Publications

Introduction: Self‐doubt is a pervasive yet often unspoken experience among mental health clinicians, manifesting as moments of uncertainty in which they question their ability to make sound clinical judgements, support therapeutic progress, or meet professional expectations. This study aimed to deepen understanding of self‐doubt as a complex, nuanced, and meaningful aspect of clinical practice, exploring how it shapes clinicians' professional experience, decision‐making, and personal growth.

Methods: Using descriptive phenomenology, the lived experiences of self‐doubt among 12 Filipino licensed psychologists were examined. Data were collected through in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis to capture the nuanced and contextualised experiences of participants.

Results: Analysis revealed five core themes: the Inner Critic, the Contextual Triggers, the Demanding Pressure, the Double‐Edged Sword, and the Reflective Space. Findings indicate that self‐doubt is not inherently detrimental; it can function as a regulatory mechanism that fosters humility, ethical sensitivity, and heightened self‐awareness when approached with reflection, supervision, and self‐compassion.

Conclusions: These findings suggest the potential value of creating supervisory, organisational, and peer contexts that acknowledge, normalise, and provide structured opportunities to reflect on experiences of professional self‐doubt. While the present study draws on a small, context‐specific sample, the phenomenologically grounded insights it offers may be relevant to considerations in clinical training, supervision, and organisational support systems.

This study examined longitudinal actor–partner associations between client- and therapist-rated alliance and three appraisal domains: session quality, clinical severity, and global improvement. Using an intensive longitudinal dyadic design, 54 unique Filipino client–therapist dyads were followed across eight to ten psychotherapy sessions. Longitudinal actor–partner interdependence models tested whether each dyad member’s alliance rating at session t predicted their own and the other member’s appraisal at session t + 1, controlling for prior appraisal, observed session number, and between-dyad alliance means. Descriptive trajectories showed that alliance ratings were relatively stable, session quality fluctuated across sessions, clinical severity declined over time, and global improvement increased across observed treatment sessions. Actor effects were supported primarily for session quality: stronger-than-usual client-rated alliance predicted higher subsequent client-rated session quality, and stronger-than-usual therapist-rated alliance predicted higher subsequent therapist-rated session quality. Therapist-rated alliance also predicted lower subsequent therapist-rated clinical severity. Partner effects were not statistically significant across the primary models. Cross-domain comparisons indicated that actor effects were most evident for session quality, whereas partner effects did not vary meaningfully across appraisal domains. Findings suggest that alliance fluctuations are most consistently associated with each dyad member’s own subsequent session appraisal and highlight the value of bidirectional alliance monitoring in psychotherapy practice.

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped daily life and amplified mental health challenges worldwide, with university students identified as a particularly vulnerable group. To address this need, the present study evaluated the effectiveness of group mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (GMBCT) as an evidence-based intervention for students receiving psychosocial services during the pandemic. Using a pretest–posttest design, data from 34 students randomly assigned to either GMBCT or individual treatment-as-usual (TAU) provided by a university-based clinic were analyzed. To evaluate treatment effects, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted to compare post-treatment outcomes between the two groups while controlling for pre-treatment scores, treatment length, concurrent therapy, diagnosis, and medication management. Results indicated that both interventions led to improvements in depression, anxiety, and overall well-being, but students in the GMBCT group achieved significantly greater reductions in anxiety symptoms. Moderation analyses further demonstrated that the benefits of GMBCT in reducing anxiety and enhancing well-being were amplified among students with higher levels of self-compassion, self-efficacy, and emotion regulation. Conducted entirely online due to pandemic restrictions, the study provides preliminary evidence on the feasibility and effectiveness of delivering GMBCT via telepsychotherapy. These findings suggest that GMBCT may be a cost-effective and scalable intervention for university-based mental health services, with potential to expand access and address the growing mental health needs of students in both crisis contexts and routine care.

While there is a long and varied history of research on urban density, there is little work examining how high-density urbanism (HDU) is perceived and experienced amongst marginalized residents. Yet, paying attention to how residents understand density offers important insight into what density is and to how it matters for cities. Drawing on research in one of the world’s densest and most unequal cities, Manila, we develop the concept of “density textures” to address this gap. We examine density textures through three key inter-related themes: negotiating space, the unruly crowd, and material substrates. We conclude with reflections for future research.

Low-rise concrete buildings in the Philippines have been frequently damaged in past earthquakes, underscoring the need for effective seismic risk assessment. As a preliminary step toward distinguishing buildings with high seismic risk, simplified screening tools that do not require users to be specialists or expert structural engineers are commonly used, reserving the time and expense associated with full structural engineering assessments. This paper proposes an improved scoring framework and a corresponding rapid tool for screening called SCREEN, based on the probable loss that estimates the seismic risk of damage in low-rise concrete buildings in the Philippines using parameters that can be conveniently gathered by screeners who are novices, i.e., not structural engineers but have backgrounds in building design or construction. The simplified SCREEN scores were derived to approximate the results of analysis of computational models of 128 buildings with variations in seven parameters including potential ground shaking intensity, type of occupancy, shape of structure, vintage of structure, builder of structure, main material whether CHB or reinforced concrete, and width of walls between supports. For validation, SCREEN was compared with two locally developed seismic screening tools using a sample set of six (6) concrete hollow block buildings and eleven (11) reinforced concrete buildings, demonstrating high sensitivity in identifyng buildings needing engineering assessment. Meanwhile, its specificity in excluding low-risk buildings has not yet been as good. To minimize the risk of overlooking buildings with high seismic risk, this study prioritizes high sensitivity. It is recommended to test SCREEN further on a larger, diverse set of low-rise concrete buildings with independently assessed seismic risk.

This paper examines the dramaturgical strategies employed in Sa Gitna ng Digmaan ng mga Mahiwagang Nilalang laban sa Sangkatauhan, a play presented as part of the eco-theatre project Mga Anak ng Unos in the Philippines. Sa Gitna ng Digmaan's connection to eco-dramaturgy is rooted in Indigenous knowledge and practices, especially in how Filipinos perceive and experience mythologies both physically and emotionally, since the myths of the Philippine archipelago inspire the play. Myths and similar stories are filled with metaphors and meaning. They show how cultural communities and Indigenous Peoples have historically managed the complexities of the Earth. These stories are powerful because they resonate within a cultural context and are considered sacred by the societies in which they are told. The dramaturgical strategies aim to show the audience that the current global environmental crisis is a pressing call for collective, positive action, emphasizing the importance of engaging with Indigenous Peoples. The paper envisions an eco-dramaturgy where theatre practitioners shift from viewing Indigenous Peoples as subjects to thinking with them. This idea is based on the belief that Indigenous knowledge and practices also shape climate-disaster preparedness and response strategies, given Indigenous communities' close relationship with the environment.

This paper examines the dramaturgical strategies employed in Sa Gitna ng Digmaan ng mga Mahiwagang Nilalang Laban sa Sangkatauhan, a play presented as part of the eco-theatre project Mga Anak ng Unos in the Philippines. Sa Gitna ng Digmaan's connection to eco-dramaturgy is rooted in Indigenous knowledge and practices, especially in how Filipinos perceive and experience mythologies both physically and emotionally, since the myths of the Philippine archipelago inspire the play. Myths and similar stories are filled with metaphors and meaning. They show how cultural communities and indigenous peoples have historically managed the complexities of the Earth. These stories are powerful because they resonate within a cultural context and are considered sacred by the societies in which they are told. The dramaturgical strategies aim to show the audience that the current global environmental crisis is a pressing call for collective, positive action, emphasizing the importance of engaging with Indigenous peoples. The paper envisions an eco-dramaturgy in which theatre practitioners shift from viewing Indigenous peoples as subjects to thinking with them. This idea is based on the belief that Indigenous knowledge and practices also shape climate-disaster preparedness and response strategies, given Indigenous communities’ close relationship with the environment.

Ang pag-aaral na ito ay tangkang paglalapat ng Radical Construction Grammar (RCG) sa tatlong (3) konstruksiyon sa Porohánon (ISO 639-3 prh), isang varayting Bisayan 1 na sinasalita sa Munisipalidad ng Poro, Mga Isla ng Camotes, Cebu. Ang mga konstruksiyong ito ay ang i.) Similatibo, ii.) Eksistensiyal-Posesibo-Lokatibo, at iii.) may berbal na panaguri. Bilang teoryang pansintaktika, isinusulong ng RCG ang paggamit sa mga gramatikal na kategoryang nagmumula sa at binibigyang-depinisyon gamit ng mga pamantayang partikular lamang sa espesipikong wikang pinag-aaralan. Sa ganitong pagtanaw, layuning mapalitaw ang mga pagkanatatangi ng gramatika ng Porohánon sa konteksto ng iba pang mga wikang Bisayan na may mas mahahabang tradisyon ng pag-aaral at pagsusuri.

Mga susing salita: Porohanon, Radical Construction Grammar, mga konstruksiyon

Mga kaugnay na paksa: Pag-aaral sa Gramatika

In the last decade, there has been a surge of linguistic landscape studies conducted in the Philippines using varying theoretical and methodological approaches. Local studies, for example, have intersected linguistic landscapes with gender and sexuality, political identity construction and positioning, heritage tourism, language politics and memory studies. While the sociolinguistic subdiscipline is still in its nascent stage, its breadth and diversity of study locales hint at a potentially fruitful field of interest in the country. However, what exactly are the recurrent themes in Philippine linguistic landscape studies? What are the methodological trends that underpin these? And, finally, how can linguistic landscape studies in the country better reflect Philippine social realities and experiences? In this article, I attempt to answer these questions by mapping out the current themes and trends in Philippine linguistic landscape studies.

Hindi maikakaila ang mga hirap at hamon sa akademikong gawain ng mga mag-aaral sa kolehiyo. Higit na nagiging mabigat na suliranin ito para sa mga mag-aaral kung may dinadala rin silang sikolohikal na kapansanan na humahadlang sa kanilang pagkatuto. Nais bigyang-diin sa papel na ito ang halaga ng akademikong akomodasyon sa UP Diliman. Isang konsultatibong talakayan ang isinagawa sa mga piling mag-aaral at mga piling tagapagbigay ng serbisyong panlusog-isip sa UP Diliman (miyembro ng UPD Psychosocial Services, Total Inclusive Environment for UP program, at Office of Counseling and Guidance) upang mabuksan ang usapin tungkol sa paghiling at pagpapatupad ng akademikong akomodasyon sa unibersidad. Nilalayon nitong masuri ang kanilang mga nararanasang benepisyo at balakid tungkol sa usaping ito at nang makapagbigay ng mga rekomendasyon sa pagpapatibay ng akademikong akomodasyon. Apat na temang may kaugnayan sa benepisyo ng akomodasyon ang nangingibabaw sa mga kuwento ng mag-aaral at tagapagbigay ng serbisyo: kaalwanan, kasamahan, kahandaan, at kinabukasan. Tatlong tema naman ang sumasalamin sa mga hamon sa paghiling at pagpapatupad ng akomodasyon: kakulangan sa kaalaman, nagbabanggaang paniniwala at pagpapahalaga, at kakulangan sa pagsubaybay at ebalwasyon. Sinusulong ng pag-aaral na ito ang pagpapadaloy ng ginhawa para sa mga mag-aaral na may sikolohikal na kapansanan at ang pagbibigay-diin sa papel ng unibersidad hindi lang bilang tagapagtaguyod ng de-kalidad na edukasyon ngunit bilang isa ring inklusibo at mapagkalingang komunidad.

Ang pag-aaral na ito ay sumisiyasat sa mga katangian ng morposintaks o
palabuoan ng mga salita at pangungusap sa Tagalog na sinasalita sa Morong,
Rizal. Sa mga naunang pag-aaral sa Tagalog Morong at iba pang mga varayti ng
Tagalog sa Rizal, pinagtuonan ng higit na pansin ang antas ng ponolohiya o ang
mga tunog ng wika at pagsasaayos ng mga ito, at ang antas ng leksikon o mga salita
ng wika. Bilang ambag sa deskripsiyon ng Tagalog Morong, limang (5) partikular na
aspekto ng gramatika nito ang aanalisahin: (1) ang eksklamatibong panlaping baN-;
(2) ang superlatibong pormang pinakang; (3) ang intensibong pormang pinimiran ng;
(4) ang pananong na at ano?; at (5) ang pragmatic marker na hane. Batay sa mga ito,
inihahambing at itinatambis ang Tagalog Morong sa mga varayti ng Tagalog na
sinasalita sa iba pang mga karatig-bayan ng Rizal, sa mga diyalekto ng Tagalog sa
iba pang mga lalawigan sa Timog Katagalugan, sa Tagalog sa Kalakhang Maynila,
at sa mga wikang Bisayan at Bikol.

Mga susing salita: Tagalog Morong, diyalektolohiya, morposintaks

ISO 639-3 language codes: tgl

Thailand is one of the largest rice exporters in the world, with rice production playing a crucial role in its agricultural sector. However, the current model of industrialized rice production, driven by the Green Revolution, has led to significant challenges, including soil degradation, economic burdens on farmers, and threats to food sovereignty. This chapter examines the limitations of the dominant food security paradigm, which prioritizes food availability and economic access but overlooks cultural and ecological concerns. It highlights how Thai civil society organizations, particularly the Sustainable Agriculture Foundation (SAF), the Alternative Agriculture Foundation (AAF), and BioThai, are advocating for food sovereignty as an alternative framework. Through focus group discussions and case studies, the chapter explores how these organizations build networks, engage in policy advocacy, and promote sustainable agricultural practices. Their efforts emphasize grassroots mobilization, research collaboration, and public education to challenge industrialized agriculture. By reclaiming traditional farming knowledge and fostering solidarity, these movements present a viable path toward an ecologically sustainable and socially just food system in Thailand.

War – destructive and bloody as it may be – has nevertheless been discursively framed as a valiant and noble deed by powerful state institutions and forces through political speeches and legislature. In recent years, however, the multimodal turn in critical discourse analysis saw the rise of war studies through the lens of war monuments and how these selectively frame war as a social practice. Using Abousnnouga and Machin’s three-dimensional social semiotics framework, this paper explores how semiotic resources employed in the Marawi Siege monument in the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes’ Cemetery), Philippines, recontextualize the Marawi Siege by recontextualizing representations of government forces from violent contexts and situating them instead in sanitised contexts of humanitarian work – all the while (visually) silencing the plight of the Maranao people during the Siege. It further revealed that semiotic resources were used to weave a particular frame of narrative in the discourse of war through the celebratory, symbolic, and somewhat propagandistic narrative of the government and military, all of which may have been employed in order to support and provide evidence for its own institutional legitimacy and power.

Local literature on abstract landscapes has not only been cursory and sparse but has also drawn dominantly from abstraction’s tendency to underscore the modernist idea of the individual. As a result, these works have rarely been discussed in relation to matters beyond the self—such as others in society and ecology. This is striking, as literature on landscape painting in general often render the art historical category in relation to humanity’s links with nature and other human groups. In an effort to address these gaps, this study uses the concept of spirituality in examining Glenn Bautista’s abstraction, articulated through his delicate forms of landscapes. While spirituality is known to emphasize the person’s self-reflexivity, it shall serve as a lens in surfacing the role of the artist’s practice in his search for the sacred and his understanding of the entanglement of humanity and the environment, specifically in the context of ecological destruction through the theological notion of eschatology. In the process, this study will forward the concept of landscape not as a genre, but as a medium, employed by the artist to understand, construct, and present himself a human in relation with other humans, the Divine, and the planet.