Bulacan State University

The 21st-century education paradigm and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 aimed to produce and supply highly calibrated and qualified teachers. A professional teacher should pass the licensure examination to become a full-fledged professional teacher. However, licensure examination is one of the hurdles for beginning teachers, and failing rates were still observed among universities and colleges in the Philippines. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the licensure examination success of teacher education graduates in one state university in the City of Malolos, Bulacan covering the years of 2019, 2022, and 2023. This study utilized quantitative trend analysis to determine the trends and success of licensure examination of the stated years. The data revealed that the trend and patterns of licensure examination for teachers (LET) results of beginning teachers for the three consecutive years are above the national passing percentage of 75% and described as satisfactory. The beginning teachers’ satisfactory results produce a significant difference in the following: examination year, elementary education area of concentration, secondary education area of concentration, and examination components. Thus, the strengthening and enhancing the existing curricular and pre-board examination program should be intensified and reinforced to sustain and uplift the university’s standing in terms of success rate.

Unhealthy lifestyles such as consuming less nutritious foods, lack of physical activity trigger accelerated aging. Aging occurs due to inflammatory processes in the body associated with increased levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6). IL-6 is a major pro-inflammatory cytokine involved in pathogenesis of various chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, and autoimmune conditions. Increased levels of IL-6 are associated with systemic inflammation and poor health outcomes. In recent decades, physical exercise has received attention not only for its role in improving fitness but also as a non-pharmacological intervention to modulate the immune response. Currently, there are scarce data on effects of exercise on the IL-6 response. The underlying mechanisms are also still not clearly understood. The physiological response of exercise to IL-6 is important to know and the underlying molecular mechanisms must be clearly understood in order to understand the stages related to the effect of exercise on increasing IL-6. The objective of this study was to determine the mechanism by which physical activity lowers IL-6 levels. In this systematic review, we searched through literature databases including Science Direct, Web of Science, MEDLINE-Pubmed, and Scopus. Our inclusion criteria covered the papers published over the past five years that addressed IL-6 and physical exercise. The Web of Science, Pubmed, and Science Direct databases were used to locate a total of 126 published papers. For this systematic review, ten papers that met the inclusion criteria were selected and examined. Standard operating procedures were evaluated in this study using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Based on the results of this systematic study, it is evident that chronic exercise reduces IL-6 levels. Immediately after acute physical exercise, IL-6 levels are increased. However, there was a downward trend in IL-6 levels during chronic physical exercise. Chronic and regular exercise has been shown to reduce IL-6 levels. as a marker of inflammation. If IL-6 levels may be suppressed through exercise, inflammation will decrease, thus preventing aging which is triggered by the accumulation of inflammatory factors.

The construction industry plays a significant role in global carbon emissions, with cement production being a major contributor. Exploring sustainable alternatives for concrete production is crucial to mitigating the environmental impact of the construction sector. To lessen the influence of the construction industry on the environment, it is imperative to investigate sustainable alternatives for concrete manufacturing. This study investigates the sustainability potential of carbonated water-containing concrete mix designs. Using life cycle assessment utilizing gate-to-gate system boundary, the researcher examined concrete samples' compressive, flexural, pH profiling, and thermogravimetric analysis. The researchers on one of the Brewery Inc. properties carried out the carbonation procedure. Using the data, they applied life cycle analysis to evaluate the concrete mix designs' potential for sustainability. The results indicate the possibility of improving concrete's sustainability and qualities by adding carbonated water, which offers important new information for creating greener building materials.

The continuous advancement of educational technologies has led to the development of innovative academic tools aimed at enhancing assessment methods and student performance analysis. This study introduces the Decision-Based Grading Model System and Student Performance Analysis Using Rule-Based Algorithm, a system designed to modernize the grading process and provide tailored academic support. The system features a flexible grading simulator that allows educators to set minimum passing scores based on predefined parameters such as course requirements, learning outcomes, and institutional policies. It also integrates a rule-based recommendation system that suggests appropriate learning materials and assessments for students who require remediation. The study utilized both qualitative and quantitative approaches, involving expert validation, user feedback, and system evaluation through the ISO/IEC 25010 Software Quality Model. Results show high levels of effectiveness in functionality, performance efficiency, usability, reliability, security, maintainability, and portability. Additionally, accuracy metrics revealed 80% precision, 89% recall, and an F1-score of 84% for the recommendation system, confirming its capacity to deliver relevant interventions. The system promotes academic transparency, reduces manual workload, and aligns grading and assessment strategies with actual student needs. Overall, the study contributes to the evolving landscape of educational technology by offering a dynamic, data-driven approach to academic management.

Mushroom cultivation and processing are increasingly promoted in the Philippines as livelihood options for rural families. However, empirical evidence on their performance as sources of income remains limited. Accordingly, this study examined the viability of household mushroom cultivation and processing as income-generating activities and entrepreneurial opportunities in Bulacan, Central Luzon, Philippines. A descriptive multiple case design was used, involving four mushroom entrepreneurs (three cultivators and one processor) purposively selected, along with key informants from the Central Luzon State University Mushroom Center and the Department of Trade and Industry in Bulacan. Semi-structured interviews documented enterprise characteristics, challenges, support services, opportunities, and income patterns. In addition, simple cost and revenue estimates were prepared for a cultivation setup with 10,000 fruiting bags and a crispy mushroom processing operation using about 100 kilograms of fresh mushrooms per day. The findings show that most mushroom ventures are home-based, require modest capital, and allow household members, particularly women, to combine income-earning activities with family responsibilities. Furthermore, the cases reveal recurring issues in input sourcing, contamination, labor, and market access, which are partly addressed through technical training, product development assistance, shared service facilities, and enterprise development programs provided by support institutions. Financial analysis suggests that cultivators can achieve profit margins of approximately 63-99 percent, depending on the extent of outsourced inputs, whereas processors can generate an estimated 42 percent profit margin. Overall, the study indicates that mushroom cultivation and processing, when supported by appropriate technologies and when given active institutional support, can provide a regular household income and serve as viable entrepreneurial pathways for rural families in Bulacan. Moving forward, the study highlights the need for targeted capacity building, compliance support, market development, and cooperative or cluster initiatives to strengthen mushroom enterprises.

The rapid diffusion of algorithmic decision systems in retail banking has significantly expanded access to formal financial services, particularly among previously underserved populations. However, emerging empirical evidence suggests that expanded access does not uniformly translate into improved financial outcomes. This study advances the concept of the Algorithmic Inclusion Paradox, which captures the counterintuitive dynamic in which algorithmic banking systems simultaneously enhance financial access while undermining users' capabilities and exacerbating conditions of financial precarity. Drawing on the capability approach and contemporary scholarship on algorithmic governance, the study develops a Capability-Governance Framework to explain how automated credit assessment, opaque scoring mechanisms, and weak institutional safeguards interact to erode financial capability despite increased inclusion. The framework theorizes that access expansion operates through distinct structural pathways—mediated by borrower capability and moderated by governance quality—that shape household vulnerability, risk exposure, and resilience within digital banking environments. By integrating human capability considerations with institutional governance mechanisms, this study contributes a theory-building perspective that extends existing financial inclusion and fintech literature beyond access-centric models. The proposed framework offers a basis for empirical testing. It provides policy-relevant insights for regulators and financial institutions seeking to design responsible, human-centered algorithmic banking systems that promote sustainable inclusion rather than financial precarity.