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.

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.

This study was conducted to compare the UPLB students’ awareness, knowledge, attitudes and practices (AKAP) on sustainable fashion. It also described their socio-demographic characteristics, explained their AKAP on sustainable fashion, analyzed the relationship between their AKAP towards sustainable fashion, and compared the AKAP of students who have not yet taken the HUME 112 (Sustainability Science) course (first cohort) and students who finished the HUME 112 course (second cohort) on sustainable fashion; and formulated recommendations on the AKAP of selected UPLB students. This research was conducted using a quantitative research method with 225 selected UPLB students determined through purposive sampling. A self-administered survey questionnaire through Google Forms was used as a research instrument. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlation, and Mann-Whitney U-test. Results showed that the respondents from the first cohort showed a moderate level of awareness, while the respondents from the second cohort showed a high level of awareness. For the knowledge level, both cohorts (first cohort is 77%, second is 95%) had a high level of knowledge on sustainable fashion. Both cohorts showed favorable attitudes towards sustainable fashion and had a moderate level of practice towards sustainable fashion. Variables such as awareness and knowledge, awareness and practices, and knowledge and practices had a significant relationship with each other for the first cohort, while only awareness and knowledge and awareness and practices for the second cohort. Lastly, results showed a significant difference in the awareness and knowledge level between the two cohorts.

The geographical location of Catanduanes makes it known as the island of howling winds. As the years passed, typhoons came to the island more frequently and with higher magnitudes due to climate change. With this phenomenon, Catandunganons faced risks not just for their lives but for their sources of income. Mixed methods of research were used through a community-participatory approach and non-probability sampling method using a purposive sample to include participants who represent a wide range of experiences and perspectives related to the vulnerability, exposure, and sensitivity of the communities for the past ten years (October 2010- October 2020). Findings revealed that selected coastal communities in Virac experienced typhoons very frequently for the past ten years; Magnesia del Norte was considered highly sensitive in terms of biophysical and socioeconomic aspects while communities such as Magnesia del Sur, Marilima, and Batag were considered moderately sensitive. The coastal communities of Magnesia del Norte and Marilima have an extremely high adaptive capacity. This implies that these communities can easily adapt to the hazards of climate change; Magnesia del Norte and Marilima were the coastal communities that were extremely vulnerable to the hazards of climate change. It was further recommended that selected coastal communities be considered in providing sustainable livelihood programs since they are extremely vulnerable to climate change hazards. Furthermore, coastal communities must also be engaged in disaster-risk reduction training to raise their awareness of responding to a disaster; let vulnerable communities participate in planning, design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of disaster risk activities as they play key roles in identifying the risks they may face during a disaster, and enhance the capacities of the local communities to lessen the vulnerability.

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.

Lockdown measures brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic have notably shifted food purchasing behavior towards online food delivery services (OFDS). This study examined consumer satisfaction with OFDS and their relationship to food choice and frequency of use among 18-24-year-old University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) students. Through a survey of 80 students who used OFDS during the pandemic, our results revealed that while price significantly influences food choice, the quality of online service (E-service quality or ESQ) results in customer satisfaction. Notably, our analysis showed a strong, positive relationship between food choice factors (i.e., mood, convenience, sensory appeal, natural content, and price) and consumer satisfaction factors (i.e., time-saving orientation (TSO), hedonic motivation (HM), price-saving orientation (PSO), convenience motivation (CM), food quality (FQ), and ESQ), which, in turn, correlated with increased usage frequency. These findings highlight the importance of a comprehensive approach in online food service offerings to enhance well-being by addressing the key factors influencing consumers’ food choices and satisfaction. Our study suggests that improving factors such as hedonic motivation could encourage frequent use of OFDS, underscoring the need for targeted strategies to cater to young adult preferences in the changing dynamics of food delivery services.