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Food already within reach: How wild plants can help communities survive disasters

2026-05-13T14:17:34+08:00

“When roads are blocked and relief goods have yet to arrive, the food that can save lives may already be growing nearby.” In disaster-stricken communities, survival often depends on what is immediately available. After Typhoon Haiyan devastated Ormoc City in 2013 and a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck in 2017, many residents faced delays in relief operations due to damaged roads and isolated communities. This May, in celebration of International Biodiversity Month, we highlight a study co-authored by Patricia Anne G. Nazareno, Ricardo Bagarinao, Inocencio Buot Jr, and Cindy G. Ochavillo. Dr. Bagarinao is a Professor at the Faculty of Education and [...]

Food already within reach: How wild plants can help communities survive disasters2026-05-13T14:17:34+08:00

Remote Work Realities:  Findings from a UPOU-Led Study on Employee Stress and Well-being

2026-05-07T16:08:58+08:00

Remote work has become a common practice in some industries. During the pandemic, it was widely adopted to manage the risks of disease transmission. As the world now faces an energy crisis, work-from-home arrangements are again being considered by some countries as a way to reduce fuel consumption. While remote work allows for greater autonomy, convenience, and continuity during times of crisis, it also presents challenges. The experience of isolation, along with the technical requirements of working remotely, can affect employees in different ways. Building on these concerns, a study by Dr. Myra D. Oruga, Professor and Program Chair of [...]

Remote Work Realities:  Findings from a UPOU-Led Study on Employee Stress and Well-being2026-05-07T16:08:58+08:00

Readiness for AI learning begins with usable technology

2026-04-08T11:02:24+08:00

AI can enhance teaching and learning but only if students trust the learning management system (or digital learning platform) and can use it easily. UPOU Associate Professor Reinald Pugoy’s research says that being ready for AI comes from daily interaction with reliable educational technology. “When systems operate intuitively and reliably, users are more confident and more receptive to AI-enhanced features,” said Reinald Adrian D. Pugoy in his study on learning management system usability and artificial intelligence adoption readiness at the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU). The arrival of AI in recent years has been widely viewed as a [...]

Readiness for AI learning begins with usable technology2026-04-08T11:02:24+08:00

UPOU CODTL advances ODeL through training, research, and open knowledge programs

2026-04-06T13:33:02+08:00

UPOU’s Center for Open and Digital Learning (CODTL) advances open and distance e-learning (ODeL) through training, research, and open knowledge initiatives that strengthen inclusive and flexible online education. As part of Open Education Month, we spoke with its officials to learn more about how the Center is supporting sustainable and future-ready digital education. As they say, effective learning does not happen by chance. This is especially true in open and distance e-learning (ODeL), where students are separated from their teachers by time and space, and interaction is mediated by technology. For online teaching to be sustainable, teachers must be [...]

UPOU CODTL advances ODeL through training, research, and open knowledge programs2026-04-06T13:33:02+08:00

ODeL in Action: Providing Access and Building Leadership in Social Work

2026-03-04T08:43:19+08:00

As part of Open Education Month, we feature a study by Dr. Finaflor Taylan showing how open and distance elearning (ODeL) helps Filipino social workers access graduate programs that fit their work and family schedules. Through UPOU’s flexible online learning, students gain skills, confidence, and leadership to deliver care and drive meaningful social change. Social workers play an important role in society. Not only do they facilitate the provision of care, but they also help maintain the social fabric by ensuring that the poor and marginalized are not overlooked and left behind. This is especially true in the Philippines, where [...]

ODeL in Action: Providing Access and Building Leadership in Social Work2026-03-04T08:43:19+08:00

Ka Sora: A graphic journey through Melchora Aquino’s life

2026-02-24T16:08:50+08:00

Celebrating National Arts Month, we spotlight the graphic novel Ka Sora and the story of Melchora Aquino, brought to life by Dr. Grace Alfonso. Recently, there has been a spate of movies depicting the heroic lives of our national heroes. While a few have been box-office hits, others have sparked controversy and ignited debates about the true purpose of bringing these biographical stories to life on film. The UP Open University contributed to this discourse not through films, but through the creation of the graphic novel Ka Sora, developed by Dr. Grace Alfonso, Professor Emeritus, former University Artist, and former [...]

Ka Sora: A graphic journey through Melchora Aquino’s life2026-02-24T16:08:50+08:00

Ani ng Sining, Katotohanan at Giting 2026: UPOU faculty reflect on art, education, and social change

2026-02-24T17:01:25+08:00

As the nation celebrates National Arts Month 2026 with the theme “Ani ng Sining, Katotohanan at Giting,” we spoke with three faculty artists from UP Open University (UPOU) about the role of art in education, society, and cultural change. UPOU celebrates the diversity of creative expression within its academic community where teaching, research, and artistry intersect. For this year’s National Arts Month, three faculty artists – Assistant Professor Roda Tajon,  Assistant Professor Shari Eunice San Pablo, and Assistant Professor Alice Sarmiento – are featured. Each represents a distinct yet intersecting art form: visual and digital art, literature, and art curatorship [...]

Ani ng Sining, Katotohanan at Giting 2026: UPOU faculty reflect on art, education, and social change2026-02-24T17:01:25+08:00

Rooted in service: How an IP returns to learning so he can return to serve

2026-02-19T14:14:13+08:00

Perfecto Ray D. Bayo, Jr., and the Indigenous Peoples Housing Project at the Daraghuyan Ancestral Domain Community. For Perfecto Ray D. Bayo, Jr., education was not simply about earning a degree. It was about transforming his circumstances and using that transformation to uplift others. A proud member of the Indigenous Peoples (IP) of Bukidnon, Ray grew up aware of the barriers faced by marginalized communities. Before completing his UP education, he experienced firsthand the consequences of limited opportunity and social exclusion. “As a member of the Indigenous Peoples (IP) and other marginalized communities, I have experienced firsthand the [...]

Rooted in service: How an IP returns to learning so he can return to serve2026-02-19T14:14:13+08:00

Emerging Technologies in Learning: Insights from Southeast Asian Students

2025-12-09T13:19:06+08:00

As futurist Alvin Toffler (1928–2016) once said, “technology is a great growling engine of change.” This observation is clearly evident in education, which, in the last few years, has seen the adoption of a wide array of new technologies, from interactive applications to artificial intelligence systems. But what kinds of technologies do students really want? A recent study explored this question by surveying 250 students from five different online universities in Southeast Asia about the new features they prefer in their learning management system.  Working under the collaborative research program of OU5, the study team was composed of Roberto Bacani [...]

Emerging Technologies in Learning: Insights from Southeast Asian Students2025-12-09T13:19:06+08:00

UPOU Participates in Advancing SDG Conversations at UP Strategic Conference on Sustainable Development

2025-11-28T15:53:42+08:00

The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) continued its efforts to promote sustainable development by participating in the University of the Philippines (UP) Strategic Conference on Sustainable Development, held from 18 to 20 November 2025, at the ibis Styles Manila Araneta City in Cubao, Quezon City. With the theme “Sustainable Development as a Nexus of Transformation,” the conference highlights the University of the Philippines' vision of being a "Transformative University in the Service of the Nation.”  Hosted by the UP-Centre International de Formation des Autorités et Leaders (UP-CIFAL Philippines), it follows a system-wide effort initiated in December 2024 to [...]

UPOU Participates in Advancing SDG Conversations at UP Strategic Conference on Sustainable Development2025-11-28T15:53:42+08:00
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