The impact of security on Philippine tourism : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University

This study investigates the nexus between security and tourism within the development context within political structures and institutions examining specifically the impacts of security issues on the tourism industry of the Philippines. The latest global security events and the country's volatile security situation caused by political instability issues, terrorism and incidence of crime have together posed serious threats to the government's efforts to promote the country as a premiere tourist destination While tourism may be perceived by many social science and development writers as just a western mechanism to propagate capitalism, it has, for most Third World countries like the Philippines, nevertheless contributed significantly to their economies in terms of foreign exchange earnings, taxes and jobs generated. In examining the impact of security events and issues on Philippine tourism, a quantitative analysis which compared arrivals before and after security events led to the finding that terrorism caused the biggest declines. The fieldwork results which were based on surveys of tourists (both foreign and domestic), hotel management staff, and officials from government and the industry itself also led to a similar proposition that terrorism has affected travel decisions more than political instability and crime. However, fieldwork also revealed that internal conflicts caused by clashes between the government and Muslim and communist rebels have influenced tourists' choice of tourist destinations both in the countries they travel to and among the destinations in the Philippines. While political instability and incidents of crime within the Philippines did not seriously concern tourists on the whole, problems of corruption and a perceived weak government system to solve local security incidents have surfaced indicating the need for strategies to address problems within political institutions and structures. There were also differences in perceptions of fear and security between foreign and domestic tourists, and also among foreign tourists of different nationalities. Considering these observed perception levels in promoting tourism to these different groups may be more effective in attracting tourists to the country. This study concludes that Philippine tourism can recover from the consequences of both global and local security events provided that the government imposes stricter and more effective security systems, engages in more effective promotional strategies which target particular nationalities, and continues to cooperate with its ASEAN neighbors and international organizations like the WTO and WTTC to resolve security issues at hand. Utilization of risk management plans and crisis management plans implemented by countries that were affected by security problems in the past should provide some valuable means to the Philippines, and any other country with security problems. Overall, a combination of factors such as the active involvement of the Philippines in regional activities, constant dialogues with rebel forces and other insurgent groups, prosecution of perpetuators of terrorist acts and crimes, and a government of good integrity will enable tourism to lead to development

Role of fish in enhancing ricefield ecology and in integrated pest management: summary report

Summary report of the Third Asian Regional Rice-Fish Farming Research and Development Workshop, Indonesia, 1993. Includes sessions on ricefield ecology and fish; integrated pest management (IPM); research methodology; and IPM adoption.Rice-fish aquaculture, Culture effects, Pest control, Integrated farming

Assessing the impact of “more-flexible” learning as part of a study program

With the increasing use of Flexible Learning approaches in Higher Education at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), measuring their effectiveness, from both an educational and a participant's point of view, is of particular importance. In response to the limited scientific contributions on this topic, this article presents a possibility of how an assessment can take place: this study analyzes 62 undergrad-uate student responses to a Blended Learning task and compares the participant findings with a pre-existing educational competency framework

INVESTIGATING STUDENT-TEACHER RATIO AS A FACTOR IN READING PERFORMANCE: THE CASE OF THE PHILIPPINES

This paper attempts to investigate the student-teacher ratio of various Southeast Asian nations and each country’s reading performance through the lens of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores. This paper employed a purely secondary analysis using data available online. The first phase of the research involved revisiting online documents about the student-teacher ratio in the classroom among selected Southeast Asian nations. In the second phase, reading test scores presented in this study are sourced from PISA. The last phase is the comparison and contrast of the data through a tabular presentation. Findings reveal that the countries with a ratio having the least number of students per teacher ranked higher compared with those with a nation having the greatest number of students per teacher. Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei Darussalam with a ratio ranging from 8 to 11.6 per teacher scored 408-549 points in the PISA Reading Test while Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines with a ratio ranging from 15 to 36 students per teacher scored 340-393 points. It is undeniable that the student population in the classroom positively impacts the teaching and learning processes, particularly in reading as contextualized in this study. The government should recognize the dire need for schools to be provided with appropriate funds to sustain the public education system. Careful analysis of the presented data shows the connection between student-teacher ratio and reading performance as manifested by test scores. It is undeniable that the student population in the classroom positively impacts the teaching and learning processes, particularly in reading as contextualized in this study

Stimulating the Urban Domain in High-Rise Social Housing Developments Pt. 4

While architecture will not singularly solve the social problems that arose from the creation of these towers in the park, it is this contention that through the combination of the benefits of both high-rise and low-rise structures it will be possible to provide residents with amenities that lead to new cultural and economic opportunities that will foster an interactive and diverse urban community

Stimulating the Urban Domain in High-Rise Social Housing Developments Pt. 4

While architecture will not singularly solve the social problems that arose from the creation of these towers in the park, it is this contention that through the combination of the benefits of both high-rise and low-rise structures it will be possible to provide residents with amenities that lead to new cultural and economic opportunities that will foster an interactive and diverse urban community

Promoting LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in Sex Education

LGBTQ youths report less satisfaction with their sex education curriculum than their heterosexual counterparts. The discrepancy between heterosexual sex education and that of LGBTQ is alarming. Currently, as it is reported within the Unites States, students feel as though LGBTQ sex education and resources are not readily available. A brief handout of LGBTQ inclusive practices was created for educators to reference when creating future lesson plans. The aim of this presentation was to create a more open and inclusive dialogue surrounding LGBTQ+ health.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/fmclerk/1535/thumbnail.jp

UMA PERSPECTIVA PÓS-HUMANA BASEADA NO TECNOCENTRISMO

Twenty-first Century is an era of revolutionary changes in the industry, society, global economy, politics, philosophy, and culture. Technocentrism is the culture we have right now. Through centralizing the values on technology and having a belief that it can provide solutions to all environmental problems, they could bring forth progress and development. The progress Technocentrism bears liberates mankind from the confinement of the past. Considering the progress brought about by technology in society and to human agency, it has detrimental effects. One is “technological alienation” of human by the technology. The paper has to challenge the status quo without denying technocentrism progress. The paper attempts to synthesize and articulate posthumanism, maximize the progress of technocentrism through resolving the conflict between human agency and technology and alienation generating to objectification and dehumanization. Posthumanism as a proposed solution in resolving the conflict will be put into challenge if it can offer subjectivity, inter-subjectivity, harmonious relationship, and orderly realm without eradicating the presence of technocentrism.O século XXI é uma era de mudanças revolucionárias na indústria, sociedade, economia global, política, filosofia e cultura. O tecnocentrismo é a cultura que temos neste momento. Através da centralização dos valores na tecnologia e da crença de que ela pode fornecer soluções para todos os problemas ambientais, eles podem trazer progresso e desenvolvimento. O progresso que o tecnocentrismo traz liberta a humanidade do confinamento do passado. Considerando o progresso trazido pela tecnologia na sociedade e para a agência humana, ele tem efeitos prejudiciais. Um deles é a "alienação tecnológica" do ser humano pela tecnologia. O papel tem que desafiar o status quo sem negar o progresso do tecnocentrismo. O artigo tenta sintetizar e articular o pós-humanismo, maximizar o progresso do tecnocentrismo através da resolução do conflito entre a agência humana e a tecnologia e a alienação gerando objetivação e desumanização. O pós-humanismo como solução proposta na resolução do conflito será colocado em desafio se ele puder oferecer subjetividade, intersubjetividade, relação harmoniosa e domínio ordenado sem erradicar a presença do tecnocentrismo

Evaluation of a Smoke and Tobacco-Free Initiative in a Student Wellness Center

Background Tobacco use remains a leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S. Nearly all tobacco users begin using tobacco by 26 years of age. In a Southwest university, 9% of students smoke tobacco. This project evaluated a university-wide tobacco-free initiative by reviewing students’ use of tobacco cessation services following a tobacco-free policy implementation. This project also reviewed students’ tobacco use following campus tobacco cessation counseling. Methods A smoke and tobacco-free campus policy was implemented in August 2015. The Student Wellness Center provided free tobacco cessation services to all students. Each tobacco cessation counseling session lasted a minimum of 30 minutes. Records of students who used the tobacco cessation services 5 months before and after the tobacco-free policy implementation were reviewed. Results Students did not use the campus tobacco cessation counseling services prior to the tobacco-free policy implementation. Following the policy implementation, 7 students used the services. Among these students, 6 had a decrease in their tobacco use after using the campus tobacco cessation services. Conclusion The number of students using the campus tobacco cessation services increased after the implementation of a tobacco-free campus policy. Tobacco cessation counseling, with or without pharmacotherapy, is effective overall in helping students decrease or quit their tobacco use. Student wellness centers are important source of student assistance in tobacco cessation

Active Density: Stimulating the Urban Domain in High-Rise Social Housing Developments

I propose to retain the benefits of vertical housing and improve upon it by up-zoning the block and building low-rise, high-density mixed-income structures on the site’s perimeter. The new construction will include public amenities that are lacking in the immediate area such as retail, restaurants, work space, and public service facilities. Through adaptive re-use of mega blocks will be reclaimed. This mixed-use approach to the expanded occupancy will also restore the diversity that was lost when the towers were first built