Cebu City Research Articles

PERCEPTION OF PARENTS TOWARDS EASING OF COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

This qualitative study aimed to investigate parents' perspectives on the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, delving into their experiences, challenges faced, and coping strategies. Utilizing a phenomenological approach, sixteen parents (eight males and eight females) from Barangay Sambag 2, Sitio Palsy, Cebu City, were purposively sampled for in-depth interviews guided by a semi-structured interview guide. The collected data underwent transcription, recording, coding, clustering, and categorization using thematic analysis. The informants' responses revealed twenty-one cluster themes, grouped into seventeen sub-themes, forming eleven emergent themes, and ultimately categorized into three overarching themes. These themes addressed the sub-problems and included Experiences of parents towards easing of COVID-19 restrictions (Opportune Time for Earning, Sense of Freedom, Resume Face to Face), Challenges during the easing of COVID-19 restrictions (Financial Crisis, Heavy Traffic, Unemployment, Inadequate Management), and Coping Mechanisms (Finding ways and means, Trust in God, making ends meet, Observance of Health Protocol). In conclusion, the study highlighted parents' multifaceted perceptions and experiences regarding the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, offering insights that informed recommendations to address the challenges faced by the informants in navigating this period.

Career preferences of Filipino senior high school students

This research determined the trends and challenges in career preferences of the public high schools in Cebu City, Philippines. The study participants were 35 students, including five guidance counselors and advocates (GCA) from different identified public national high schools. This research used a quantitative-qualitative mixed design through a focused group discussion to confirm the responses of the respondents. The results show that students often choose careers that suit the needs of their families. Sometimes, they use Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and My Space to seek a job, base their choices in popular courses/degrees today, they even use technology to do that or choose a career that fits their abilities. According to the GCAs, most of the students lack motivation and do not know the deeper reasons for the courses that they want and just pick a degree program just for the sake of having one. Sometimes, they lack information about different careers, base things on practicality, they cannot decide, they do not have a choice and their parents choose their career for them. The findings suggest GCAs need to encourage learners, and their parents to make use of a career pathing design for them to be guided in terms of their career decisions.

Lived Experiences of RA 8972 Solo Parent Act of 2000

This paper explores the lived experiences of solo parents of Cebu City upon the conception of RA 8972 known as the Solo Parent Act of 2000. An in-depth study of the solo parent’s plight in their daily challenges in terms of financial and time management, disciplining and instilling time-honored values in their children, and social stigma. A shared narrative on circumstances that lead them to become a solo parent, the availability and enjoyment of solo parent benefits as mandated by law. Utilizing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, a qualitative research method, it explores an in-depth investigation of the participants' lived experiences. Ten solo parents from different age groups were interviewed as participants. The study goes to the fluidity of parental roles away from the lenses of society as it covers LGBT members’ acts as parents to some. It becomes evident in the study that solo parents developed fortitude as they stay in control of the status quo solidified family relationships, acts as home counselor, and hope for the future. Sustainable livelihood programs, scholarships for vocational courses, access to legal aid services, and personality and development training are recommended to uplift the lives of every solo parent, edifying the principle of social justice.

A Report on Attempts to Acquire Exercise Habits Through Japanese Health Education for Adult Workers from Cebu, Philippines

Background: Good health is a pivotal aspect of daily life that contributes to social development. Physical activity is a vital component of a healthy lifestyle. Health promotion enables individuals to increase their control and improve their health, and health programs promote physical activity to improve health. Objectives: This study aims to introduce the Japanese health education guidelines according to the requirements of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001-certified health education system in the Cebu region of the Philippines and aims to improve the health of the participants. Methods: A 12-month health program was implemented in Cebu City, and 43 participants were recruited, aged 35.0 ± 9.9 years (mean ± SD), including 22 men aged 35.6 ± 7.9 years and 21 women aged 34.3 ± 7.9 years. The effects of the health program and physical activity were assessed using brain function tests and blood chemistry profiles before and after the program. Results: The average number of total daily steps taken by the 43 participants was 6,052. The weight and eyes-open single-leg stance for balance significantly improved. However, no significant differences were observed in the other physical fitness parameters, blood pressure, and brain function values. Conclusions: This health education is characterized by a mechanism that enables the setting of the next goal based on these evaluations and how to improve health. The participants have to be motivated to aim for a 7,000 daily step goal. Therefore, the participants and the staff involved in health education should build a relationship of trust and a deep bond, and the exercise continuation rate may increase, leading to a higher quality of life.

Dialysis Malnutrition Score and Handgrip Strength with Quality of Life Among Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis in Cebu City, Philippines

Dialysis Malnutrition Score and Handgrip Strength with Quality of Life Among Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis in Cebu City, Philippines

Teaching Style and Performance of The Faculty of a Technical School in Ce-bu City

Educators should use different teaching methods to engage students in meaningful learning experiences and promote environmental awareness. This study sought to assess the manifestation of teaching styles and teaching performance in a technical school and identify areas for enhancement. Utilizing a descriptive survey method, teachers, students, and administrators were asked to complete questionnaires to provide data for the study. The results indicated that teaching styles and teaching performance components were highly rated, with teaching styles being frequently observed and teaching performance being excellent. Notably, there was no significant difference in responses from the three groups surveyed. To facilitate further improvement, the technical school is encouraged to identify relevant components for their specific context, establish core principles for each component, organize regular workshops and seminars, periodically evaluate performance to monitor progress and establish mechanisms for continuous development.

INTERNAL REVENUE ALLOTMENT: THE CASE OF BARANGAY CALAMBA, CEBU CITY

This study focused on exploring the knowledge level of awareness and implementation of the Internal Revenue Allotment in Barangay Calamba, Cebu City. It sought to determine the answer 1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents, 2. What is the level of awareness of the respondents towards internal revenue allotment? 3. What are the strategies used by the Barangay Captain in collecting internal revenue allotment and its level of implementation? 4. What is the perception of the respondents on the contribution of the collected Real Property Tax to the operation of Barangay Calamba? The research design used was descriptive, that is by employing percentage distribution and frequency counts in presenting and analyzing the data obtained from a sample of fifty-eight (58) respondents. A validated researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect the primary data. The findings on this study revealed There was a barangay development plan; however, budget allocation is the problem observed, and these plans were not fully implemented. With those problems, this paper suggests that education be given importance, it is recommended that barangay personnel and authorities participate in an integrated capacity-building program. Educating people on practical issues such as dealing with the administration of IRA towards development, not only the officials but most importantly, the residents or the ordinary people too, so that they will be able to participate and contribute to their own development.

Effectiveness of Hands-on Learning Activities in Improving the Performance of Kindergarten Learners

This study determined the effectiveness of hands on activities in improving the performance of kindergarten in two selected schools in the Division of Talisay City and Division of Cebu City for the school year 2022-2023 as basis for a proposed action plan. This study determined the effectiveness of hands on activities in improving the performance of kindergarten in two selected schools in the Division of Talisay City and Division of Cebu City for the school year 2022-2023 as basis for a proposed action plan. Through a descriptive-comparative study, survey questionnaires were given to 209 parents and teachers as the respondents across the said two schools and the data obtained were analyzed using descriptive and correlational statistics. Results revealed that parents and teacher’s perception in the effectiveness of hands on activities in improving the performance of kindergarten learners are very effective. It was also evident that incorporating hands-on learning into the classroom or into the home is an easy way to show children exactly how they are learning can be used in the real world. There were observed a significant relationship between parents and teacher’s perception in the effectiveness of hands on activities in improving the performance of Kindergarten learners. In conclusion, it’s important to note especially to the parents and teachers that when people hear the word “creativity,” their minds often go immediately to subjects like art and music. While these are of course important classes for children, and should play a role in child’s education. Parents and teachers should be involved in order to manifest learning using the effectivity of hands-on activity. Action plan was formulated to provide help and support to parents and the school in general.

AlarmaPh: A Mobile Swiss Knife for Quick Response Incidents

Accidents can happen at any time, even if you follow traffic rules and practice safe driving. That's why it's important to be prepared for the unexpected. This study aims to provide emergency quick response and enable government agencies to track and manage emergencies all over Cebu City. As we all know, communication is the heart of any unwanted situation. So for Filipinos to be equipped with better and improved knowledge in preparing for disasters and emergencies such as earthquakes and road accidents, respectively, AlarmaPh will let each individual send distress calls to the fire department, police department, and call for ambulance assistance with just a click away. Moreover, AlarmaPh provides basic first aid manuals and before/during/after incident guides. More importantly, the system will let each individual connect with their families and be notified if the family that is registered in the system is involved in an accident or otherwise. On the other hand, other disaster applications have a high rate of subscription fee. As a result, individuals won't have access to the necessary features that they need. AlarmaPh gives you fast access to incident information, remote content management, easy maintenance, and a scalable platform for future growth. The descriptive developmental method of research was used to gather data from the Philippine National Police, Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation, Bureau of Fire Protection, barangay officials, and constituents of Cebu City. The data was analyzed using frequency, simple percentage, and weighted mean. The results showed that the application prototype was highly acceptable to the users. The researchers strongly recommend that the system be implemented and evaluated to solve the existing problems relating to emergency quick response.

TYPHOON HAZARD ANALYSIS OF THE CEBU-CORDOVA LINK EXPRESSWAY ACROSS MACTAN CHANNEL

The Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) is an inter-island bridge that links Cebu City to Mactan Island through the municipality of Cordova. The 8.9-km-long structure spans from the Cebu South Coastal Road (CSCR), crosses the Mactan Channel and Mactan Reef Flat, then connects to a causeway in Barangay Pilipog in Cordova. It is the longest and tallest bridge in the Philippines as of 2022. The channel is approximately 12-km-long strait bound to the northwest by Cebu Island and to the southeast by Mactan Island. Both ends of the channel are approximately 0.5 km wide. Adjacent to the southwest end of the channel is the Mactan Reef Flat. It is a 3,000-hectare expanse of mangroves, corals, and seagrass. CCLEX, with its local features, consisting of causeways, viaducts, pylons with pile foundations, piers, bridges, tidal inlets, and a toll plaza, is found to have affected the wave climate within the Mactan Channel and Mactan Reef Flat during extreme typhoons. This paper presents the analyses and synthesis of the effects of the CCLEX substructure on the extreme hazards of storm tide and typhoon waves of typhoons that tracked Mactan Channel.

Seafarers' Perception on Maritime English Utilization on Board

Seafarers working in international vessels come from different countries and backgrounds, and it is essential to have a common language that everyone on board a vessel can understand and communicate in by having specific terms to follow. Maritime English can eliminate confusion that would come up if typical words and terms that are used daily on board were to be spoken. Hence, the study was conducted to determine the Seafarers’ perception of maritime English utilization on board. The study utilized a comparative method of research design. The respondents of the study were Filipino seafarers from Cebu City and Cebu Provinces who were employed in the maritime industry, particularly in international vessels for at least two years. There were one hundred thirty (130) participants who voluntarily participated in the study. The researchers used a validated researcher-made instrument with a Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.910. Based on the result, the study revealed that high rank seafarers both from the deck and engine department have a high level of perception that utilizing Maritime English onboard will help them avoid ambiguous meanings during communication. Though the low-rank deck and engine department participants’ perceptions were different and varied, they still have a very high level of perception that Maritime English helps them communicate with others to avoid accidents, understand information and messages concerning the ship’s safety and operation, and understand the order being delivered.

EFFICIENCY OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES IN CEBU

The research was conducted at Cebu Contractors Association, Cebu Province, Philippines in order to implement the efficiency of Human Resources Management in the construction industries in Cebu during Fiscal Year 2021. The efficiency of Human Resources Management in the construction industries in Cebu was evaluated on the effectiveness of its Planning, Leading, Organizing and Controlling, and evaluation. Qualitative method particularly survey research was employed on this study. Questionnaires were given to 20 Human Resource Management Personnel, 40 Civil Engineers & Architects, 10 Safety Practitioners, and 80 Construction Workers in Cebu City and Provinces, Philippines for evaluation. Gathered data were treated using total weighted points, weighted mean. Based on the findings and after a careful analysis and interpretation of the study, it is concluded that the efficiency of Human Resources Management in the construction industries in Cebu. It was found out that the efficiency of Human Resources Management in the construction industries in Cebu was Highly Effective in terms of effectiveness of its project planning, project leading, project organizing, project controlling, and evaluation. It is recommended that the efficiency of Human Resources Management in the construction industries in Cebu be adopted and practiced.

The Extent of Knowledge, Preparedness and Perception of Telemedicine among Family Medicine Residents in Cebu City during COVID-19

Telemedicine is providing healthcare services using electronic means at a distance including the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases as well as the research and evaluation, and education of healthcare providers. Its role in the time of the pandemic is vital, especially to the practice of medicine. This study is a descriptive, cross-sectional, survey research study conducted in four hospital training institutions in Cebu City. A total of 41 respondents gave their consent and were given the online survey questionnaire about the extent of knowledge, preparedness and perceptions of telemedicine. Out of the 41 respondents, 56.10% were young adults (26-30 years old), mostly females (70.73%), single (68.29%), first-year residents (43.90%), employed at a government hospital (70.73%) and are in the traditional residency pathway (82.93%). On relevant experience, 82.93% experienced telemedicine during residency, with 100% on follow-up consultations, and 95% were consulted due to infections. Respondents’ extent of knowledge was average while the extent of preparedness and perception were high. Problems with low connectivity (80.48%) were noted by most of the respondents. Resident physicians moderately understood the information about telemedicine but with a high extent of preparedness and perception. Challenges to low connectivity and handling patients’ data privacy were the major concerns met by the resident physicians in the use of telemedicine.

To Paint a New Picture: Into the Lives of Eldest Siblings of Separated Fami-lies during COVID-19

This study emerged to enable humanitarian organizations to provide better services for children in separated families by understanding eldest siblings' lived experiences. Through Husserlian’s descriptive phenomenology utilizing Colaizzi’s method of data analysis, six participants were interviewed online at the height of the pandemic in 2021-2022 in Cebu City, Philippines. Data were transcribed using data reduction methods and revealed 6 themes: (1) "Having to always be the bigger person": Role Intensification; (2)"Devoting myself to things that weren't supposed to land on me": Adult Difficulties; (3) "Becoming stronger and keeping a soft spot"; Growing in Stature; (4) "True brothers are there for you”: The Support Given to the Supporter; (5) “To be free but mindful:'' Motivation to Persevere; (6) “To paint a better picture of life: ''Setting and Living an Example. The researchers discovered that the eldest siblings were forced to take charge of responsibilities that were not supposed to be theirs; encountered emotional difficulties such as loneliness and anxiety in facing a wide range of familial, developmental, and logistical problems; coped through these challenges with social support, religious devotion, and modern entertainment; and devoted their lives to protecting their siblings and giving them the lives they deserve. From these results, the researchers recommend that counseling is provided for the eldest siblings to enable the development of support structures and meaningful relationships that propel the eldest siblings to persevere.

Preparing for and managing crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks on reefs under threat from interacting anthropogenic stressors

Crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) outbreaks rank among the greatest threats to coral throughout the Indo-Pacific. In the future, reefs already stressed by CoTS will be further burdened by overfishing and nutrient loading. How much these two factors will exacerbate CoTS outbreak severity is still uncertain. Furthermore, the CoTS management literature has focused on the Great Barrier Reef, whereas outbreak damage is rising across the Indo-Pacific. Here, we use a metacommunity model to simulate CoTS outbreaks in areas with high and growing levels of fishing pressure and offshore nutrient input. We model outbreaks on reefs adjacent to two cities within the range of CoTS that have less prior literature coverage: Cebu City, Philippines, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. We observe that the combination of population increases and urbanization of previously rural areas can drive complex patterns of multi-stressor interaction. We find that CoTS removal on intermediate spatial scales significantly improves regional-scale coral health, and provide guidelines under which each of four CoTS management strategies is optimal for conservation. We find that coral decline due to overfishing can be sharper on reefs with CoTS, and that nutrification can induce a shift from discrete outbreak waves to continuous CoTS presence. Our work shows the importance of long-term planning for reef management, and highlights how reef stressors can interact in potentially unforeseen ways.

Structuring the Individual Plan of Professional Development (IPPD) For Teachers in the Advancement of Career Demand Growth

This research assessed the implementation of the Individual Plan of Professional Development (IPPD) towards career demand growth for secondary public-school teachers in South District 7 at Cebu City Division, Cebu City school year 2021-2022 as bases for a developmental action plan. Findings of this study reveal that the school heads and teacher-respondents belong to the age group of 31-40 years old, female, married, obtained units in their master’s degree, have been linked with the institution for more than 6 years, have a performance rating of very satisfactory, and attended national trainings, seminars, and workshops. Looking into the extent of implementation of the individual plan of professional development (IPPD) which is divided into five indicators – professional development in school; learning through professional development; participation experience in IPPD; impact on learners; and attitude and beliefs, accumulated an overall grand mean of 4.27, which means that the respondents strongly agree that the extent of implementation of the IPPD across all indicators increases their career demand growth

The Transitioning Experiences from Traditional to Agile Project Management: A Case of an Information Technology Department of a Private-Owned Financial Institution in Cebu City

Incorporating the Agile Project Management (APM) approach was the institution’s initiative to accelerate project delivery and be more flexible in changing requirements and client demands while producing quality software. The research explores the lived experiences of the institution's project managers to uncover the challenges and demonstrated benefits during Agile Project Management (APM) implementation. This research utilized the qualitative approach through interviews with key informants who are project managers of the institution. The data gathered were from the responses of the five (5) private-owned financial institution project managers. The responses were thoroughly reviewed and tabulated to reveal the commonalities in the data gathered. The study showed that implementing APM significantly changed how the project management team handled and delivered the projects. The project management team moved the project with agility by simplifying the scope and adapting to changes in requirements to increase customer satisfaction and value; the teams were more collaborative, flexible, and able to cope with the risks. However, the study revealed that the main challenges that the project management team experienced were the uncontrollable growth of changes in project scope, under-estimated timelines, and inefficient allocation and delegation of workloads, which resulted in the delayed delivery of projects. Also, it revealed that the current coping strategies were deprioritizing other projects to accommodate new requirements, extending project deadlines, and rendering overtime, which could have been more sustainable when appropriately handled. Furthermore, the study provided recommendations and action plans to improve the implementation of Agile Project Management.

Causes and Mitigation Schemes of Project Delays among Selected Construction Companies in Cebu City

A project's completion is crucial because it shows that goals and objectives have been met, guarantees client happiness, upholds a project's good reputation, and creates new prospects for those working in the construction business. However, in the field, construction projects need help with their timely execution and successful execution due to project delays, which can also affect costs, schedules, and stakeholder satisfaction. Hence, this phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of the project engineers who have existing projects on what are the perceived factors that cause project delays. On top of that, the study forms a series of recommendations to mitigate the identified causes of project delays. Eight (8) key informants were chosen using purposive sampling to be interviewed individually. In using Colaizzi's approach, eight themes materialized in the study: (1) Poor Management, (2) Limited Manpower, (3) Unskilled Workers, (4) Unforeseen Circumstances, (5) Poor Communication, (6) Financial Capabilities, (7) Insufficient Resources, and (8) External Factors. Ultimately, the authors concluded the need for solid project management practices, proactive risk reduction, and efficient communication to reduce delays and guarantee good project outcomes. Also, the authors concluded that if the entities appropriately and situationally consider these mechanisms recommended in the study, they will result in more precise and targeted responses to project delay issues, leading to service excellence and customer satisfaction.

Impact of parental involvement on the communication skills of children with autism

In pursuit of every individual’s access to education regardless of one’s statusin life, the Philippines establishedspecial education(SPED) centers to caterto children with special needs.Children with autism are the expectedbeneficiaries of these centers. This research assessed the impact of parentalinvolvement on the communication skills of children with autism at a SPEDcenter in Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines. Their teachers, regardingtheircommunication skills, assessed thirty children with autism. At the sametime, parents were asked to rate their extent of involvement in their child’sschool activities using survey questionnaires. Different statistical tools wereused to treat the data gathered, such as the weighted mean, standarddeviation, andPearsonproduct moment correlation coefficient. Resultsrevealed that parents were involved in the school activities of their children.However, the children had a moderate manifestation of communicationskills. It was found that there is a moderate positive significant relationshipbetween the parents’involvement and the communication skills of thechildren. Thus, teachers are encouraged to design programs for the childrenthat would involvethe parents in enhancing the communication skills ofchildren with autism.

Characteristic Metal Marker of Non-exhaust PM10 Vehicular Emissions in Cebu City, Philippines

Non-exhaust vehicular emissions are becoming a focus of research due to their increasing contribution to air pollution and its health effects. The characterization of this emission using Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn as possible metal markers and expression of metal ratios was tackled in this study. The metal concentrations in ambient air present as PM10 of Cebu Business Park (CBP) in Cebu City, Philippines were obtained from January–November 2016 and were characterized for trace metals. The filters were digested, and metal concentrations were analyzed using flame atomic spectroscopy via an external calibration method. The average concentration of Fe at 0.3975 μg/m3, Cu at 0.1191 μg/m3, Zn at 0.1228 μg/m3, and Mn at 0.0178 μg/m3. Subsequently, the metal concentrations were correlated with each other. The Fe and Zn presented a significant correlation with r = 0.927. Enrichment and roadside enrichment factors between the sampling site and the urban background revealed that the metals were from vehicular activity. The wear and tear of vehicular tires are identified as the source of the non-exhaust vehicular emission from the average slope of the regression line between Fe and Zn concentration in air filters is 30.1. It was also noted that the slope obtained during the wet season is approximately half that of the dry season. This study recommends further investigation using other metals to identify source fingerprints for future source apportionment studies to support the crafting of legislation to abate the non-exhaust component of vehicular emissions.