Samar State University

This study forecasted rice production in Northern Samar using three predictive models: Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), Random Forest Regression (RF), and Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average with Exogenous Variables (SARIMAX). The analysis utilized cleaned datasets from 2016 to 2024, covering 23 municipalities after excluding San Vicente due to data insufficiency. Two explanatory variables—area harvested and tropical cyclone frequency—were used, with the former projected through Random Forest (SMAPE = 12.75%) and the latter using a constant mean approach. For rice production forecasts, MLR demonstrated steady upward trends and yielded the lowest MAPE in 4 municipalities, notably Catarman (5.48%) and Las Navas (3.91%). RF achieved the lowest MAPE in 17 municipalities, with exceptional accuracy in Lapinig (1.63%), Laoang (3.58%), and Lavezares (3.40%); however, it failed to capture long-term growth as it produced identical forecasts for 2030, 2035, and 2040—indicating limitations in trend sensitivity due to capped inputs. SARIMAX, while incorporating time-series structure and external factors, displayed inconsistent performance with the lowest MAPE in only 2 municipalities (Allen: 6.56%, Biri: 25.43%). Its trend outputs were often unstable in areas with irregular patterns, making it less suited for long-range forecasting. Among the three models, MLR proved most practical for long-term planning due to its interpretability and ability to reflect realistic growth. RF was best suited for short-term accuracy and baseline projections, while SARIMAX offered mixed results depending on data structure. These forecasts serve as valuable tools for local agricultural planning, guiding food security initiatives and resource allocation in Northern Samar.

Aims: This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of high school student farmers in Northern Samar, Philippines, focusing on how they navigate their dual roles as learners and contributors to household agricultural labor, and how these roles shape their schooling experiences, identity formation, and future aspirations. Anchored in a phenomenological lens and informed by an ecological perspective on child development, the study sought to illuminate how individual experiences are embedded within family, school, and socioeconomic contexts. Study Design: The study adopted a qualitative research design using transcendental phenomenology to capture the shared essence of student farmers’ experiences. Place and Duration of Study: The research was conducted at rural farming communities in Northern Samar, Philippines, during the School Year 2024-2025 (June 2024-March 2025). Methodology: Twelve high school students from Grades 7 to 10 who were actively involved in rice and coconut farming, together with their parents, were purposively selected based on documented patterns of farm-related absences. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, parent-consented documentation, and field observations. Transcripts were systematically analyzed through phenomenological procedures of identifying significant statements, formulating meanings, clustering themes, and describing the shared essence of the phenomenon. Results: Four major themes emerged: (1) daily experiences marked by the continuous negotiation between schooling and farming responsibilities; (2) challenges in balancing roles, manifested in absenteeism, physical fatigue, and emotional strain; (3) meaning-making of a dual identity as both learners and family contributors; and (4) influence on educational goals and future aspirations, where farming-related hardships simultaneously constrained learning opportunities and cultivated resilience, perseverance, and hopes for socioeconomic mobility. Despite academic disruptions, students consistently articulated schooling as a critical pathway toward improving their life circumstances. Conclusion: Farming functioned as both a constraint and a motivating force in the educational lives of student farmers. By foregrounding their lived realities, this study contributes to the limited qualitative literature on rural student labor in Southeast Asian contexts and challenges deficit-oriented narratives of working learners. The findings underscore the need for context-sensitive educational policies and school-based interventions—such as flexible attendance mechanisms, targeted academic support, and strengthened school–community partnerships—to better support rural students who balance schooling with livelihood demands.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the competencies and training preferences of hospitality management students at the University of Eastern Philippines (UEP) to serve as a foundation for developing a skills enhancement program. The study employed a descriptive research method with a survey design and involved third-year hospitality management students from the UEP Main Campus in Northern Samar. A five-point Likert scale was used to measure students’ perceived competence levels and training preferences. The findings indicated that students consider themselves to have high competence in areas such as Philippine historical and cultural heritage, professionalism and ethics, global citizenship, housekeeping operations, F&B service and operations, and risk management. Conversely, students reported moderate competence in preparing financial reports, human capital development functions, administrative and managerial skills, tourism laws, and creating and implementing business plans. Despite their perceived high competence in some areas, students expressed a strong preference for training on housekeeping, F&B service and operations, and risk management. Other highly preferred topics for a skills development program included Guest Service in Hospitality and Tourism, Food Styling and Design, Bartending, Cocktail and Mocktail Mixing, and Tour Guiding. The majority of respondents (84.3%) were willing to attend the training sessions, with a preferred duration of 1 hour and 30 minutes per week. The results will be used to design a skills development program for the UEP Hospitality Management Department. The study also provides a framework for other Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) that follow the CMO.62 S.2017 guidelines to optimize their student programs.

The study revealed the prevailing conditions of agri-fishery practices and value-added production in Barangays Marupangdan and Astorga in Daram, Samar. Findings indicated that Barangay Marupangdan remained dependent on traditional crop and fish harvests with minimal post-harvest technology, no value-added processing, and limited market access, resulting in low profit margins. Overproduction of hawol-hawol (Bali Sardinella) and vegetables led to waste due to the absence of storage, processing, and market linkages. In contrast, Barangay Astorga demonstrated active value addition through products galunggong-based fish balls, significantly increasing income per unit sold. Porter’s Value Chain analysis showed that Astorga's community benefited from interventions by DTI and LGU Daram in providing equipment, packaging materials, and access to trade fairs. However, both barangays still lacked essential post-harvest facilities, ICT integration, and formal marketing strategies. Women in both communities actively participated in agri-fishery production, but their associations in Marupangdan remained unregistered, limiting support opportunities. Farmers and fisherfolk expressed willingness to adopt technology and undergo training, showing potential for scaling up productivity. The study highlighted the importance of institutional aid and local government support in capacitating communities to develop sustainable agri-fishery value chains. With targeted interventions, Marupangdan could replicate Astorga’s best practices to enhance food security, income, and community resilience.

This pilot study investigated the potential of vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands (VSSF CWs) as a nature-based solution for treating wastewater from dairy processing plants. The study focused on the removal of key pollutants, including biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), total suspended solids (TSS), oil and grease, nitrate, and pH. These parameters are particularly significant for dairy product manufacturing industries and are regulated by the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) under Department Administrative Order (DAO) 2016-08 (PSIC code 105). The study investigated the removal of these pollutants in VSSF CWs under 7-day and 14-day hydraulic retention times. Four wetland systems were included: one unplanted control and three planted with Dracaena sanderiana, Chrysopogon zizanioides, and Ipomoea aquatica Forsk. While the lack of replication limits statistical comparisons between treatments, the results of this exploratory study suggest several trends. Pollutant removal tended to improve with a 14-day hydraulic retention time (HRT). Dracaena sanderiana appeared to exhibit the highest BOD5 reduction from the initial concentration of 2680 to 42 mg L-1 (98.43%), followed by Chrysopogon zizanioides from 2680 to 150 mg L-1 (94.40%) and Ipomoea aquatica Forsk. from 2680 to 280 mg L-1 (89.55%). Oil and grease concentrations generally fell below detectable limits (

Assessment plays a vital role in the teaching and learning process. Understanding the lived experiences of teachers in relation to their assessment practices during unprecedented times offers valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and researchers. Examining how teachers perceived and implemented assessments in remote distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic provides a benchmark for improving educational responsiveness in rapidly changing contexts. This study employed a qualitative research design, specifically a case analysis approach, to explore the assessment practices of teachers at San Vicente Elementary School in Bani, Pangasinan, during the pandemic. All teaching personnel were considered informants. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, guided by the Community of Inquiry framework.Eight (8) themes emerged from the analysis and were categorized under the Community of Inquiry framework: three (3) themes related to social presence, three (3) to cognitive presence, and two (2) to teaching presence. The findings reveal that teachers navigated evolving assessment practices by adapting strategies to accommodate the diverse needs of learners in a remote learning environment.The study concludes that assessment practices during the pandemic remain in a developmental stage, requiring ongoing refinement to align with learners’ diverse contexts. Notably, cognitive presence in assessment must be strengthened to promote reflective and constructive learning experiences. These findings underscore the importance of responsive and adaptable assessment systems in supporting learners and educators during times of crisis and beyond.

Menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) remains critically neglected in the Philippines despite its fundamental role in promoting the well-being, dignity, and empowerment of women and girls. This persistent lapse disproportionately impacts the well-being, education, and social mobility of women and girls across the country. Deep-rooted stigma, outdated land-use practices, and a lack of gender-sensitive planning have resulted in fragmented and inconsistent menstrual hygiene infrastructure. While promising initiatives—such as localized policies, educational campaigns, and innovative digital tools like period tracking apps—have begun to surface, these efforts remain isolated, lack scalability, and often face resistance from conservative sectors. This perspective article highlights the urgent need to mainstream MHH within the country’s public health and development frameworks. By institutionalizing gender-sensitive sanitation infrastructure, ensuring privacy and dignity in public spaces, and adopting inclusive tools such as the Menstrual-Friendly Public Toilet (MFPT) Toolkit, the Philippines can begin to dismantle systemic barriers in advancing access to MFPT. Tackling period poverty is an integral step towards building a more equitable and inclusive society for all.

This research examined the readiness level of third-year students from Eastern Samar State University - Guiuan Campus for research, with an emphasis on their awareness of handling technical research writing and completing the key parts of a research paper. This study utilized a descriptive - correlational research design, and through an adapted survey questionnaire, the researchers gathered the data from 307 respondents. First, the participants seemed to be at a moderate level of preparedness (overall mean = 3.69) for technical aspects of writing, and (mean = 3.64) for the writing of the major parts of a research paper. Students all similarly had a higher degree of preparedness related to the technical aspects such as formatting research papers (mean = 3.81) or selecting research designs (mean = 3.88) but faced difficulty conceptualizing research problems and theories, more specifically when doing grounded theory research (mean = 3.45). A set of challenges that affected students' preparedness were also identified, and they found financial barriers (mean = 3.67) to be the most significant followed by poor digital literacy (mean = 3.21). A moderate correlation (r = 0.444) was found between students challenges and their preparedness for technical writing, while a strong correlation (r = 0.543) was seen between the challenges students faced to their preparedness to writing the major parts of a research paper. This shows that with a higher degree of challenges students experienced a lower degree of preparedness, indicating clear institutional support is needed. In this light, the study proposed the intervention program which included workshops on conceptualizing a research study, digital literacy, financial aide and mentorship programs to help engage students in a way to understand and explore possible challenges to their preparedness for research, as well as improve their overall readiness to conduct research, and ultimately do quality research for high quality researched based studies.

This study investigated the relationship between transformational leadership and teachers' Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for the school year 2023-2024. It focused on evaluating the levels of transformational leadership exhibited by school heads, specifically in terms of inspirational motivation, individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation, and idealized influence. Additionally, the research assessed the extent of teachers' CPD and examined the significance of the relationship between transformational leadership styles and CPD. The findings indicate that school heads demonstrate strong transformational leadership across all dimensions. Inspirational motivation, individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation, and idealized influence significantly impact teachers' CPD. Teachers reported high levels of support from school heads in these areas, which positively influences academic performance, teacher engagement, and the overall school community. The study also found strong participation in educational conferences and seminars among respondents. Furthermore, teachers who experienced higher levels of transformational leadership were more motivated to pursue continuous professional growth. Based on these results, the study recommends that teachers actively engage in professional development, students embrace values of respect and cooperation, and school heads continue to implement transformational leadership styles. Future research should expand to include various educational levels and regions to gain a broader understanding of transformational leadership's effectiveness across different context.