FICS Theses and Dissertations

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Theses and dissertations by graduate students from the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies.

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Browsing FICS Theses and Dissertations by Title

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    A Communication Analysis of Climate Change Knowledge Gaps Between Uplands and Lowlands Farmers in Nueva Ecija, Philippines: A Validation of the Knowledge Gap Theory
    ( 2018) Irabagon, Maria Loida D.
    This study primarily aims to determine the knowledge level of 120 upland rice farmers and lowland rice farmers in Nueva Ecija, Philippines on climate change, with the hope of validating the Knowledge Gap Theory by Tichenor, Donohue, and Olien. In validating the said theory, the study looked into the relationship of the respondents' socio-economic status with their knowledge level on climate change as hypothesized in the theory. It also aims to recommend policies on disseminating climate change knowledge and information particularly at the local level. The study used the snowball sampling technique and the data were gathered using quantitative and qualitative methods. The T-test analysis and Pearson Correlation Analysis was used to determine the knowledge level of the respondents and to test the relationship of the variables. The results show that the respondents from the upland and the lowland were knowledgeable about climate change, its causes, effects, and impacts as well as to the climate change programs of the government. The respondents, however, were Only slightly knowledgeable on the technical aspects of climate change. Most of them were also not familiar with some of the recommended adaptation technologies as those technologies were not introduced to them. Additionally, the results of the key informant interviews revealed that the local government unit of Carranglan„ Palayan City, and San Isidro, Nueva Ecija were active in disseminating climate change knowledge and information and adaptation technologies. They did this through the conduct of different activities such as seminars, Farmers Field School, and Lakbay-Aral. Of the four local government units (LGUs), Guimba had the least number of activities on agricultural extension concerning climate change adaptation. The communication activities of various research and development and academic institutions such as the Araullo University, Central Luzon State University, and Central Luzon Agriculture and Aquatic Resources Research and Development Consortium also helped in educating the respondents on climate change. Drawing on from the results of this study, it is recommended that researchers should explore the effect of other factors—particularly the social and communication factors—in studying the knowledge gaps among groups of interest especially if the form of knowledge that will be tested is global in nature and one that includes technological interventions. It is also recommended among LGUs to strengthen their extension services on climate change. The study also recommends, in particular, the continuous implementation of the Farmers Field School and partnerships with.
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    A CSR Practitioner's Communication Practices in Engaging the Local Community in Watershed Conservation: An Autoethnography
    ( 2024) Amata, Dennis John M.
    This study aimed to answer the following questions: What are the CSR practitioner’s communication practices in engaging the local community in watershed conservation and what are the underlying views and assumptions of the communication practices? By positioning himself as the primary subject, the researcher employed autoethnography to deeply explore his interactions and communication practices used to engage a local community. Autoethnography as a research framework and methodology not only allows for an in-depth and reflective examination of his personal experiences but also provides a rich, nuanced understanding of the complexities involved in community engagement. The research methodology included gathering and review of the CSR practitioner’s personal journals during the implementation of the project from 2022- 2023, as well as a thorough review of related literature. Thematic analysis was employed to identify and explore recurring themes and provide insights into the patterns of his engagement with the local community. His journals were classified into two vignettes which included his communication practices when in project implementation and when the community is in conflict. Four communication practices during project implementation emerged in the analysis of data: engaging and empowering community leaders, integrating the local community’s wisdom and traditions; engaging the community in a long-term partnership; and recognizing literacy constraints. Each of these practices is made up of sub-practices, including: ● Sharing roles and responsibilities with the community ● Letting the community lead the completion of the project ● Including local voices in decision-making ● Inviting community leaders to educate employees and stakeholders ● Being mindful of local customs and traditions ● Respecting hierarchical structures ● Using the local language ● Involving community members in the storytelling process ● Bridging the language barrier ● Visiting the community to personally connect ● Immersing in the local community The findings from this study can inform more effective CSR communication practices and contribute to the growing body of research on the role of communication in fostering successful community engagement and partnerships in sustainability initiatives.
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    A Descriptive Analysis of C4D Model in CSR Communication – The Amway Philippines “One by One Campaign for Children” Case Study
    ( 2018) Ochoa, Michelle P.
    Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) communication happens extensively during project implementation, across various levels, and between various stakeholders. The importance of communicating the message and intention of the company is vital to the achievement of sustainable goals for individuals and communities that benefit from such initiatives. Amway Philippines' “One by One Campaign for Children” is a global campaign supporting various children’s causes worldwide. In the Philippines, the program is aimed at SDG 4, or supporting quality education through a values-laden literacy through storytelling campaign under the Department of Education’s Adopt-A-School Program (ASP). It was proven that in all locations where the Amway business operates, public school partners and students benefited from library renovations and other related support activities, which resulted in a sustainable relationship through effective communication and technology, such as email communication, social media channels, that mobilized volunteers across the organization. Morsing and Schultz (2006), noted that engagement in present times requires a more sophisticated and ongoing stakeholder awareness and more focused CSR communication strategies than previously. This solidifies the need to make a CSR communication platform as that is “sustainable” and more attuned to the needs of various stakeholders. The element of “sustainability”, makes the Amway Philippines One by One Campaign a movement to uplift the lives of its beneficiaries. The communication for development (C4D) model, allows the campaign to tap into various forms of communication, and utilize the technology that allows the implementation on a global and affiliate level. The barriers of distance and time is no longer a challenge since the messaging tools are freely utilized using email, social media channels, and the Amway web-based resources such as blogs, microsites, and websites. Feedback is gathered, and dialogues are made to open up the communication lines either personally or through technology-aided communication.
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    A Grounded Theory of Developer Communication in Extreme Programming Practices
    ( 2024) Viray, Ben Hur C.
    There is evidence that Extreme Programming (XP) software development practices are still actively used by Information Technology (IT) projects under the Agile methodology, one of the famous software development life cycle (SDLC) models. However, more information about the communication between programmers or developers for these XP practices is needed. Thus, this study, employing a constructivist grounded theory (CGT) design which emphasizes the construction of knowledge through the interpretation of data, was conducted to explore developer communication for significant XP practices. For the initial data, the researcher was fortunate to have the participation of eleven out of fifteen IT professionals, each with at least a decade of work experience. Their expertise was invaluable in shaping the direction of the research. Three out of four identified developers also participated in a follow-up questionnaire. Subsequently, semi-structured key informant interviews were conducted, focusing on their top three practices: Planning Game, Test-Driven Development (TDD), and Small Releases, which were selected based on their perceived importance in IT projects. During the interviews, it became evident that the developers play multiple roles, each significantly influencing communication. These fourteen identified roles highlight their work’s diverse and complex nature: Assessor, Collaborator, Coordinator, Designer, Developer, Documenter, Interpreter, Learner, Mentor, Negotiator, Presenter, Researcher, Tester, and Translator. The developers interacted with seven teams categorized into four groups based on their modes of communication: Direct Managers and Change management under Linear-Interactional, Business Team under Interactional, External Developers, Functional Resources, and Technical Team under Interactional-Transactional, and Transactional-Interactional for Internal Developers. With all the combined practices, roles, and interactions, this study has proposed an XP Developer Communication (XPDC) model. This framework can serve as a guide for understanding and improving developer communication in XP projects. For instance, it can help identify the key roles and their communication needs or guide the selection of appropriate communication modes for different teams. Although not all XP practices are covered, the components are enough to cover all the essential developer communication practices in XP.
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    A Narrative of Haribon’s Online Environmental Advocacy
    ( 2017) Corcuera, Winnie Aurea D.
    This qualitative study aims to understand the experience of Haribon Foundation, a non-government environmental organization, in using social media as a communication platform for environmentalism. It describes the mechanisms used by Haribon to make its presence felt online and investigates how environmental communication survived in an online advocacy. This study was written with a problem-solution or issue-realization sequence in six parts based on William Labov and Joshua Waletzky's natural narrative. These are abstract, orientation, complicating action, resolution, evaluation, and coda. The communication officers of Haribon were observed and interviewed for this study. Results revealed the crucial role of the communication officers as vehicles of information between Haribon and its audience. Communication officers are advantaged if they are knowledgeable about the advocacies as well as equipped with the skills in delivering these advocacies to the audience through social media. The strategies in promoting Haribon's advocacy through Facebook (FB), Twitter, and Instagram were the use of informational campaigns through creative posts, sharing trivia about specific topics, riding on popular culture, conversing with the audience, linking and tagging posts to partner international organizations, and using FB boosts and analytics. Through the communication officers' experiences, this study drafted a theoretical framework as a guide in developing a social media strategy or plan for non-government organizations of the same nature.
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    A Perception Study of Behavioral Change Through Communication: The Edukasyon Social Marketing and Mobilization Project
    ( 2017) Calayag, Roxanne
    Sustainable behavioral change is a by-product of communication through action. This scenario happens when people realize the perceived benefits and values of making a change in one’s behavior, for instance, towards exercising the right of children to education. Given the power of communication as reflected in social marketing and social mobilization programs, this study aimed to analyze the perception of parents towards the potential influence of communication (through the Eduk-Aksyon Program) in insinuating sustained behavioral change. Through focused group discussions, interviews and cross-case analyses of parents who continued to send their children to school even without government reinforcement through the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), it was found out that Eduk-Aksyon Program led to a sustained change in behavior of parents. Change was brought about by communication – through – action – via channels including the distribution of school supplies and the realization of perceived benefits of their children’s schooling. The factors intrinsic about the Eduk-Aksyon project that parents mostly value that led them to sustained behavioral change included the distribution of school supplies, the rewards and incentives systems, and the holistic development initiated by the program both mentally and spiritually. These factors were viewed as a means to alleviate the burden from the family by shouldering a portion of the overhead expenses at school. Meanwhile, the parent’s motivations in sending their children to school would be their personal and moral obligation to provide their kids the right to education; and the vision that education is the key to escape the vicious cycle of poverty. As compelling as it sounded, the rationalized benefits from the perceived outcome of completing or graduating from school, contributed to sustained behavioral change of parents. The findings from the content analyses of the transcripts affirm what Bandura suggests – that behavioral change can be determined by an interplay of both personal motivations and external factors. In this case, the respondent’s behavior, together with their responsiveness towards gaining benefit through rewards and incentives that Eduk-Aksyon program provide, led them to have a sustained behavior. Based on these findings, it appeared that the future social marketing and social mobilization programs can be sealed and ensured if the programs offer both short-term and long-term benefits that could entice parents to be an active influencer for the kids to finish their schooling. For as long as the perceived benefits are rationalized by parents [and the perceived benefits exceeded the costs of education], social marketing and social mobilization programs such as the Eduk-Aksyon could continue to serve as communication platforms that drive behavioral change of the targeted audience which are the parents.
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    A Policy Study on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in Guagua, Pampanga and the Inclusion of Persons with Disability (PWDS) in Their Disaster Plans
    ( 2016) Mercado, Joshua Marie G.
    The study describes the current practice of risk communication, warning and response in the Municipality of Guagua, determines if its disaster risk reduction and management plan is consistent with the National Council’s standards, and identifies the gaps in knowledge, capacities, and resources that address the needs of Persons with Disability (PWDs) during disasters. The researcher used a descriptive survey research method where participants were interviewed using survey questionnaires. The main research instrument was adopted from the UNISDR 2013 Survey on Living with Disabilities and Disasters. The questions in the questionnaire were patterned after the objectives of the study. The study population consisted 244 Persons with Disability age 18 and up in Guagua, Pampanga who were randomly selected from the total list. The sample size of 244 was computed using Raosoft sample size calculator. The random numbers were generated using the random number generator in the site “randomizer.org.”
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    A Predictive Model for Online Content Virality: The Case of University of the Philippines Open University's Massive Open Online Courses Calendar
    ( 2024) Tanay, Shaira F.
    In today's interconnected digital landscape, social media platforms drive the dissemination of online content. Cutting through this digital clutter to achieve visibility and resonance has become essential for effective communication on these platforms. A widely recognized but little-understood phenomenon in social media is "going viral," characterized by rapid and extensive dissemination across social circles. Understanding the factors that initiate viral spread typically occurs after the content has gained traction. However, there has yet to be a consensus on a universal model for predicting virality. The study focused on identifying the key drivers of virality, understanding the interactions among these drivers, and developing a predictive model to anticipate content-sharing behavior. A quantitative methodology was employed, including a cross-sectional survey of 380 respondents who registered for UPOU MOOCs during a user surge from January 19 to March 2, 2023. Data collection was conducted through an online survey, and the analysis involved descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and binary logistic regression to predict sharing behavior. The study developed a predictive model that provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the dynamics of online content sharing. It highlights the interplay of external, intrapersonal, and interpersonal factors in driving the sharing of online content. The model emphasizes the significance of both online and offline sharing behaviors, demonstrating the lasting impact of word-of-mouth. This sharing behavior creates a social sharing infinity loop, where content perceived as relevant or useful continues to be disseminated, further enhancing its virality. In conclusion, the study offers valuable insights into the complex dynamics of content virality, emphasizing the importance of understanding the various factors that influence sharing behavior. These insights can help optimize the reach and impact of online content.
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    A Semiotic Analysis Of Senior High School Students' Perception On Covid-19 Infographics In Calbayog City, Samar
    ( 2023) Guanzon, Greta Glory B.
    Since 1918, infographics have been used to communicate health and safety measures. They contain text, images and other signs that provide information to people reminding them to wear face masks, sanitize their hands and observe social distancing. While many studies were undertaken to analyze the content and context of various infographics as perceived by young people, this study specifically discussed the meaning of COVID-19 infographics as perceived by Senior High students and analyzed their perceptions vis-à-vis Roland Barthes’ theory on myth and connotation. Using the mixed method, the quantitative research design was employed to tabulate the participants’ profile, as well as the frequency, ratio and rank of their responses. On the other hand, the qualitative methods, specifically thematic and semiotic analysis were utilized to explain their perceptions and interpretations, the corresponding semiotic levels and the factors that prompted them to make inferences. Results show that participants construct denotative and connotative meanings through their literal understanding of the infographics’ verbal and non-verbal signs and the associated meanings of the signs with the participants’ past experiences, present circumstances, and other biases.
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    A Unicorn Amongst A Field of Horses: An Autoethnography of Sexual Orientation Microaggressions in the Workplace
    ( 2023) Limpiada, Abraham C.
    Despite the societal changes and growing acceptance of the LGBTQ community, discrimination persists, both in overt and subtle forms. The study focuses on the subtle form of discrimination and microaggressions in the workplace against members of the LGBTQ, and how these shaped my experiences and communication behaviors as a Filipino LGBTQ individual. I used autoethnography and symbolic interactionism to examine my experiences with microaggressions from 2013 to 2019 after disclosing my sexual orientation at work. I explored how microaggressions shaped how I disclosed personal information and how I interacted and communicated at work. Specifically, I documented (1) the microaggressions I have experienced after my self-disclosure, (2) my interactions after self-disclosure; and (3) how I communicated to resolve the microaggressions. I experienced verbal and non-verbal forms of microaggressions after disclosing my sexual orientation to my co-workers. To cope with these repeated microaggressions, I ignored or tolerated my coworkers' behavior and became withdrawn from them. However, this approach created a communication gap and was perceived negatively by my coworkers. To resolve the microaggressions, I opened a non-confrontational discussion I termed as ‘pagpapaunawa’ with my coworkers and ‘educated’ them about the impact of their words and actions. This approach improved my relationships with my coworkers and emphasized the importance of communication in resolving microaggressions.
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    Accomplishment of Interorganizational Collaboration: An Ethnomethodological Study of the Communicative Practices of an International Body
    ( 2023) Bravo, Ma. Victoria D.
    This study looks into the communicative practices of an international body in the accomplishment of interorganizational collaboration or IOC. It aligns with the Montreal School of the communicative constitution of organization or CCO approach, wherein conversations reflect the collective experience of individual members and become authored into text that shapes the collective organization. An ethnomethodological approach was used in carrying out the data collection and analysis. This includes transcribing and coding conversations from meeting workshops of a consortium established by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). Results from this study show that contextualizing, consensus building, and confirming commitment (3Cs) are accomplished through communicative practices. These 3Cs constitute IOC through co-orientation and formation of authoritative text. The 3Cs demonstrate an authoritative text that enables individual members of an interorganizational network to act in consonance as a collective organization. This study also explains how the 3Cs could help gain a better appreciation for communication as well as recommendations for future research.
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    Agile Communication in an International Educational Organization: A Phenomenological Study
    ( 2023) Aguilar, Monalice G.
    Using phenomenology, the researcher explored staff members' experiences in an international educational organization and made sense of the dynamic nature of their communicative practices in an ever-changing work environment. Based on the Husserl and Habermas frameworks, the study provided a comprehensive understanding of communication practices and organizational dynamics in the context of agile communication and the staff’s lifeworld. Through in-depth interviews and employing the Discourse of Understanding grounded on the Phenomenological Tradition of Communication, the researcher made sense of the experiences of selected staff members, resulting in an emergent communication-centric concept of Agile Communication. The inquiry revealed that Agile Communication is flexible, adaptive, and stakeholder-centered, enabling quick response to changing circumstances and delivering value to stakeholders. It is a collaborative, innovative, and iterative process that promotes efficient work environments by working hand-in-hand with the iteration process. Agile communication is direct and transparent, promoting simple, face-to-face interaction that leads to consistent feedback loops. It is embedded in organizational culture and process, allowing for pivot strategies, structures, and processes. Finally, it maintains the quality of work outputs, enabling stakeholders to respond to changes without compromising quality and ensuring the timely delivery of projects. Hence, Agile Communication is a flexible, user-centric, collaborative, and transparent approach that prioritizes organizational quality. It lies in the social interaction and communicative activities of people within the organization, which allow the utilization of appropriate strategies, processes, and tools in managing and responding to change. More importantly, the study revealed that agile communication had become a concept that limits the systems to colonize the staff members' lifeworld.
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    Agroenterprise Communicative Practices: An Ethnomethodological Study of Enterprise Engagement of Rice Farmers in Midsayap, Cotabato
    ( 2021) Quiring, Sylvia Therese C.
    This is a study on the worldview of rice farmers on agroenterprise, and their communicative practices. Using qualitative methodology, I analyzed empirical data from rice-based agroenterprise engaged farmers to answer the following research questions: What is the view of the farmers on agroenterprise, and How does their view define their communicative practices as entrepreneurs. Ethnomethodology was chosen as the research framework of this study for its ability to examine the contextual use or conduct of mundane activities enabling researchers to have specified data on practice. Though this specified ability of ethnomethodology may limit the application of the findings, it could be compensated for its capacity to observe and retrieve knowledge and skills in day-to-day activities. I found out that the rice farmers see their agroenterprise venture as an advanced farming activity, and this advanced farming activity is communicated through their three main practices of Financial preparedness and acumen developed; Farming practices enhanced, and Filial obligations accomplished. Financial preparedness and acumen developed is broken down into Saving is essential, Farm diversification for multiple sources of income, and Practical entrepreneurial knowledge and skills are used. While Farming practices enhanced is further defined by the rice farmers as Record­keeping improved farm management, and Appropriate farming technologies are applied. As an advanced farming activity, these agroenterprise communicative practices are the necessities by which other rice farmers may need to accomplish to engage in entrepreneurial activities. Based on the findings of this study, 1 came up with methodological and practical recommendations on the implementation and conduct of agroenterprise-based extension initiatives.
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    "All We Need is Love": The Influence of Humanized Communication to Selected Adult Quezon City Residents in Adopting Preventive Measures against COVID-19
    ( 2023) Asis-Librado, China Ruth
    There are numerous ways to influence and motivate people to action. In the Philippines, public compliance to COVID-19 preventive measures has become quite challenging. Reports showed in 2021 that thousands of quarantine violators were recorded by the PNP. Medical health experts have proven that layers of protection such as vaccination, face masks, eye protection (using face shields), physical distancing, minimizes the risk of contracting the virus. Thus, it is significant to carefully consider the communication strategy that should be employed to motivate the public to adopt the changes brought by the “new normal” era because of the COVID-19. In this study, the researcher employed theory of reasoned action to determine what motivates the public’s intention to adopt the preventive measures against COVID-19. According to its proponents, there are two variables that influence the intention of an individual to adopt a behavior; the attitude towards behavior and the subjective norm. It is said that the higher positive attitude towards a behavior and subjective norm a person has, the intention to adopt the behavior is more likely to happen. Hence, the researcher introduced in this study “humanized communication” as a factor that also influences positively the intention of an individual to adopt the said behavior. Humanized communication refers to the use of exceptional storytelling that enhances persuasive messages by touching emotions and moving people to favorable response. Thus, humanized communication through storytelling was measured through the following variables; (1) If it touches EMOTION, (2) If it evokes EMPATHY, and (3) if it inspires ACTION. The study collected and analyzed data from 278 adult respondents from Quezon City. To measure the association between the factors of humanized communication and preventive measures compliance against COVID-19, the Spearman’s rank correlation test was used. Furthermore, Cronbach’s Alpha was employed to measure the reliability of the test. Results showed that the ad campaign which uses a humanize communication strategy through storytelling that was able to tap emotion, evokes empathy and inspire action has a positive correlation to influence the individual’s intention to adopt the preventive measures against COVID-19. Hence, health communication experts may consider humanized communication through storytelling technique as a factor that can be maximized in crafting effective health advertisement campaign.
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    Artificial Intelligence in Social Sciences: Behavioral Intention and Use Among Students in a State University in Central Luzon, Philippines
    ( 2025-04-17) Soliven, Paolo Carl
    This study assessed the views and usage of AI among social sciences students in a state university in Luzon, Philippines, using the Unified Theory of Acceptance of Technology (UTAUT) theory. A total of 311 students were chosen through stratified proportional sampling and surveyed using Google Forms for 8 days. Data underwent statistical tests such as T-test and correlations (Point-Biserial, Spearman's rank, and Phi Coefficient). The behavioral intentions and actual use of AI among students were high. They actively utilize AI such as chatbots (e.g., ChatGPT) and writing assistance tools (e.g., Grammarly and QuillBot) to enhance their learning and assist with academic tasks. They hold a positive perception of AI, particularly in terms of performance expectancy and effort expectancy. They believe that AI enhances their academic performance and is easy to use. However, students remain neutral regarding social influence and facilitating conditions, suggesting that they feel neither strongly encouraged nor discouraged by their peers to use AI. Additionally, they perceive external support for AI as neutral, indicating a perceived lack of encouragement from academic institutions regarding its use. Students' attitudes toward AI are also neutral, due to the absence of standardized guidelines and implementation strategies from academic institutions. This seems to have created uncertainty, as students are unsure whether they are encouraged or discouraged from using AI. As a result, they approach the ethical use of AI with caution. Despite these, they still intend to use AI to enhance their creativity and ideas, innovate their academic methods, and improve the quality of their work.
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    Artscience Thinking for the Global South
    ( 2022-02-22) Maranan, Diego S.
    Pluridisciplinary practices that span art and science are well-known in Western research and creative communities. Some of the most interesting and significant of these works confront audiences with deep questions about "life, the universe, and everything” (with apologies to Douglas Adams). But in the Global South—where addressing basic human needs, achieving economic and political security, and adapting to the unfolding climate crisis—are widely regarded as priorities, is there even space or time for the same? Using recent artscience research and creative projects I have been involved in, I argue that despite—or indeed because—of the challenges confronting the Global South, research, practice, and education on the intersections of the arts and the sciences is more necessary than ever.
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    Attributes of the Metro Manila Development Authority’s Facebook Page and Influence on Citizen’s Social Engagement and Participation on Posted Public Issues
    ( 2017) Espino, Marga Alyanna A.
    The Metro Manila Development Authority's (MMDA) Facebook page is among the top 15 government-associated pages in the Philippines. With its goal of widening its reach and promoting active involvement of its followers through their Facebook page, the study examined the attributes of the MMDA Facebook page that influenced active engagement and social participation. This study used the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to investigate and explain the followers' intention and use of the MMDA Facebook page. The data were obtained through an online survey to randomly selected followers, which were analyzed using descriptive statistics through building of regression models. The results demonstrated that performance expectancy, effort expectancy and social influences have a significant effect on a user's behavioral intention to follow and use the MMDA Facebook Page, while facilitating conditions directly affects their usage behavior or engagement. This means that users believe that the MMDA Facebook page can help improve their performance, easy to use, and are supported by the people in their social circle; which resulted in the increase of their intention to use their page. Moreover, since the resources to use it are available, the more reason that they utilize the page, which improves engagement.
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    Autoethnography of Human-Animal Interaction and Mental Wellness
    ( 2024) Balderama, Renz D.
    While there have been existing studies that suggest Human-Animal Interaction helps improvement of people􀂶s physical and mental health (Wauthier, et al. 2022; Poresky & Hendirix, 1990; Barlow, et al., 2012; Thayer & Stevens, 2022; Hoy-Gerlach, et al., 2022; Winsor, et al., 2022; Robino, et al., 2022; Wagner & Pina E Cunha, 2021), most of them were done clinically. This study discusses the lived experience of a Filipino individual who underwent anxiety and depression to understand how nonverbal communication, through Human-Animal Interaction became a means to alleviate his mental health issues. This research uses autoethnography as a study, while the researcher draws on personal experience, all recorded and written as Vignettes, and analyzed using the Immersion-Reflection-Modeling (IRM) model to expound points. Of note, this study includes hypersensitive or psychologically triggering and disturbing information as part of its narrative to understand the connection between Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) and its benefits on the mental wellness of humans.
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    Beyond the Crescent: Exploring Perceptions of the Philippine Halal Logo Among Young Non-Muslim Filipino Consumers
    ( 2025-05-14) Jimenez, Maria Alexine P.
    Can a logo intended to represent religious principles transcend its roots and become a universal symbol of health? In the Philippines, where approximately 91.5% of the population is reported to be Christian ("Religious affiliation in the Philippines (2020 census of population and housing)," 2023), the government has actively promoted locally made Halal-certified products through initiatives mandated by the Philippine Halal Export Development Program (Senate and House of Representatives Philippines, 2016). Central to these efforts is the introduction of the official Philippine Halal logo (Caybot, 2019). But can this marker truly resonate beyond the Muslim community and symbolize broader notions of health, cleanliness, trust, sustainability, and quality for everyone? This research presents a creative visual perception test, describing how the logo’s design elements-particularly its prominence, messaging, and imagery-influence perceptions of health, trust, quality, and purchase intentions among young non-Muslim Filipino consumers residing in Quezon City. Using a purposive, non-random sample of 311 respondents, the study employed descriptive analysis to explore awareness of and attitudes toward the Philippine Halal Logo. Guided by the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), this study used a mixed-methods research design, combining quantitative surveys with qualitative insights. The findings reveal that while respondents generally have favorable impressions of the logo and its visibility, statistical analysis showed no significant effect of logo size alone on perceived health benefits. Messaging such as the text “Clean Food” resonated well with safety-conscious consumers, but it did not show a statistically significant advantage over other text options. In contrast, a green color scheme for the imagery significantly enhanced associations with cleanliness and sustainability. The synergy of these design elements-rather than any single factor-created the strongest positive impact on health perceptions and purchase intentions within this sample. Furthermore, respondents who engaged in the central route of processing information demonstrated greater cognitive engagement and more positive attitudes toward Halal-certified products, supporting key principles of the Elaboration Likelihood Model (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986). It is important to note that, due to the purposive and non-random sampling method, these findings are descriptive and reflect only the views of the surveyed group; they are not representative of all young, non-Muslim Filipinos in Quezon City or the Philippines. The study’s limitations highlight the need for future research across more diverse regions and with randomized samples to better capture the broader demographics. In terms of development communication, the results demonstrate how strategic visual design and messaging can help transform cultural symbols into more universal markers of trust, health, and quality (Page & Lim, 2022). Recommendations include optimizing the Philippine Halal logo’s design particularly through the use of green color and clear, health-focused messaging-launching targeted awareness campaigns that emphasize “Clean Food,” and establishing standard policies to unite MSMEs and businesses in communicating their Halal-certified products. By bridging cultural divides through effective branding and social marketing, this study highlights the potential of Halal certification to foster inclusivity and drive sustainable growth in the Philippine food industry.
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    Borrowing from Informal Money Lenders: A Case Study on Cognitive Dissonance Theory in Meycauayan City, Bulacan
    ( 2017) Valisno Jr., Noel
    This case study analyzed the persistent demand for informal lenders despite their usurious practices by applying Leon Festinger's Cognitive Dissonance Theory among 31 purposively sampled households who borrowed from informal lenders in Barangay Pantoc, Meycauayan City in the province of Bulacan. The questionnaire was administered to the participants from 17-24 October 2017. The respondents lacked knowledge on fair and proper lending and borrowing practices. Evidence of contradictory beliefs or cognitive dissonance was found among the respondents although this may not be apparent to them due to their lack of financial literacy and sophistication. After making the contradictions in their beliefs more apparent by giving them information that informal lenders were disadvantageous to their financial wellbeing, they with with their original action. In the process of forced compliance, they chose to rationalize or justify their irrational behavior by changing their perception of their action and saying that the usurious interest rates were a trade-off to easy access to credit from informal lenders. Enhancing financial literacy and providing information and access to affordable credit through the formal system are recommended.