Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology

This study examines farmers’ perceptions and understanding of adopting innovative and technology-based agricultural practices for sustainability. It identifies the main drivers and barriers influencing farmers’ decisions to adopt technology, with the aim of encouraging farm-level research and promoting agricultural development. The study included 114 respondents and used a descriptive correlational research design. The findings show that farmers have a high level of understanding and positive attitudes toward technological innovation in agriculture. Key drivers of adoption include economic considerations, sociocultural factors, institutional support, and technological aspects. However, several major challenges limit adoption, including insufficient financial resources to purchase machinery, limited access to bank loans, and inadequate farm inputs such as land, quality seeds, mechanization, fertilizers, and pesticides. The results also indicate that years of farming experience are significantly related to economic factors. In addition, the type of agricultural mechanization and tools is significantly associated with technological aspects, while participation in training activities is significantly related to sociocultural and technological factors. Overall, the findings suggest that wider use of modern technology and machinery can be expected if these barriers are addressed.

Flexibility and body composition are important components of physical fitness and play a key role in health promotion and disease prevention. As sedentary lifestyles increase worldwide, it is important to assess health indicators in different populations, particularly in the Philippines, where the prevalence of overweight and obesity is rising. This study examined the relationship between flexibility and body composition using the sit-and-reach test and body mass index (BMI). A cross-sectional observational design was applied to 130 first-year undergraduate students at Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology in the Philippines. Data on age, height, weight, and BMI were collected, and flexibility was assessed using the sit-and-reach test. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and t-tests were used for data analysis. The results showed sex-based differences in demographic and body composition characteristics, with males generally having higher BMI values and females showing a higher prevalence of underweight. Although flexibility scores varied widely among participants, no statistically significant relationship was found between flexibility and sex, age, or BMI. These findings highlight the complex nature of flexibility and suggest that future studies should consider lifestyle factors, levels of physical activity, and genetic influences when designing health interventions for university students.

This descriptive–correlational study examined institutional readiness for integrating Augmented Reality (AR) in teaching and faculty awareness of Ethno-STEM pedagogy in a state college in Masbate Province, Philippines. Institutional readiness was assessed in terms of technological infrastructure, technical and administrative support, faculty digital competence, and organizational culture, while faculty awareness of Ethno-STEM was examined through conceptual understanding, perceived pedagogical value, and contextual application. Data were gathered from thirty-five (35) full-time faculty members using a validated survey instrument and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s product–moment correlation through Jamovi. Results indicated that institutional readiness for AR integration (M = 3.02) and faculty awareness of Ethno-STEM pedagogy (M = 3.18) were both at a moderate level. While technological infrastructure and organizational culture were generally adequate, technical and administrative support emerged as a key area needing improvement. Faculty members demonstrated greater appreciation of the pedagogical value of Ethno-STEM than their capacity to apply it effectively in culturally contextualized instruction. Correlation analysis revealed that faculty digital competence (r = .482, p = .004) and organizational culture (r = .356, p = .041) were significantly associated with Ethno-STEM awareness, whereas technological infrastructure and technical support were not. These findings suggest that human and cultural dimensions of institutional readiness play a more decisive role than material resources in advancing culturally responsive, technology-enhanced pedagogy. The study provides empirical evidence to inform capacity-building initiatives that emphasize faculty professional development, supportive organizational cultures, and enabling institutional policies for effective AR and Ethno-STEM integration in teacher education.

This study evaluated the organizational health of an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture in the Philippines by developing an Organizational Health Behavioral Index (OHBI). The study used a descriptive quantitative design supplemented by qualitative analysis to capture 52 randomly selected employees' perceptions of their workplace environment. Data were collected using a standardized OHBI survey derived from Jaafari et al. (2023), which included aspects such as awareness, appreciation, interpersonal interactions, engagement, internal communication, employee persona, organizational culture, and employee voice. For quantitative data, descriptive and inferential statistical tools were used, whilst qualitative replies were analyzed thematically. The study found that the organization excelled in awareness (x̄=3.56) and relations (x̄=3.36), while internal communication (x̄=3.26) and appreciation (x̄=3.15) were regarded as successful but needed improvement. Employee engagement (x̄=2.80) was identified as the most essential concern, requiring focused actions. Qualitative findings identified teamwork and camaraderie as organizational strengths, whereas unfavorable cultural pockets, limited career progression prospects, and workplace politics emerged as recurrent issues. The estimated OHBI score was 74.75, indicating a generally healthy organizational climate with opportunities for improvement. Based on these findings, the report suggests implementing strategic initiatives such as formal employee appreciation programs, improved internal communications, career development frameworks, transparent promotion processes, leadership development programs, and culture-building workshops. These ideas attempt to promote an organizational culture that is cohesive, appreciative, and engagement-driven, with a focus on employee well-being and professional development.

The global challenge of microbial resistance to antimicrobial drugs has prompted the search for new agents from natural sources like medicinal plants. This study focuses on Moeroris amara, a traditional Indian medicinal plant, to assess its antibacterial potential against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538) and Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), common causes of skin and urinary tract infections, respectively. Samples were collected from Aliaga, Nueva Ecija, and ethanol (95%) was used to extract the plant components. Proximate analysis determined the nutritional composition, while phytochemical screening assessed Total Phenolic Content (TPC) and Total Flavonoid Content (TFC). Disk diffusion method was used to assess the antibacterial activity. The analysis revealed Moeroris amara leaves contain 7.6% ash, 5.4% crude fat, 15.0% crude fiber, 13.6% moisture and 19.30% crude protein, suggesting potential health benefits. High levels of phenolic and flavonoid compounds were found, with TPC at 260.65 mg GAE/g and TFC at 193.65 mg RHE/g. The ethanolic leaf extracts exhibited significant inhibitory activity against both bacterial strains. In conclusion, M. amara shows promise as a natural source for antimicrobial agents due to its significant nutritional and antibacterial properties. Its high phenolic and flavonoid content contribute to antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Further research is recommended to explore its potential as functional foods and natural antimicrobial agents.

This study aims to address the critical challenge of delivering practical laboratory skills during remote instruction. The purpose was to determine the perceptions of Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) General Science and Technology graduate students regarding the pedagogical value, challenges, and effectiveness of mandatory lab-at-home experiences. A descriptive survey design was employed, utilizing a 5-point Likert scale and an open-ended question, with 20 graduate students participating. Results indicated a positive perception, particularly regarding instructional quality, with the clarity of design receiving a mean score of 4.85 out of 5. This result affirms the success of the experience in conceptual learning. Qualitative findings highlighted key benefits, including the promotion of student resourcefulness, time efficiency, and flexibility. Conversely, critical limitations were identified, such as a lack of precision due to non-calibrated equipment, concerns over safety supervision, and the absence of collaborative peer interaction. The major conclusion is that the lab-at-home experience is an excellent complementary pedagogical strategy, efficient for conceptual development and promoting creativity. Still, it must be integrated into a hybrid model to ensure proper training in safety, standardization, and quantitative accuracy.

Difficulties in understanding concepts of Direct Current Circuits remain a persistent issue in physics learning, particularly in relating circuit construction, measurement, and conceptual reasoning. Therefore, this study aims to profile students’ conceptions of Direct Current (DC) circuits using the Multiple-Activity-Representation approach. This qualitative descriptive analysis research involved eight university students enrolled in the Fundamental Physics II course (2024/2025) at a university in Madiun. Students were asked to design, construct series, parallel, and combined circuits connected to a power supply, and measure current and voltage across each resistor. Data were collected through performance tasks, observations, and interviews, and analyzed through data reduction, categorization, and triangulation. Students’ conceptions were profiled into three categories: α, β, and γ. The findings reveal three distinct conception profiles. Students in category α were able to design and construct all types of closed circuits but demonstrated difficulties in conducting accurate measurements. Students in category β could design and construct series and parallel circuits but struggled with combined circuits and measurement processes. Students in category γ were able to design various circuit configurations conceptually but encountered difficulties in physically constructing combined circuits. These results indicate varying levels of conceptual and procedural understanding in DC circuits, particularly in integrating circuit representation, construction, and measurement. The study implies that the Multiple-Activity-Representation approach is useful for diagnosing the depth of students’ conceptions and identifying specific areas requiring instructional reinforcement, especially in experimental measurement and conceptual integration

Chicken manure is an abundant agricultural waste stream capable of supporting decentralized biogas power systems. This study presents a techno-economic assessment of a 160 kW biogas generator operating on chicken-manure-derived biogas in a tropical Philippine farm. Using realistic but generic technical parameters, the system consumes approximately 90 Nm³/hr of biogas at 55% methane content and generates an estimated 1.27 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity annually. Methane mitigation totals roughly 260,000 kg/year, equivalent to 6,500 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂eq) using a Global Warming Potential over 100 years (GWP100) of 25. Diesel displacement exceeds 380,000 liters annually. With a capital cost of PHP 6.5 million and annual operating expenses of PHP 1.4 million, the system achieves net annual savings of approximately PHP 15 million, yielding a payback period of about five months and a Return on Investment (ROI) exceeding 200%. Findings demonstrate that chicken-manure-fed biogas generator systems offer strong technical, environmental, and economic benefits suitable for rural energy applications.

This study presents the development of an AI-driven classification framework using a DenseNet convolutional neural network (CNN) to differentiate between real and AI-generated (fake) images. With the increasing sophistication of generative models, distinguishing authentic visual content from synthetic ones has become a critical challenge in digital media authentication and artificial intelligence ethics. The proposed DenseNet architecture leverages dense connectivity and feature reuse mechanisms to efficiently extract both low-level texture features and high-level semantic representations, ensuring optimal feature propagation and gradient flow. The model was trained and validated on a balanced dataset of real and AI-generated images. Results demonstrated outstanding performance, achieving an overall accuracy of 99.61%, with precision, recall, and F1-scores all exceeding 99% for both classes. The training and validation loss curves showed rapid convergence, indicating strong generalization and stable learning behavior. Furthermore, the confusion matrix revealed only two minor misclassifications out of 512 validation samples, emphasizing the model’s robustness and reliability. These findings affirm the potential of DenseNet as an effective and accurate tool for AI-generated content detection. The study concludes that DenseNet’s architecture provides a viable framework for digital content authenticity verification and recommends extending the dataset to include generative outputs from newer AI models to enhance resilience against evolving synthesis techniques.