Food neophobia (FN) is the reluctance to eat novel foods. It peaks around the toddler and preschool years, a sensitive time for developing dietary habits. If this eating behavior persists, children are susceptible to acquiring lifelong unhealthy dietary habits, ultimately affecting their development. Hence, this cross-sectional study involved 88 parents or caregivers of children ages 2 to 5 to describe FN relative to nutritional status (NS) and diet quality (DQ) and identify factors affecting its development. Data were collected using a computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) online survey. Weight-for-height and height-for-age measurements were used to assess NS. While dietary diversity score (DDS) and Menu Eval Plus for DQ. The Child Food Neophobia Scale was adopted to measure FN. No significant associations were noted regarding NS and DQ. However, food-neophobic children had fewer intakes of legumes (p-value=0.041) and non-vitamin A-rich vegetables (p-value=0.048) and excessive intakes of phosphorus (p-value=0.002), vitamin A (p-value=0.027), and riboflavin (p-value=0.037). Snacks and discretionary foods are also frequently consumed as they are readily available and accessible. This behavior may probably be due to the innate preference of children for sweet and salty over bitter and sour flavors. Results warrant further research to develop interventions to address FN in children.

Place attachment has been studied over the past years in the realm of environmental psychology and social sciences. The study explores the place attachment of the residents of Calauan, Laguna, a second-class municipality in the Philippines which faces a very challenging waste problem. Further, the study aims to characterize the degree of place attachment of the residents, determine residents’ environmentally responsible behavior in accordance with their place attachment, and explain the role of place attachment in building community-based solid waste management (SWM) practices in the locality. The study used a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire incorporating socio-demographic characteristics, three (3) parameters of place attachment (place identity, nature bonding, and community ties), and concept of environmentally responsible behavior. Findings revealed that place attachment of the residents, as determined by the three parameters used, were at a high level — a means in having a positive role in building SWM practices. Consequently, decision-making influenced by active citizenry and participatory planning will eventually trigger a holistic and ecologically sound intervention towards the environment.

With the increasing trend of online food delivery (OFD), it is vital to understand its nutritional implications for consumers, considering the rising malnutrition rates in the Philippines. Hence, this study analyzed the association between OFD usage and the nutritional status of sophomore students at UPLB using proportionate stratified sampling and an online self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and tests of independence were used to assess association at p≤0.05. The study revealed that most respondents used OFD platforms 1 to 3 times monthly (44.41%), with an average expenditure of

Improper solid waste management is a common concern for developing municipalities in the Philippines like Irosin, Sorsogon. However, addressing this problem requires informed decisions that cannot be made without current information on the generation of solid waste. Recognizing this information gap, the researchers conducted a waste analysis and characterization study to determine the per capita waste generation rate and the composition of waste generated by the population. The study found that the population’s per capita waste generation rate is 0.331 kgs/day, consisting of 62.52% biodegradable, 23.51% residuals, 9.56% recyclable and 4.41% special waste. The researcher also found that a significant portion of the total waste collected per day (72.09%) could be diverted. Population projections also indicate that the daily waste generation per capita could increase by 139.95 kg/day by 2033. Based on these findings, the study recommends how the local government can handle concerns about solid waste management. The results indicate that the local government should focus on waste separation at the source and waste diversion to alleviate the municipality’s waste problems. Decentralized composting and private-public partnerships were among the recommendations made.

In the Philippines, an underutilized crop known as adlay has been found to contain valuable nutritive potential. Given Filipinos’ usual diet of snacks and ready-to-eat food items, the study aimed to provide an alternative choice for healthy snacks by utilizing adlay in developing cereal bars with an improved nutritional profile. The study developed cereal bars using varying proportions of oats and adlay grains as follows: control (100:0), treatment 1 (75:25), treatment 2 (50:50), and treatment 3 (25:75). The cereal bars were then subjected to sensory evaluation to determine their acceptability using a nine-point hedonic scale with 67 adult respondents. The control and the most acceptable treatment then underwent proximate and mineral analyses (iron and calcium). The sensory data was analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis H-Test with rank analysis, whereas the proximate and mineral content data were analyzed using the student’s t-test at p<0.05. Results showed no significant difference between the control and all the treatments regarding sensory characteristics, and treatment 1 got the highest rank among all treatments. Proximate and mineral analyses revealed that treatment 1 has significantly higher crude protein (11.25 ± 0.66%), crude fiber (10.79 ± 1.22%), crude fat (17.82 ± 1.10%), and calcium (1.08 ± 0%), than the control made of pure oats. The findings, therefore, suggest that adlay can be used as a value-added ingredient in making sensory-acceptable cereal bars with an improved nutritional profile.

Solar irrigation systems are sustainable practices that can improve the well-being of local communities and enhance the resilience of agriculture to climate change while reducing environmental impacts. Due to its high investment cost, small-scale farmers are inclined to use traditional fossil-based irrigation systems that can harm humans and the environment. This study aims to analyze the environmental impacts, economic feasibility, and social acceptability of shifting agricultural practices from diesel-fueled to solar irrigation systems. Taking the perspective of small-scale farmers from Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, results found that solar irrigation system has a higher initial investment but lower maintenance and operational costs. These resulted in an attractive economic feasibility of the project with Php 19,693 of fuel cost savings per hectare per year, a project net present value of Php 10,214 per hectare, a payback period of 8.27 years, and returns on investment at 110%. Additionally, shifting to a solar irrigation system significantly reduces the greenhouse gas emissions from diesel at 199.78 CO2 eq/ha/yr, and avoids air pollutant emissions at 14.91 g/ha/yr particulate matter, 2.98 g/ha/yr nitrogen oxides,193.82 g/ha/yr sulfur oxides, and 149.09 g/ha/yr carbon monoxide. Despite the lack of in-depth environmental awareness, small-scale farmers are interested in investing in solar irrigation systems with 68% social acceptability. Results provide bases for recommendations on promoting more human ecologically and sustainable agriculture irrigation systems in the Philippines and other developing countries.

With the rise of video gaming trends within the Philippines, the risk of malnutrition related to escalated sedentary behavior and poor dietary habits may also occur. This research aims to describe the association between the video gaming lifestyle, dietary habits, and physical activity level (PAL) of university students aged 18-24. The study follows a descriptive study design and uses Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient to determine the relationships of the variables. After correlation tests, gaming addiction level was found to have a weak direct relationship with the frequency of consumption among all food groups (ρ = 0.138±0.047). Weak positive correlation was also discovered with excessive gaming and meal skipping (ρ = 0.184), self-reported loss of appetite (ρ = 0.070), and tendency to eat their meals in front of their gaming devices (ρ = 0.160). Furthermore, PAL is found to have a weak positive correlation with gaming addiction level (ρ = 0.074). Among the sample, excessive video game use was found to be related to all variables, whereas higher chances of becoming pathologic gamers may also imply a tendency in the participant’s increased consumption of caloric-dense foods, poor dietary habits, and moderate to high PAL.

This study aimed to assess the acceptability of arrowroot flour (Maranta arundinacea L.) in the production of salt bread (pandesal) in the country. Two experiments were conducted namely, pre-experiment and actual experiment. The pre-experiment had two trials in making pandesal wherein the first trial focused on producing traditional pandesal (T1, 0%) while the second trial used different percentages of arrowroot flour (T2, 20%; T3, 30% and T4,40%) to determine the optimum ratio with selected flours. The acceptability used a 9-point Hedonic scale wherein 9 is the highest (Like extremely) and 1 (Dislike extremely). Results showed that T1 had the highest general acceptability (7.8, ) followed by T3 (7.5) and both were labeled as ‘Like very much’ while T2 (6.8) and T4 (6.7) were both labeled as ‘Like moderately’. In terms of cost, T1 was the cheapest and T4 as the most expensive. While arrowroot-based flour pandesal is more expensive right now, it was found out to acceptable flour substitute in making pandesal. The use of this flour as alternative in producing bread can help address the problem of the country’s heavy dependence on imported flour. Result of this study and further studies on the use of arrowroot flour will support local farmers in growing arrowroot for other potential uses.

Increasing population and rapid economic growth result in waste management problems in the Municipality of Bay, Laguna. In response, the municipality is planning to invest in an Integrated Waste Management Technology System (IWMTS) that aims to generate public revenue. Key informant interviews, surveys, and focus group discussions were utilized for data collection. Results showed that respondents lack knowledge about IWMTS but perceive positive impacts on waste volume reduction and municipal waste management and little to no negative impacts on health, livelihood, and accessibility. Meanwhile, economic analysis showed that it is estimated to generate an annual revenue of PHP 11.986 million (USD 214,036) with yearly expenses of PHP 3.7 million (USD 66,071). These cash flows are expected to recover the overall capital outlay of PHP 48.14 million (USD 859,642). A net present value (NPV) of PHP 3.164 million (USD 56,500) and a 5.77-year payback period (PBP) were calculated through cost-benefit analysis. The environmental analysis revealed positive impacts on reducing the volume of wastes, water resources, and quality, odor and air quality, and soil and nutrients. Considering these, the study provided recommendations on project implementation to achieve sustainable waste management and circular economy in the municipality.

The Barangay Integrated Development Approach for Nutrition Improvement (BIDANI), implemented by Bicol University (BU) since 1987, has emerged as a significant response to the complex issue of malnutrition in the region. Initially introduced by the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB), BIDANI has demonstrated its ability to address the challenges of poverty, food security, social deprivation, and underdevelopment. BU established the BIDANI Regional Network in Region V, forging collaborations with state universities and colleges, local government units, and government agencies. BIDANI has extended to numerous barangays, municipalities, and provinces through these partnerships. This paper describes the experiences and challenges of BU in institutionalizing BIDANI through documentary analysis and key informant interviews. It explains how BIDANI has transitioned from a mere program to a comprehensive approach and strategy for community development, yielding tangible benefits in the localities it serves. With BIDANI’s impact beyond the immediate sphere of nutrition improvement, it is recommended that BIDANI be institutionalized as a flagship program among higher education institutions, calling for the support and recognition of policymakers, local chief executives, and other stakeholders who acknowledge the program’s importance and its potential to drive sustainable community development.