THE NORTHERN LUZON RESEARCH JOURNAL
ISSN 1908-5990
VOLUME 1 (JANUARY 2007)

Featured Articles

1 The Abra River System Water Quality Monitoring

- Josephine Aries L. Dulay

2 Health Profile of Corporate Mineworkers and Communities Living Near Corporate Gold Mining Operations in Mankayan, Benguet (Final Report of an Environmental and Occupational Health Hazard Assessment)

- Ana Marie R. Leung

3 A Comprehensive Assessment of Pesticide Residues in Two Vegetable-farming Municipalities in Benguet

- Gaudelia A. Reyes & Carlito P. Laurean

4 Household Asset Allocation Decision (H aad): An Alternative Approach to Analyze Demand for Mangrove Forest Goods

- Gladys M. Navarro & Jacques Viaene

5 Iodine Deficiency and its Relationship with Goiter Size in a Goitrous Population in Paracelis, Mountain Province

- Raymond U. Oribio, Arnel B. Paguel, Robert E. Tolentino, & Ferdinand P. Pinangat

6 Innovation Potential in Small and Medium Enterprises in the Cordillera Administrative Region

- Marie Klondy T. Dagupen, Renata Januszewska, Roberto M. Arguelles, Reynaldo S. Bautista, Darlyn D. Tagarino, & Jacques Viaene

ABSTRACTS AND AUTHOR PROFILES

1. The Abra River System Water Quality Monitoring

Water samples taken from different sites along the length of the Abra River System were analyzed in terms of physico-chemical characteristics – i.e. temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, biochemical oxygen demand, and nitrates, lead, mercury, chromium and cyanide concentrations. It was found out that except for temperature, all parameter readings exceeded allowable limits or did not meet minimum required concentrations set forth in DAO 34 for the river to be classified as Class AA, Class A, or Class B. This means that the river is polluted and is no longer suited for domestic use. Due to the pollution, the river may no longer be able to fulfill its productive and life-sustaining functions, as the river's assimilation and self-purifying capacity is greatly impaired. The evidence gathered suggests that much of the pollution in the river originate from the corporate mining operations.

Keywords: Abra River , water quality monitoring, water pollution, river profiling

Author:

JOSEPHINE ARIES L. DULAY, MS En.E., is a Faculty of the College of Engineering and Architecture, Saint Louis University , Baguio City . She is the Coordinator of the Environmental Research Laboratory at the SLU College of Engineering and Architecture.

2. Health Profile of Corporate Mineworkers and Communities Living Near Corporate Gold Mining Operations in Mankayan, Benguet

(Final report of an environmental and occupational health hazard assessment)

This study focused on the health profile of corporate mineworkers and residents of communities adjacent to the large-scale gold mining operations of the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (LCMCo or Lepanto) in the municipality of Mankayan , Benguet Province . The research has two components, namely, environmental health hazard assessment and occupational health hazard assessment. The first focused on the residents of three communities, looking at the routes of exposure to mine drainage among the residents as well as the most prevalent symptoms reported in relation to this exposure. This part revealed that residents in the community nearest Lepanto's Mill Outlet exhibited more health symptoms, and that the differences in the prevalence of symptoms between this community and the others were significant. This result is associated to the fact that elevated levels of cyanide, lead, and mercury were found in the water samples at the company's mill outlets and tailings dams.

A second phase to the first focus involved the analysis and comparison of blood samples from residents who were exposed to mine drainage with controls living downstream who had little or no exposure to mine drainage. This study showed a positive linear correlation between the hours of exposure to mine drainage and the subjects' hemoglobin, blood cyanide and lead levels. Statistically significant differences in the blood levels of copper, cyanide and lead between the subjects and controls were also found. The subjects had higher levels of these chemicals in their blood as compared to the controls. On the other hand, the subjects had lower levels of serum creatinine compared to the controls. These blood test results indicate the possible chemicals responsible for the symptoms originally reported in the preliminary phase. Cyanide is pinpointed as possibly playing a prominent role.

The research's second focus, i.e., the assessment of the occupational health hazard among the corporate mineworkers, found out, in turn, that the most prevalent injuries were lacerations (43.18%), crushing injuries (17.05%), bruises (14.77%) and fractures (13.64%) usually involving rock or timber fall. Twenty percent (20%) of these cases required hospitalization. Most prevalent among the work-associated symptoms reported were: phlegm production (79.55%), joint pain (78.41%), eye irritation (67.05%), headache (55.68%), dyspnea (48.86%) and dizziness (36.36%). Most prevalent abnormal physical findings were hypertension (28.41%) and perforated eardrum (19.32%).

Keywords: mining effects, corporate/ large-scale mining, environmental health, occupational health, cyanide

Author:

ANA MARIE R. LEUNG, MD.: Chairperson, Department of Preventive and Community Medicine, Saint Louis University ; graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine (1993).

3. A Comprehensive Assessment of Pesticide Residues in Two Vegetable-Farming Municipalities in Benguet

This study is an assessment of pesticide use and its effects on health and the environment in the vegetable-farming municipalities of Kapangan and Buguias, Benguet. It is designed as a participatory action research conducted by Saint Louis University and Benguet State University as part of a wider outreach-research collaboration under the Interuniversity Cooperation Program (IUC) spearheaded by the Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR). It is also multidisciplinary in nature, as it brings together the different disciplinal expertise of both universities for a comprehensive assessment of the extent and impact of pesticide use in the identified sites.

For its data gathering, the research utilized interviews, fieldwork, diagnostic tests during medical outreach activities, and laboratory tests. Results revealed that farmer-respondents generally adhere to acceptable and safe procedures on the use of pesticides; all vegetable samples, except for one, did not contain pesticide residues above the maximum residue limit (MRL); water sources were not contaminated and there was no incidence of organophosphate toxicity among farmer-respondents. Findings were fed back to the collaborating local government units (LGUs) as bases for monitoring, follow-up and advocacy.

Keywords: institutional collaboration, pesticide residues, interviews, laboratory analysis, diagnostic approach, research-outreach

The Authors

GAUDELIA A. REYES, Ph.D.: Dean of the College of Natural Sciences in Saint Louis University; Supervisor of the Natural Sciences Research Unit and the Project Leader for SLU Project 6: Health and Environment, spearheaded by the VLIR.

CARLITO P. LAUREAN, Ph.D.: Associate Professor V, College of Agriculture , Benguet State University ; Director for Research in BSU and the Project Leader for BSU Project 6: Health and Environment, spearheaded by the VLIR.

4. Household Asset Allocation Decision (H aad ): An Alternative Approach to Analyze Demand for Mangrove Forest Goods

This paper explores and analyzes the impact of household asset allocation decision (HAAD), with special focus on labor allocation, to the demand for mangrove forest goods (MFG). The cross-section data are the result of a survey involving 250 respondents from two fishing villages in Mercedes, Camarines Norte. The increase of surplus labor tends to increase the demand for MFG while the increase in labor for productive activities has negative impact on the demand for MFG. The coefficient for the surplus labor is significantly different from the hypothesized value of 0. The coefficients of the socio-economic variables to some extent conformed with economic intuition but the R² of the regression models manifest that the empirical evidence do not conform with theoretical validity of the variables. Only the distance of the households from the mangrove forest is found to be significant, the rest of the variables do not vary from the hypothesized value of 0. The paper concludes that surplus labor and distance of the household from the mangrove forest are vital factors that policy makers must consider in order to protect the mangrove forest from depletion and deterioration. The paper recommends the development of entrepreneurial activities and programs strongly built within the framework of the people's organization in the village.

Keywords: household asset allocation decision, labor surplus, mangrove forest goods

The Authors

Gladys M. Navarro is currently a Faculty of Economics at the SLU College of Accountancy and Commerce. She is pursuing her PhD Economics, with specialization in Resource and Environmental Economics at the Ateneo de Manila University.

JACQUES VIAENE, PhD is a professor at the Ghent University , Department of Agricultural Economics, Division Agro-Marketing, Coupure Links, 653, B-900 Belgium.

5. The Prevalence of Iodine Deficiency and its Correlation with Goiter Size in the Goitrous Population of Paracelis, Mountain Province

The study was conducted with the following objectives: to establish the prevalence of Iodine deficiency in the goitrous population of the municipality of Paracelis, Mt. Province; to determine correlation between urinary iodine concentration and goiter grade; and, to establish the epidemiologic data of age and sex in relation to Iodine deficiency and goiter. A total of 2,253 patients underwent preliminary screening for goiter using palpation and inspection maneuvers according to the World Health Organization guidelines for the grading of goiter. Patients found or suspected to have goiters were then further subjected to more thorough physical examination where the goiters were then graded on a scale of I to IV. Of these 259 (11.49%) had goiter of varying grades and occurring at a male: female ratio of 1:21 . The goiter grade with the highest prevalence was Grade I (64%) while the least common was Grade III (5%). Goiter prevalence was highest in the age bracket of 31 to 40 years old. Iodine deficiency was present in 7.8% of the population studied or 68% of the goitrous population. Iodine deficiency occurred higher in females (66%), was most prevalent (27%) in the 31 to 40 age bracket and in goiter Grade I (64%).

This study shows that the prevalence of Iodine deficiency in the goitrous population of Paracelis, Mt. Province remains high at 68% and that Iodine deficiency remains to be a public health problem in the municipality. There is a correlation between Iodine deficiency and age gradually increasing from birth, peaking at age 31 to 40 years and gradually declining thereafter. There is no significant relationship between goiter grade and age, goiter grade and gender, iodine deficiency and gender, and iodine deficiency and goiter grade.

Keywords: Iodine deficiency, goiter, Rapid Urinary Iodine Test

The Authors

RAYMOND U. ORIBIO, MD, FPCP: Internist-Adult Endocrinologist; Chairman, Department of Pharmacology, SLU College of Medicine.

ARNEL B. PAGUEL, MD, DPPS: Pediatrician; Chairman, Department of Physiology, SLU College of Medicine.

ROBERT E. TOLENTINO, MD: Internist; Section Head, Department of Pharmacology, SLU College of Medicine; Director, SLU MOMFI.

FERDINAND P. PINANGAT, MD: Pediatric Resident-in-Training, Department of Pediatrics, SLU Hospital of the Sacred Heart.

6. Innovation Potential in Small and Medium Enterprises in the Cordillera Administrative Region

The general aim of this study is to find out and explain the innovation potential among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Philippines , with particular focus on the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). The study has three specific objectives: first, to establish specific groups of entrepreneurs and find the impact of environment, enterprise, and entrepreneur on the strategic behaviour of the SMEs' owners; second, to make the relationship between the above three elements and the firm's performance; and, third, to find out additional significant factors contributing to the differentiation of SMEs. The target was a group of 350 Filipino entrepreneurs who employ less than fifty people, and therefore regarded as owners of small or medium enterprises (Donckels & Mok, 1990). To achieve the aim, face-to-face interviews with managers/owners of the SMEs were carried out in the Northern Philippines . The questionnaire was based on the 7Ss framework (Peters & Waterman, 1982), and an approach of Loudon and Della Bitta (1993). Data evaluation by principal component, cluster, discriminant, and regression analyses, as well as cross-tabulation, was made. Results show that there are three groups of entrepreneurs. The first group is called ‘Slightly Negative Innovators' and the third ‘Strong Negative Innovators.' Both groups need to undergo an extensive training in managerial skills to develop ability to cooperate and innovate. The second group is labelled ‘Very Positive Innovators' and represents most dynamic entrepreneurs who focus on new products and suppliers, thus having the strongest marketing strategies.

Keywords: innovation potential, SMEs, Cordillera Administrative Region, consumer segmentation

The Authors

ROBERTO M. ARGUELLES is a Professor at the College of Accountancy and Commerce, Saint Louis University .

MARIE KLONDY T. DAGUPEN is Associate Professor at the College of Agriculture in Benguet State University and Director of the Institute of Social Research and Development (ISRD) in the same university.

REYNALDO S. BAUTISTA is a Professor and the Dean of the College of Accountancy and Commerce, Saint Louis University .

RENATA JANUSZEWSKA is a researcher at Ghent University , Department of Agricultural Economics, Division Agro Marketing, Coupure Links, 653, B-900 Belgium.

DARLYN D. TAGARINO is a Professor at Benguet State University and the Vice-President for Planning, Development and Business Affairs.

JACQUES VIAENE is a Professor at Ghent University , Department of Agricultural Economics, Division Agro Marketing, Coupure Links, 653, B-900 Belgium.

COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS

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