This study investigates the utilization of educational videos among mothers with primary school-aged children in a low-income urban community in Quezon City, Philippines, using the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) and Paolucci’s Decision-Making Theory as frameworks. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 purposively selected mothers, the research reveals that mothers are not passive media consumers but active, discerning agents who strategically engage with educational videos to support their children's learning and household management. Findings highlight a significant shift from traditional television to mobile digital platforms, particularly Facebook and YouTube, driven by accessibility and the greater agency these afford. Mothers' media choices reflect deeply held values and goals, prioritizing content that empowers, informs, and aligns with their standards. Central to the results is diskarte, a uniquely Filipino concept of practical resourcefulness and adaptive strategy, and how it figures in the mothers’ decision-making process. Based on the insights, the study recommends refining UGT to explicitly integrate diskarte as a core mediating lens, offering a culturally grounded integration to an existing Western-rooted framework. Future research should explore diverse demographic groups and include fathers and children to provide a more comprehensive understanding of family media dynamics. Additionally, content creators are encouraged to design educational videos that are highly practical, actionable, and relatable, featuring credible local figures and simplified instructions as the study affirms that low-income Filipino mothers are not merely navigating media—they are strategically harnessing it as a vital tool for parenting, self-development, and household responsibilities.

This study argues that Home Economics education should begin at the kindergarten level, a foundational period in child development, to help enable students to improve their quality of life in the long term as individuals and members of families and communities. It sought to identify and validate Home Economics concepts, values, and learning competencies for Filipino kindergarten children, and to test selected competencies. A total of 23 experts in Home Economics Education, Family Life and Child Development, and Teaching Early Grades responded to an online survey to get their consensus on developmentally appropriate Home Economics content for Filipino kindergarten children; which yielded concepts that include clothing, food, and home management; values such as cleanliness, orderliness, and responsibility; and competencies like eating nutritious foods and practicing proper hygiene habits. Learning activity plans on four randomly selected Home Economics competencies were designed for the pilot testing participated in by 77 kindergarten children, which showed what they know, what they want to know, and what was learned. It appears that some of the competencies are already being targeted in the national kindergarten curriculum under different learning areas, and suggestions were made on how to emphasize a Home Economics perspective in classroom instruction. The need to validate more content to cover all the child development areas and curricular themes was also underscored. Further research may be conducted to support the creation of a developmentally appropriate national kindergarten curriculum framework that recognizes Home Economics as an integral learning area.

The birth rate of the Philippines has been in a constant decline for the past 22 years. The country’s fertility rate has also dropped drastically in 60 years. Yet, studies that investigate childbearing desire among Filipinos are lacking. Hence, this study looked into the desire of selected generation Z Filipinos to have children in the future, the factors that affect their desire, and the circumstances that may change their intention. A researcher-made Childbearing Desire Questionnaire (CDQ) and in-depth interviews were utilized to gather data from 55 respondents. Quantitative data was subjected to descriptive statistics while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. The results reveal that the majority of the respondents show no desire to have children in the future. Women displayed a higher desire to have children in the future while men reported higher uncertainty. Respondents with high personal income reported a greater desire to have children in the future. Meanwhile, those with low personal income reported less childbearing desire. Additionally, respondents who were in a relationship showed higher desire for childbearing. A low level of educational attainment was found to be connected with low childbearing desire. On the other hand, achieving an average level of education is connected to a higher desire to have children in the future. Happiness levels were found to relate to higher childbearing desire, wherein those with high happiness show more desire to have children. The factors that influence childbearing desire include economy and finances, various physical, mental, and emotional health aspects, and family experiences among others. Changes in financial stability, relationship status, and happiness levels are factors that may cause initial childbearing desire to change.

Foodborne disease outbreaks (FBDOs) remain a major public health concern, especially in developing countries like the Philippines, where school-based food establishments frequently report such incidents. While regulatory frameworks exist, gaps persist between food safety knowledge and actual practice. This study explores these gaps by 1) providing a comprehensive overview of the existing food safety standards, rules, and regulations governing cafeterias in UP Diliman (UPD), 2) assessing worker compliance to food safety standards, and 3) identifying the challenges that UPD cafeteria employees encounter in observing food safety practices. Employing a qualitative approach, this study utilized a written correspondence supplemented by an interview from a key informant from the UPD Food Service Regulatory Committee (FSRC), and a semi-structured interview with cafeteria employees. Findings revealed a notable disconnect between institutional food safety policies and their implementation at the operational and personal level. Particularly, while the university—with the FSRC serving as administrators—has established inspection routines, sanitation protocols, and orientation sessions, these mechanisms are inconsistently applied or poorly communicated. For one, at the operational level, employees reported limited access to formal guidelines such as Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), variation in food safety and sanitation inspections, and absence of a formally designated food safety officer. Additionally, inadequate infrastructure, resource limitations, and environmental hazards further compromise compliance. On a personal level, cafeteria employees reported having knowledge and skill gaps, inconsistent hygiene practices, and human errors or oversights. In sum, these challenges reflect a fragmented administration of the university-wide regulations which further compound the operational and personal challenges encountered by cafeteria employees. In light of these findings, the study recommends the institutionalization of a university-wide food safety manual, the establishment of monitoring systems with designated food safety officers, and the implementation of regular needs assessments to inform targeted capacity-building programs for cafeteria operators and employees.

This research aimed to describe the Work-Family Balance (WFB) of selected home-based mompreneurs in Metro Manila, specifically discussing their perceived WFB, determining the influence of work and family domain member support on their WFB, describing how they allocate time for work and family, identifying challenges in balancing these responsibilities, and specifying the strategies used to address these challenges. The study investigated WFB among 72 home-based mompreneurs in Metro Manila, revealing a high perceived integration of their work and family roles (x̄ = 4.19). Multiple regression analysis showed that physical and labor support from work colleagues, alongside emotional and mental support from family members, significantly contributed to WFB, given by the equation: WFB = 1.139 + 0.0330 Work – Physical and Labor + 0.496 Family – Emotional and Mental. Mompreneurs primarily allocated work time to production (x̄ = 23.68 hours) and family time to emotional bonding with children (x̄ = 37.76 hours). Interviews with 15 participants identified three key challenges to WFB such as Conflicting Family and Business Activities, Emotional and Physical Strain, and Lack of Support and Help. Both the descriptive statistics (Boundary Management Tactic Items) and thematic analysis were used to analyze the strategies the mompreneurs use to achieve WFB. For boundary management, there was a high mean score for keeping family out of work and keeping work out of family. As for the in-depth interviews, six main themes and strategies emerged – Time Management and Organization, Establishing a Support System, Effective Communication and Boundaries, Time for Self-Care and Well-being, Effective Use of Technology and Digital Literacy, and Aligning Personal Resources with Business-Related Tasks.