to the environment, society, and the well-being of the current and future generations. There is an urgent need for a platform to inform new knowledge, practices, policies, and behaviors that contribute toward a more sustainable, resilient, and harmonious coexistence between humans and their environment. The Journal of Human Ecology and Sustainability (JHES) aims to publish interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary research on all aspects of human-environment interactions, community development, and other fields of social science that link with the people, organizations, and government to achieve human-ecological security. This note, which summarizes the contributions in the first volume of the journal, provides a brief background of the transformation of the Journal of Human Ecology to JHES, the official academic publication of the College of Human Ecology, University of the Philippines Los Baños.

Research in human ecology and sustainability holds significant importance in addressing global challenges related to the environment, society, and the well-being of the current and future generations. There is an urgent need for a platform to inform new knowledge, practices, policies, and behaviors that contribute toward a more sustainable, resilient, and harmonious coexistence between humans and their environment. The Journal of Human Ecology and Sustainability (JHES) aims to publish interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary research on all aspects of human-environment interactions, community development, and other fields of social science that link with the people, organizations, and government to achieve human-ecological security. This note, which summarizes the contributions in the first volume of the journal, provides a brief background of the transformation of the Journal of Human Ecology to JHES, the official academic publication of the College of Human Ecology, University of the Philippines Los Baños.

Constructed wetlands are globally recognized as effective nature-based solutions to wastewater treatment providing significant ecological and socio-economic benefits. This study aims to identify the ecosystem services provided by the constructed wetlands and evaluate their economic value. This study administered a survey questionnaire to 270 households of Fishermen’s Gawad Kalinga Village in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental, Philippines and employed a contingent valuation method to investigate their willingness to pay for the constructed wetlands. Respondents identified several ecosystem services of the constructed wetlands including the provisioning (water supply and biomass), regulating (wastewater treatment, water purification, climate regulation, flood prevention), supporting (habitat formation, nutrient cycling, hydrological cycle), and cultural (tourism, educational and research, recreation, aesthetic) services. Results showed that 96.3% of the respondents were willing to pay for the ecosystem services, with a mean of PHP 107.28. In terms of socio-demographic characteristics, age group and sex have no significant impact on WTP; while positive, weak, monotonic association for highest educational attainment; and positive, very weak for monthly income. The findings hold a significant promise for the government and other stakeholders to adopt a constructed wetland in achieving more human ecological and sustainable peri-urban communities.

Constructed wetlands are globally recognized as effective nature-based solutions to wastewater treatment providing significant ecological and socio-economic benefits. This study aims to identify the ecosystem services provided by the constructed wetlands and evaluate their economic value. This study administered a survey questionnaire to 270 households of Fishermen’s Gawad Kalinga Village in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental, Philippines and employed a contingent valuation method to investigate their willingness to pay for the constructed wetlands. Respondents identified several ecosystem services of the constructed wetlands including the provisioning (water supply and biomass), regulating (wastewater treatment, water purification, climate regulation, flood prevention), supporting (habitat formation, nutrient cycling, hydrological cycle), and cultural (tourism, educational and research, recreation, aesthetic) services. Results showed that 96.3% of the respondents were willing to pay for the ecosystem services, with a mean of PHP 107.28. In terms of socio-demographic characteristics, age group and sex have no significant impact on WTP; while positive, weak, monotonic association for highest educational attainment; and positive, very weak for monthly income. The findings hold a significant promise for the government and other stakeholders to adopt a constructed wetland in achieving more human ecological and sustainable peri-urban communities.

Current research has revealed significant benefits of green space exposure (GSE) on psychological stress. However, few studies have explained the cumulative effects of GSE and how these effects vary across different demographic groups, such as gender and education level. This research aims to evaluate the long-term effects of GSE on psychological stress and heart rate variability (HRV) while examining how these effects vary across different demographic groups, such as gender and education level, utilizing Apple Watch data to provide a more objective measure of these effects. In a 6-week experiment, 43 college students were required to engage in GSE at least three times a week, each lasting no less than 10 minutes, based on their schedules. During the experiment, participants wore the Apple Watch continuously to collect physiological data automatically. This study demonstrates a significant reduction in emotional disturbance and notable changes in HRV amplitude following GSE, with variations observed based on gender and education levels. These findings underscore the substantial psychological health benefits of GSE.

Current research has revealed significant benefits of green space exposure (GSE) on psychological stress. However, few studies have explained the cumulative effects of GSE and how these effects vary across different demographic groups, such as gender and education level. This research aims to evaluate the long-term effects of GSE on psychological stress and heart rate variability (HRV) while examining how these effects vary across different demographic groups, such as gender and education level, utilizing Apple Watch data to provide a more objective measure of these effects. In a 6-week experiment, 43 college students were required to engage in GSE at least three times a week, each lasting no less than 10 minutes, based on their schedules. During the experiment, participants wore the Apple Watch continuously to collect physiological data automatically. This study demonstrates a significant reduction in emotional disturbance and notable changes in HRV amplitude following GSE, with variations observed based on gender and education levels. These findings underscore the substantial psychological health benefits of GSE.

Local development planning remains a challenge for municipalities and cities in the Philippines due to the lack of personnel with technical planning capacities and poor database management systems amplified by the recent devolution policy and the COVID-19 pandemic. The need to address these gaps has given birth to the Technical Assistance Program on Human Settlements Planning (TAP-HSP) as a public service and extension program of the College of Human Ecology, University of the Philippines Los Baños. TAP-HSP provides capacity building and technical assistance to various planning institutions in the country and aims to make cities and communities safe, resilient, inclusive and sustainable. This paper explores the history, milestones, components and modalities of TAP-HSP, emphasizing its instrumental role in local development planning in the country. TAP-HSP offers different modalities and planning arrangements through its three components: Capacity Development for Planners, Practice of Profession, and Model Community/City for Sustainability and Resilience. Over the years, the demand for TAP-HSP services has remarkably grown that it has played instrumental roles in empowering local planners, molding future planners, bridging planning theories to practice, championing evidence-based, participatory, and inclusive planning, being a key partner for local development, and advocating for liveable cities and communities in local development planning. TAP-HSP’s relevance shall continue progressing with its sustained excellent program ratings and growing network of LGU partners, positioning it as a key player in local and national development and a promoter of inclusive and sustainable communities.

Local development planning remains a challenge for municipalities and cities in the Philippines due to the lack of personnel with technical planning capacities and poor database management systems amplified by the recent devolution policy and the COVID-19 pandemic. The need to address these gaps has given birth to the Technical Assistance Program on Human Settlements Planning (TAP-HSP) as a public service and extension program of the College of Human Ecology, University of the Philippines Los Baños. TAP-HSP provides capacity building and technical assistance to various planning institutions in the country and aims to make cities and communities safe, resilient, inclusive and sustainable. This paper explores the history, milestones, components and modalities of TAP-HSP, emphasizing its instrumental role in local development planning in the country. TAP-HSP offers different modalities and planning arrangements through its three components: Capacity Development for Planners, Practice of Profession, and Model Community/City for Sustainability and Resilience. Over the years, the demand for TAP-HSP services has remarkably grown that it has played instrumental roles in empowering local planners, molding future planners, bridging planning theories to practice, championing evidence-based, participatory, and inclusive planning, being a key partner for local development, and advocating for liveable cities and communities in local development planning. TAP-HSP’s relevance shall continue progressing with its sustained excellent program ratings and growing network of LGU partners, positioning it as a key player in local and national development and a promoter of inclusive and sustainable communities.