Technical efficiency of cocoa farms at varying elevation levels in Davao City, Philippines: implications to sustainable upland farming systems

Elevation is one of many components that influence agriculture, and this in turn affects the level of both inputs and outputs of farmers. This article focuses on the productivity and technical efficiency of 100 cocoa farms using cross-sectional data from areas ranging from 190 to 1021 m above sea level which were classified as low, medium, and high elevation in Davao City, considered as the chocolate capital of the Philippines. Using stochastic frontier analysis, the results showed that the cost of inputs per ha and the number of cocoa trees per ha significantly increase yield. Farms at high elevations were less technically efficient, as this entails lower temperatures and increased rainfall, and cocoa farming in those areas and conditions can be more challenging, especially with changes in farming practices, terrain, and distance to markets. Other significant variables were age of cocoa farms, married farmers, and age of the farmers. Older farms may be more developed, farmers who are married benefit from their spouses being able to readily contribute as farm labor, and lastly, older farmers' inefficiency may likely stem from nonadaptation of newer farming practices. With an average technical efficiency of 0.61, 0.63, and 0.26 in low, medium, and high elevation areas, respectively, farmers therefore have an incentive to improve farm practices and consider topographical variations found in high elevation areas. Recommendations for the improvement of technical efficiency of cocoa farms are better connectivity to markets, enhancing farm practices, and continuation and improvement of government programs on cocoa with an added emphasis on research. For farmers in high elevation areas, mitigating solutions such as sustainable agriculture practices and ecolabelling are key to improving efficiency and minimizing the potential negative impact on upland farming systems. Moreover, such adaptation measures may also contribute to sustainability of cocoa farming in high elevation areas.

Philippine retinoblastoma initiative multi-eye center study 2010-2020

AIM:To provide a comprehensive and more representative national data on the disease,especially on treatment options and outcomes,and to determine access of retinoblastoma patients from Luzon,Visayas and Mindanao to eye care,and determine if access is associated with delay in consultation,staging and outcomes.METHODS:Cohort study of retinoblastoma patients seen in eleven institutions located in the three major areas of the Philippines namely Luzon,Vizayas and Mindanao from 2010-2020.RESULTS:Totally 636 patients,involving 821 eyes,were included.Majority(57%)were from Luzon and were seen in institutions in Luzon(72%).Annually,58±10 new cases were seen with 71%having unilateral disease.Median delay of consultation remained long at 9(3,17)mo,longest in patients with unilateral disease(P<0.02)and those from the Visayas(P<0.003).Based on the International Retinoblastoma Staging System,only 35%of patients had Stage 1 while 47%already had extraocular disease.Enucleation was the most common treatment received by 484 patients while intravenous chemotherapy was received by 469.There were 250(39%)patients alive,195(31%)dead,85(13%)abandoned,17(3%)refused and 89(14%)with no data.CONCLUSION:This study presents the largest cohort of retinoblastoma patients in the Philippines in terms of patients’and participating institutions’number and geographical location and type of institution(private and public).It also presents more comprehensive data on the treatments used and outcomes(survival,globe salvage,and vision retention rates).Delay in consultation was still long among patients leading to advanced disease stage and lower survival rate.Despite increasing capacity to diagnose and manage retinoblastoma in the country,the delay of consultation remains long primarily due to accessibility issues to eye care institutions especially in the Visayas and financial concerns.The delay was still significant that overall survival rate remain low.

The Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries Bestowed Honorary Title of "Friendship Ambassador" to Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

On April 3,the"Friendship Ambassador"Awarding Ceremony was held at the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC).CPAFFC President Lin Songtian presented the medal and certificate to former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.CPAFFC Vice-President Yuan Mindao.

酶联免疫法在贝类麻痹性贝毒检测中的应用

采用酶联免疫法检测菲律宾蛤仔(Ruditapes philippin)肌肉中麻痹性贝毒(Paralytic shellfish poison,PSP)含量,通过优化实验条件,规范操作程序,确立了检测流程。试验表明以标准PSP 为参照,该检测方法平均灵敏度可达2μg/kg,标准溶液测定的变异系数2.00%-7.66%,样品精密度测试的变异系数为2.82%-8.40%,平均添加回收率达85.35%,表现出快速、灵敏、可靠等特点,适于常规工作中麻痹性贝毒的快速筛选检测。

超声波辅助提取千斤拔中总黄酮的工艺研究

[目的]优选超声波法提取千斤拔中总黄酮的最佳工艺条件。[方法]以总黄酮提取率为评价指标,采用单因素和正交试验确定超声波辅助提取千斤拔总黄酮的工艺条件。[结果]最佳的超声提取条件为乙醇浓度为80%,提取时间为25 min,料液比为1∶20(g/ml),提取次数为2次;在此条件下,千斤拔总黄酮的得率为3.00%。[结论]确定了超声波辅助提取千斤拔总黄酮的最佳工艺条件,为千斤拔资源的合理开发利用提供了理论依据。

The formation and tectonic evolution of Philippine Sea Plate and KPR

The Philippine Sea Plate has an extremely special tectonic background. As an oceanic plate,it is almost entirely surrounded by subduction zones with complex internal tectonic features. On the basis of enormous published literature,this paper offers a comprehensive overview of the tectonic and evolution history of the Philippine Basin and the Kyushu-Palau Ridge（KPR） in the Philippine Sea Plate,and discusses the geological features of KPR. Referring to relevant definitions of various ＂ridges＂ stipulated in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,so the KPR is believed to be a remnant arc formed during the opening of the Parece Vela and Shikoku Basins in the Philippine Sea Plate. It is a submarine ridge on oceanic plate rather than a submarine elevation. And thus,it is not a natural component of the Japan continental margin.

Interdecadal Change in the Connection Between Hadley Circulation and Winter Temperature in East Asia

Based on NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data, the interdecadal variability of Hadley circulation （HC） and its association with East Asian temperature in winter are investigated. Results indicate that the Northern Hemisphere winter HC underwent apparent change in the 1970s, with transition occurring around 1976/77. Along with interdecadal variability of HC, its linkage to surface air temperature （SAT） in East Asia also varied decadally, from weak relations to strong relations. Such a change may be related to the interaction between HC and the atmospheric circulation system over the Philippines, which is associated with the East Asian winter monsoon （EAWM）. Before the 1970s, the connection between HC and the anticyclonic circulation around the Philippines was insignificant, but after the late 1970s their linkage entered a strong regime. The intensification of this connection may therefore be responsible for the strong relations between HC and East Asian winter temperatures after the late 1970s.

Geological comparative studies of Japan Arc System and Kyushu-Palau Arc

Based on the published data of structure geology,geochronology,petrology and isotope geochemistry,the authors of this paper have conducted studies on the tectonic evolution history of Japan arc system and Kyushu-Palau ridge（KPR） . The studies show that the initial Japan arc system was resulted from the subduction of ancient Pacific plate beneath Eurasian Plate in Permian. It was part of an Andean-type continental volcanic arc which occurred in the offshore in the east of Asian during late Mesozoic era. The formation of tertiary back-arc basin（Japan Sea） resulted in the fundamental tectonic framework of the present arc system. Since Quaternary the system has been lying at E-W compression tectonic setting due to the eastward subduction of Amur Plate. It is expected that Japan arc system will be juxtaposed with Asian continent,which is similar to the present Taiwan arc system. The origin of Philippine Sea Plate（PSP） is still in debate. Some studies argued that it is a trapped oceanic crust segment,while the others insisted that it is a back-arc basin accompanied with ancient IBM arc. However,it is all agreed that the tectonic evolution of PSP started since 50 Ma,i.e.,PSP has drifted from the site around equator at 50 Ma to the present site,and the subduction of PSP along Nankai trough-Ryukyu Trench beneath the Japan arc system during 6–2 Ma led to the formation of the present Ryukyu arc system. Of the PSP,the KPR has been found with the oldest rocks formed at 38 Ma. Combining with its geochemical characteristics of oceanic arc tholeiite,it is suggested that KPR is an intraoceanic volcanic arc,more specifically,a relic arc（i.e.,rear arc of the ancient IBM） after rifting of ancient IBM. In addition,Amami-Daito province is of arc tectonic affinity,but has been affected by mantle plume. Therefore,based on their respective tectonic evolution history and geochemical characteristics of rock samples,it is inferred that there is no genetic relationship between Japan arc system and KPR. It is noted that rocks reflecting continental crust basement feature have been collected on the northern tip of KPR,which may be related to the process of KPR accreting on Japan arc,but the arc-continent accretion process are still at initial stage of modern continental crust accretion model. However,due to the scarcity of data of the northern tip of KPR,crustal structure of this location and its adjacent Nankai trough need to be further constrained by geophysical studies in the future.

Abyssal Circulation in the Philippine Sea

The abyssal circulation in the Philippine Sea(PS)is investigated,with outputs from the Simple Ocean Data Assimilation version 2.2.4(SODA224).The deep-water currents in SODA224 are carefully evaluated,with sparse in situ observations in the North Pacific Ocean.In the upper deep layer(20003000 m)of the PS,a strong westward current,which originates from the Northeast Pacific Basin and enters the PS through the Yap-Mariana Junction,exists along 1114 N.This strong westward current bifurcates into two western boundary currents off the Philippines.The northward-flowing current flows out of the PS around 2021 N,whereas the southward-flowing current transports deep water from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere.In the lower deep layer(30004500 m),the inflow water first flows northward to the east of the Western Mariana Basin and then turns westward at approximately 18 N.The inflow water mainly enters the Philippine Basin(PB),with a small part turning southward to constitute a weak cyclonic circulation.The water entering the PB mainly merges into a strong southward western boundary current in the south-ern PB.In the bottom layer(below 4500 m),both the northeast and northwest PB show single cyclonic gyres,whereas the south PB shows a single anticyclonic gyre.Moreover,comparisons with the observations indicate the possible existence of a cyclonic sense of circulation over the Philippine Trench.The current study provides the implications for future observations,which are needed to fur-ther investigate the temporospatial variations of the abyssal circulation in the PS on multiple scales.

Simulated Relationship between Wintertime ENSO and East Asian Summer Rainfall: From CMIP3 to CMIP6

El Niño-Southern Oscillation(ENSO)events have a strong influence on East Asian summer rainfall(EASR).This paper investigates the simulated ENSO-EASR relationship in CMIP6 models and compares the results with those in CMIP3 and CMIP5 models.In general,the CMIP6 models show almost no appreciable progress in representing the ENSO-EASR relationship compared with the CMIP5 models.The correlation coefficients in the CMIP6 models are relatively smaller and exhibit a slightly greater intermodel diversity than those in the CMIP5 models.Three physical processes related to the delayed effect of ENSO on EASR are further analyzed.Results show that,firstly,the relationships between ENSO and the tropical Indian Ocean(TIO)sea surface temperature(SST)in the CMIP6 models are more realistic,stronger,and have less intermodel diversity than those in the CMIP3 and CMIP5 models.Secondly,the teleconnections between the TIO SST and Philippine Sea convection(PSC)in the CMIP6 models are almost the same as those in the CMIP5 models,and stronger than those in the CMIP3 models.Finally,the CMIP3,CMIP5,and CMIP6 models exhibit essentially identical capabilities in representing the PSC-EASR relationship.Almost all the three generations of models underestimate the ENSO-EASR,TIO SST-PSC,and PSC-EASR relationships.Moreover,almost all the CMIP6 models that successfully capture the significant TIO SST-PSC relationship realistically simulate the ENSO-EASR relationship and vice versa,which is,however,not the case in the CMIP5 models.

北吕宋岛菲律宾活动带蛇绿岩及其上覆浊积岩的放射虫研究新进展(英文)

The basement of the Philippine Mobile Belt (PMB) is mainly composed of ophiolites that are mostly overlain by Paleogene to Miocene turbidites in central Luzon.To clarify the geological development of the PMB with respect to the initial stage of the arc volcanism(eg.Yumul et al.,2003,2008;

The geomorphological features and continuity of the Kyushu-Palau Ridge (KPR)

The Philippine Basin,surrounded by a series of oceanic trenches,is an independent deep ocean basin in the West Pacific Ocean.Its middle part is divided into three marginal sea sub-basins by the Kyushu-Palau and West Mariana Ridges,namely,the West Philippine Basin,the Shikoku and Parece Vela Basins and the Mariana Trough.This paper,through the analysis of the geomorphologic features and gravity and magnetic characteristics of the basin and identification of striped magnetic anomalies,suggests that the entire Philippine Basin developed magnetic lineation of oceanic nature,and therefore,the entire basin is of the nature of oceanic crust.The basin has developed a series of special geomorphic units with different shapes.The KPR runs through the entire Philippine Basin.From the view of geomorphologic features,the KPR is a discontinuous seamount chain （chain-shaped seamounts） and subduction beneath the Japanese Island arc at the Nankai Trough which is the natural boundary between the basin and the Japanese Island arc.At the positions of 25 N,24 N,23 N and 18 N,obvious discontinuity is shown,which belongs to natural topographic discontinuity.Therefore,the KPR is topographically discontinuous.

Amphibians and Reptiles of Luzon Island,V:The Herpetofauna of Angat Dam Watershed,Bulacan Province,Luzon Island,Philippines

We report amphibian and reptile distribution records based on recent biodiversity surveys conducted at the Angat Watershed Reservation, Bulacan Province, Luzon Island, Philippines. This watershed constitutes the principal water source for Manila, the Philippines＇ largest metropolitan area. As virtually nothing is known of the herpetological diversity of the immediate area and the surrounding Bulacan Province, all species recorded as part of our surveys constitute major geographical records and/or significant range extensions. Our data result in a total of 63 new records of amphibian （19 frogs） and reptile （22 lizards, 2 turtles, and 20 snakes） species for this protected area （and immediate vicinity） that serves as a watershed for the major metropolitan area of Manila and surrounding cities. Together with the few previous literature records, our new records bring the total number of amphibian and reptile species for Bulacan Province to 68. We discuss several strategies for future survey work （focusing on habitat type, seasonal variation, and elevational variability） that we anticipate will result in increased knowledge of diversity within the Angat Watershed Reserve. The impressive level of herpetological diversity within such a small area, so close to Metro Manila, emphasizes that the diversity and distribution patterns of amphibians and reptiles from Luzon are still poorly known and in need of further study.

Preliminary assessment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma incidence in the Philippines: a second look at published data from four centers

In endemic regions such as southern China and Southeast Asia, the annual incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC) ranges from 3 to 30 per 100,000. In the Philippines, the estimated incidence in 2010 was 1.2 per 100,000. However, this rate is based on data collected from registries covering only two regions in the country. Here, we report the findings from our study to better approximate the incidence of NPC in the Philippines. Between September 1, 2011 and August 31, 2012, data were collected from 49 patients from 4 different institutions—University of Santo Tomas, Makati Medical Center, Philippine Oncology Center Corporation, and Cardinal Santos Memorial Medical Center—using a NPC screening questionnaire. Crude incidence was 0.09 per 100,000. Age-standardized incidences using Segi and WHO standards were 2.08 and 1.79 per 100,000, respectively. Of the 49 patients, 31 were males and 18 were females, and 71% of patients were between 30 and 59 years old. WHO types II and III represented 22% and 78% of the subjects, respectively, and 75.5% of cases were locally advanced(stages III–IVB). Although the age-standardized incidence from the 4 institutions was numerically higher than the published age-standardized incidence(2.07 per 100,000 vs. 1.2 per 100,000), two-proportion z-test showed no significant difference between them(P = 0.68). A more concerted effort is needed for a better approximation of the country's NPC disease burden.

Hepatitis B infection among adults in the philippines:A national seroprevalence study

AIM:To determine the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg)seropositivity among adult Filipinos.METHODS:Testing for HBsAg was performed on serum samples from persons aged ≥ 20 years old who participated in the National Nutrition and Health Survey(NNHeS)conducted in 2003.Information on age,sex,marital status,educational attainment,employment status,and income were collected.For this study,marital status was classified as never married or otherwise(i.e.,married,divorced,separated,widowed);educational attainment was classified as high school graduate or below or at least some tertiary education;and employment status was classified as currently employed or currently unemployed.Annual income was divided into 4 quartiles in Philippine pesos(PhP):Q1,≤ PhP 53064;Q2,PhP 53065-92192;Q3,PhP 92193-173387;and Q4,≥ PhP 173388.Prevalence estimates were weighted so that they represented the general population.Social and demographic factors were correlated with HBsAg seropositivity.Multivariate analysis was used to determine independent predictors of HBsAg seropositivity.RESULTS:A total of 2150 randomly selected adults,20 years and over,out of the 4753 adult participants of NNHeS were tested for HBsAg.The HBsAg seroprevalence was 16.7%(95%CI:14.3%-19.1%),which corresponded to an estimated 7278968 persons infected with hepatitis B.There was no significant difference between males and females(17.5% vs 16.0%;P = 0.555).This corresponded to an estimated 3721775 men and 3557193 women infected with hepatitis B.The HBsAg seroprevalence peaked at age 20-39 years old,with declining prevalence in the older age groups.The only independent predictor of HBsAg seropositivity was the annual income,with persons in the highest income quartile being less likely to be HBsAg positive(age-adjusted OR = 0.51;95%CI:0.30-0.86)compared to subjects in the lowest income quartile.Sex,marital status,educational attainment,and employment status were not found to be independent predictors of HBsAg seropositivity.CONCLUSION:The high HBsAg seroprevalence among adults in the Philippines classifies the country as hyperendemic for HBV infection and appears unchanged over the last few decades.

Amphibians and Reptiles of Luzon Island,Philippines,VI: The Herpetofauna of the Subic Bay Area

We present detailed species accounts for 55 species of amphibians and reptiles(14 species of frogs,24 snakes,16 lizards,one turtle) from 24 localities in the vicinity of Subic Bay,southern Zambales Province,Luzon Island,Philippines. Although we note numerous species that are conspicuously absent in Subic Bay(and which we expect will eventually be recorded in the region),our many new records plus a summary of the available historical museum specimen data depict a diverse subset of species diversity known from the southern Zambales Mountains of southwestern Luzon. We compare our data to several other recent herpetofunal surveys from Luzon,discuss biogeographic regionalism of this complex island,and report on numerous new natural history observations for many included species. With the absence of any protected areas in the entire province,the amphibians and reptiles of Zambales should be a particularly important future conservation priority.

Slab rollback and microcontinent subduction in the evolution of the Zambales Ophiolite Complex(Philippines):A review

New radiolarian ages show that the island arc-related Acoje block of the Zambales Ophiolite Complex is possibly of Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous age.Radiometric dating of its plutonic and volcanichypabyssal rocks yielded middle Eocene ages.On the other hand,the paleontological dating of the sedimentary carapace of the transitional mid-ocean ridge-island arc affiliated Coto block of the ophiolite complex,together with isotopic age datings of its dikes and mafic cumulate rocks,also yielded Eocene ages.This offers the possibility that the Zambales Ophiolite Complex could have:(1)evolved from a Mesozoic arc(Acoje block)that split to form a Cenozoic back-arc basin(Coto block),(2)through faulting,structurally juxtaposed a Mesozoic oceanic crust with a younger Cenozoic lithospheric fragment or(3)through the interplay of slab rollback,slab break-off and,at a later time,collision with a microcontinent fragment,caused the formation of an island arc-related ophiolite block(Acoje)that migrated trench-ward resulting into the generation of a back-arc basin(Coto block)with a limited subduction signature.This Meso-Cenozoic ophiolite complex is compared with the other oceanic lithosphere fragments along the western seaboard of the Philippines in the context of their evolution in terms of their recognized environments of generation.

Geochemistry and Origin of Layers in Single Manganese Nodule from the Philippine Sea and Manganese Nodules from Offshore Minami-Torishima, Western Pacific

Layers from one manganese nodule dredged from the Philippine Sea（16°56＇N, 129°48＇E; water depth, 5700 m） and 45 bulk nodules from offshore Minami-Torishima Island, Japan（23°3＇N, 153°22＇E; water depth, 1200 m） were analyzed chemically and their origin is discussed based on geochemical constraints. In general, Cu, Ni, Zn and Mo tend to increase with increasing Mn content, while Co, Pb, Ba, V, Sc, Th, and the rare earth elements（REEs） show less variation with increasing Mn content. Nodule 42 H from the Philippine Sea has an average Mn/Fe ratio close to 1 and shows a positive Ce anomaly, suggesting a predominant hydrogenous origin. Profiles of 230Th230 ex and Thex/232 Th ratios in the outer ~0.3 mm of nodule 42 H indicate a steady growth rate of ~1.7 mm/Myr. Nodule E30 from offshore Minami-Torishima is characterized by lower Mn, Fe, Mn/Fe（0.53） and Mo/V（0.2） ratios but higher P and Cu/Ni（0.31） ratio relative to other nodules from that area. The Ce content of E30 is unusually low（82 ppm） when compared with other nodules from the area and it is the only nodule analyzed with a negative Ce anomaly（-0.64）. Based on the geochemical data we suggest that most nodules from offshore Minami-Torishima are primarily of hydrogenous origin except E30, which is dominated by hydrothermal input, and E45, which has about a 35% hydrothermal contribution.

Mineral provinces and matter provenance of the surficial sediments in the western Philippine Sea:implication for modern sedimentation in West Pacific marginal basin

The characteristics and distribution patterns of detrital minerals （0. 063 -0. 125 mm） in marine sediments provide a significant indicator for the identification of the origin of sediment. The detrital mineral composition of 219 surface sediment samples was ana- lysed to identify the distribution of sediments within the western Philippine Sea. The area can be divided into three mineral provinces ： （Ⅰ） province east of the Philippine Trench, the detrital minerals in this province are mainly composed of calcareous or siliceous organisms, with the addition of volcanogenic minerals from an adjacent island arc; （Ⅱ） middle mineral province, clastic minerals including feldspar, quartz and colorless volcanic glass, sourced from seamounts with intermediate-acid volcanic rock, or erupting intermediate-acid volcano; （Ⅲ） province west of the Palau--Kyushu Ridge, the matter provenance within this province is complex; the small quantity of feldspar and quartz may be sourced from seamounts or erupting volcano with intermediate - acid composition, with a component of volcanic scoria sourced from a volcano erupting on the Palau--Kyushu Ridge. it is suggested that, （ 1 ） Biogenic debris of the study area is closely related to water depth, with the amount of biogenic debris controlled by carbonate lysocline. （2） Volcaniclastic matter derived from the adjacent island arc can be entrained by oceanic currents and transported towards the abyssal basin over a short distance. The weathering products of volcanic rocks of the submarine plateau （e. g. , Benham Plateau） and adjacent ridges provide an important source of detrital sedimentation, and the influence scope of them is constrained by the intensity of submarine weathering. （3） Terrigenous sediments from the continent of Asia and the adjacent Philippine island arc have little influence on the sedimentation of this study area, and the felsic mineral component is probably sourced from volcanic seamounts of intermediate-acid composition.

Organizational commitment and turnover intention among rural nurses in the Philippines: Implications for nursing management

Objectives:The unrelenting migration trend of Filipino nurses to other countries has threatened the quality of patient care services in the country.This study explored the extent of nurses'organizational commitment and turnover intention in the Philippines.Furthermore,predictors of nurses'organizational commitment and turnover intention were identified.Methods:A cross-sectional research design was adopted for this study.Two hundred nurses from nine rural hospitals in the Central Philippines were asked to participate in the study and 166 nurses responded(an 83%response rate).Two standardized instruments were used:the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire and the Six-item Turnover Intention Inventory Scale.Results:Findings revealed that Philippine nurses were moderately committed(3.13±0.24)to and were undecided(2.42±0.67)whether or not to leave their organization.Nurses'age(P=0.006),gender,(t=-2.25,P=0.026),education(t=2.38,P<0.001),rank(t=4.38,P<0.001),and work experience(t=2.18,P=0.031)correlated significantly with organizational commitment,while nurses'age(P=0.028)and education(t=1.99,P=0.048)correlated significantly with turnover intention.An inverse relationship was identified between the organizational commitment and turnover intention(r=-0.22,P=0.005).Conclusion:The findings of this study highlight the need for formulation and implementation of interventions to promote life-long commitment in nurses and to reduce turnover rates.