University of Santo Tomas

Abstract As proclaimed by the former President of the Republic of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the municipality of Paete in the province of Laguna is declared as the “Carving Capital of the Philippines” under the Presidential Proclamation No. 809, s. 2005. It was given to the municipality because of the local community’s strong tradition of carving using traditional (wood) and conventional (e.g., soap, ice, fruits, and vegetables; metal) mediums. But in history, cultural, and communal contexts, the town and its community also offer other traditional craftsmanship. Unfortunately, some of these are about to be neglected and forgotten due to commercialization, modernization, and rapid development. This paper assessed the heritage significance and safeguarding culture on the traditional craftsmanship of Paete, Laguna, Philippines. The paper’s main objective was to identify the different traditional craftsmanship of the town, determine the current situation on safeguarding and developing the traditional craftsmanship, and analyze the stakeholders’ perspectives on safeguarding and developing the tradition. As part of the findings, the researchers documented 16 traditional crafts of the Paeteños, each of which is individually significant, especially in its historical, aesthetic, economic, technological, social, and symbolic aspects. It was also identified that the commonality in promoting sustainable development for Paete’s traditional craftsmanship relies on the stakeholders’ initiative for livelihood opportunities, promotions through commercialization and tourism, sociocultural identity, and conservation of natural resources.

Myopathies are a group of disorders that affect the skeletal muscles, manifesting as weakness, fatigue, or pain. Generally, they are classified as acquired or inherited. It is important to note that while most acquired myopathies are treatable, in the advent of targeted molecular and gene-based therapy, some inherited forms now have effective therapeutic options. These myopathies can be classified based on their underlying causes, including infections, autoimmune disorders leading to muscle inflammation, metabolic abnormalities within muscle cells, skeletal muscle channel dysfunctions, critical illness myopathy, and inherited conditions such as muscular dystrophies. In this review, we first present a clinical approach to neuromuscular diseases and subsequently place specific emphasis on myopathies, particularly those with established or emerging treatment options.

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the storytelling method in teaching Grade One pupils at Pipindan Elementary School, District of Binangonan 2, School Division Office of Rizal, during the School Year 2025–2026. A total of 32 Grade One pupils participated as respondents and were described according to sex, sibling position, number of children in the family, monthly family income, parents’ educational attainment, and parents’ occupation. The study employed an experimental research design using a single-group pretest-posttest approach. Respondents were purposively selected, and pretest and posttest scores were gathered to assess pupils’ performance before and after exposure to the storytelling method.Findings revealed that most respondents were female, second-born, from families with three to four children, with monthly incomes ranging from Php 8,001–Php 15,000, and parents who were high school graduates engaged in various occupations. Pupils’ pretest performance was generally satisfactory, while posttest performance improved to very satisfactory. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference in pupils’ performance before and after exposure to storytelling. Moreover, factors such as sex, sibling position, family size, monthly income, parents’ educational attainment, and occupation did not significantly influence pupils’ performance.The study concluded that the storytelling method effectively enhanced the academic performance of Grade One pupils regardless of their demographic background. It is recommended that school administrators provide teachers with training on storytelling techniques, including voice modulation, gestures, and multimedia use. Adequate instructional resources, such as storybooks and audio-visual materials, should be provided to support storytelling sessions. Teachers are encouraged to integrate storytelling across subjects to enhance comprehension and engagement. Parents should also be involved in storytelling activities at home to reinforce learning and literacy skills. Further research may explore the effectiveness of storytelling using other variables or teaching contexts.

Abstract. Guimbuayan VB, Cordero CS, Alejandro GJD. 2025. Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by the Agta community in Gonzaga, Cagayan, Philippines. Biodiversitas 26: 6316-6334. Traditional knowledge of medicinal plants remains an integral part of primary healthcare systems in the Philippines, especially among indigenous communities. This study aimed to document the medicinal plant species used by the Agta indigenous peoples of Gonzaga, Cagayan, Philippines. From August 2024 to February 2025, 34 key informants were selected through purposive sampling and interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed to determine the most culturally important species using Use Value (UV) and Informant Consensus Factor (ICF). Disease categories were classified in accordance with the World Health Organization International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (WHO-ICD 11). The Agta community reported 81 medicinal plant species, representing 74 genera and 37 families, with Poaceae being the most represented family (nine species). Leaves were the most commonly used plant part (41%), and decoction (43%) was the most frequent mode of preparation. Myristica sp. and Vitex arvensis were the most cited species, with UVs of 0.88 and 0.62, respectively. The highest ICF value (1.0) was recorded for disease category 5 (endocrine, nutritional, or metabolic diseases), followed by the Disease Categories 12 (Diseases of the Respiratory System) and 18 (Pregnancy, childbirth or the puerperium) and with ICF values of 0.76 and 0.71, respectively. This study provides the first documentation of the medicinal flora used by the Gonzaga Agta, offering a comprehensive inventory that underscores its dual significance for safeguarding cultural heritage and guiding future pharmacological research.

The purpose of the study. This study examined whether perceived coach etiquette predicts intrinsic and extrinsic sport motivation among collegiate softball and baseball athletes in a selected Philippine university. Materials and methods. A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional (non-experimental) design was employed. Forty-five varsity athletes (softball n=23; baseball n=22; female n=23; male n=22) completed a survey packet consisting of (a) a modified Perceived Coach Attitudes and Behaviors Scale (PCABS; 28 items; 4-point response format) to capture coach etiquette-related behaviors and (b) the Sport Motivation Scale-II construct coverage (23 items; 4-point response format) to capture athletes’ motivational regulations. Descriptive statistics summarized perceived etiquette and motivation. Linear regression tested the hypothesized predictive effect of coach etiquette on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (α=0.05). Results. Athletes perceived coaches’ etiquette as a moderate degree of respect (overall M=3.03). Athletes reported strong sport motivation (overall M=3.69). Regression analyses indicated that coach etiquette did not significantly predict intrinsic motivation (t=0.846, p=0.4023) or extrinsic motivation (t=1.33, p=0.2636). Conclusions. Coach etiquette was positively perceived but did not significantly explain intrinsic or extrinsic motivation in this cohort. Future work should include autonomy-supportive coaching, motivational climate, and psychological need satisfaction as potential mediators/moderators.

Salmonella is a globally prevalent and diverse group of pathogenic bacteria that reside in food animals, such as swine. They possess transmissible antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and virulence factors, causing outbreaks with varying disease outcomes. This study identified and characterized 110 Salmonella enterica isolates from swine meat in abattoirs and wet markets of Metro Manila, Philippines. Thirteen different S. enterica serovars were identified using the Check & Trace microarray platform. The most prevalent were Rissen, Typhimurium 1, 4, [5], 12:i:-, Anatum, and Derby. This study is also the first to report serovar Soerenga in the Philippines and Asia. A high prevalence of virulence genes was observed, namely, hilA (75.45%), avrA (73.64%), mgtC (72.73%), pipB (66.36%), sseC (58.18%), and spi4R (53.64%), with no plasmid-borne spvC and spvR. A high prevalence of blaTEM (44.55%) was also observed, consistent with the phenotypic AMR profiles. Additionally, 14.81% of the isolates exhibited multidrug resistance. Statistical associations and predictions were also found among virulence genes, serovars, and location types, which highlight implications of Salmonella contamination and serovar variations. These findings suggest the need for continuous surveillance of Salmonella, especially for emerging or rare serovars, the deeper investigation of virulence and AMR mechanisms, and improved regulation and sanitation throughout food animal industries.

Hypertension remains a major global health concern, highlighting the need for the development of safer and more efficacious antihypertensive agents. This study investigated the angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE-I) inhibitory activity of bioactive peptides derived from the African Nightcrawler earthworm, Eudrilus eugeniae (Kinberg, 1867) (E. eugeniae). Crude protein extracts were subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis using pepsin and pancreatin, followed by gel permeation chromatography for fractionation. Among the seven fractions, pooled fraction 6 (PF6), composed of peptides ranging from 917 to 1611 Da with 7–12 amino acid residues, exhibited the highest ACE-I inhibitory activity at 88.3% and an IC50 of 86.76 µg/mL. Peptide sequencing via MALDI TOF-MS/MS identified key sequences containing proline and hydrophobic residues, which may contribute to ACE-I inhibition. These findings suggest that E. eugeniae is a promising natural source of antihypertensive peptides.