THE NORTHERN LUZON RESEARCH JOURNAL
ISSN 1908-5990
VOLUME 2 (JANUARY 2008)

Featured Articles

1 Indigenous peoples, the state and national parks: Governmentality rifts and indigenous responses in Mount Pulag

- Joseph Porfirio L. Andaya, Angela L. Chamos & Gabriel Paul K. Pinas

2 Observing the correlation of crime and urban physical environment: an input to urban renewal and revitalization

- Donna R. Tabangin, Jacqueline C. Flores & Nelson F. Emperador

3 Improving OPD efficiency through queuing theory: The case of a regional medical center

- Marilou L. Andaya-Basilio

4 Occupational and environmental health assessment of indigenous small-scale mining in Lacub, Abra

- Ana Marie R. Leung

5 Influence of rice husk ash as supplementary material in cement paste and concrete

- Marshal G. Calica, Jr.

6 Potato starch extract as an alternative serum separator gel and its effects on glucose testing

- Donna Dane G. Aldana, Sheena Lyn A. Tanagon, Ria Rose Ann G. Manantan, Nico A. Pudlao, Joha D. Valenciano, Rio Rose L. Fabro & Allan Jay C. Espiritu

ABSTRACTS AND AUTHOR PROFILES

1. Indigenous peoples, the state and national parks: Governmentality rifts and indigenous responses in Mount Pulag

The study explores the State’s policy framework in its treatment of Mount Pulag National Park with its dual-dialectic nature as a natural resource and as a local government constituency. Within the park, the state’s policy framework stands on three pillars: the management of the protected area, the promotion of constituent welfare, and the security of indigenous ancestral domains. With findings derived from a qualitative approach utilizing focus group discussions, in-depth interviews of key informants, content analysis of official documents, and a research validation and utilization forum, the study argues that the current pursuit of the three-fold construction which necessarily frames and defines how the State carries out its management plans results in serious discordances. These rifts maybe seen, symbolically, in the multiple yet contradictory economic engagements of a park resident as commercial vegetable grower, tourist guide, and forest ranger – ultimately resulting in the steady erosion of the goals of sustainability in development.

Keywords: cultural politics, ecology, environmental management, governmentality, indigenous peoples

Authors:

Joseph Porfirio L. Andaya, Angela L. Chamos & Gabriel Paul K. Pinas, Department of Social and Political Sciences, College of Human Sciences Saint Louis University, 2600 Baguio City Contact information: jopoandaya@yahoo.com

2. Observing the correlation of crime and urban physical environment: an input to urban renewal and revitalization

Pursuing the ecological theory that design influences how people think and feel in a place, and ultimately how they behave, the researchers used crime data for the years 2004 to 2007 from the Baguio City Police Office to determine crime patterns within the Central Business District (CBD). Crime mapping was performed using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), satellite Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and satellite imageries. The study demonstrated that crime prevention may not only be about catching offenders and putting them through the criminal justice process but can also be about environmental design. Knowing the physical features of crime-prevalent areas and understanding why they are conducive to crime may help architects, planners, developers and policymakers make appropriate and purposive decisions for urban renewal and rejuvenation initiatives.

Keywords: Crime mapping, architecture, urban design, Geographic Information Systems

Author:

Donna R. Tabangin 1, Jacqueline C. Flores 2 & Nelson F. Emperador 2+,
1 Engineering and Urban Planning Research Laboratory 2 Deparment of Electronics and Communications Engineering Saint Louis University, Baguio City Contact information: don_rillera@yahoo.com.ph; jcflores@slu.edu.ph + Deceased

3. Improving OPD efficiency through queuing theory: The case of a regional medical center

Premised on the assumption that patient waiting time is an important quality health care indicator, this research assesses the current queuing models of the outpatient department in a regional medical center in the hope of coming up with new queuing models that can improve the efficiency of the OPD operations. The new queuing models are developed by means of the following directly related components, namely: hospital policies which specifically include the number of doctors and nurses deployed, the service time and the OPD operation time, and the demand for health care based specifically on patient arrival and pattern of arrival.

Keywords: Queuing theory, efficiency improvement, outpatient Department, waiting time, operating characteristic, ITRMC

The Authors

Marilou L. Andaya-Basilio, Department of Industrial Engineering Saint Louis College, San Fernando City, La Union Contact information: mbas_72@yahoo.com or mbas_99@hotmail.com

4. Occupational and environmental health assessment of indigenous small-scale mining in Lacub, Abra

The study looks into the occupational health and safety (OHS) status of indigenous SSM in Lacub, Abra; their disease/ symptom prevalence rates; and their OHS knowledge, attitudes and practices. It sets off by documenting the process of small-scale mining as practiced in Lacub, Abra in order to provide a glimpse on the work and environmental contexts. Relying on on-site observations, focus group discussions and questionaire-guided interviews of individual SSM, the study shows that the occupational, health and environmental issues faced by SSM in Lacub, Abra find resonance in other SSM sites elsewhere. This is especially true with occupational health and safety concerns but only to some extent in terms of environmental issues. The article ends with several recommendations addressed to the SSM and concerned agencies.

Keywords: Small-scale mining, mining issues, indigenous mining practices

The Authors

Ana Marie R. Leung, CHESTCORE, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine Saint Louis University Contact information: analeung1@yahoo.com

5. Influence of rice husk ash as supplementary material in cement paste and concrete

This paper assesses the utility of Rice Husk Ash (RHA) as an admixture in cement paste and concrete. Specifically, it examines the effect of RHA when blended to ordinary Portland cement at 0, 10, and 20 percent by weight, along some important properties of cement paste and concrete such as the normal consistency of cement paste, setting time of cement paste, workability of fresh concrete and compressive strength of hardened concrete. The findings show that RHA could be successfully utilized as supplementary material, as hardened concrete with 10% RHA has a strength that falls under normal strength of concrete. Moreover, RHA could be classified as retarding admixture since it prolongs the hardening of cement paste under normal consistency.

Keywords: Rice husk ash (RHA), supplementary materials, alternative construction materials

The Authors

Marshal G. Calica, Jr., Department of Engineering & Architecture Saint Louis College, San Fernando City, La Union Contact information: mcalicajr@yahoo.com.ph

6. Potato starch extract as an alternative serum separator gel and its effects on glucose testing

This study examines the potential of potato starch extract as an alternative serum separator gel and its effects in glucose testing. It sets off by determining the ability of the devised potato starch serum separator gel to form a barrier between the formed elements of blood and the serum and then testing the serum collected if the starch gel had an effect on glucose determination. The results show that potato starch extract, upon the application of heat and in the presence of water, effectively yields a gel with thixotropic property that has the ability to separate the serum from the formed elements and would not affect glucose testing. This confirms, thus, the potential of potato starch extract as a natural serum separator gel. With same characteristics as the commercial serum separator gel, the potato starch serum separator gel proves to be an effective and economically feasible alternative to the latter.

Keywords: natural serum separator gel, potato, starch, thixotropic, glucose

The Authors

Donna Dane G. Aldana 1, Sheena Lyn A. Tanagon , Ria Rose Ann G. Manantan 1, Nico A. Pudlao 1, Joha D. Valenciano 1, Rio Rose L. Fabro1 & Allan Jay C. Espiritu 2, 1 Student researcher; 2 Faculty researcher Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Natural Sciences Saint Louis University Contact information: ajc_espiritu@yahoo.com

COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS

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