Silliman Journal

Online Beauty Content as Predictor of Cosmetic Surgery Acceptance and Self-Esteem among College Students in a University in Quezon City, Philippines

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study examined the relationship between online beauty content and cosmetic surgery acceptance, as well as the impact on self-esteem, among 220 college students at a university in Quezon City, Philippines. Employing a descriptive-correlational design and validated instruments, including the Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale and Rosenberg’s SelfEsteem Scale, the findings revealed that online beauty content significantly and positively predicted cosmetic surgery acceptance across multiple dimension—information quality, credibility, needs of information, attitude toward information, usefulness, adoption, social influence, and product adoption intention. These results suggest that transparent, credible, and socially endorsed online beauty content increases the likelihood of students considering cosmetic procedures. In contrast, online beauty content did not
significantly predict self-esteem, indicating that exposure to digital beauty culture may not directly shape students’ self-perceptions. Overall, the study highlights the significant behavioral influence of online beauty content on cosmetic surgery acceptance, while also underscoring the limited role of self-esteem. This finding offers valuable implications for digital media practices and future research on youth well-being.

Ako (I)- Ikaw (You) Voices as Counternarrative Structure in Negrense Queer Panalaysayon

Marfy M. Cabayao — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This paper explores panalaysayon—a Hiligaynon word meaning “account” or “narrative”—as an evolving oral form that attempts to queerize panaysayon, the more established term for storytelling in the Western Visayas Region of the Philippines. In this study, panalaysayon specifically refers to the oral autobiographical narratives of five self-identified queer individuals from the province of Negros Occidental (formerly part of Western Visayas and now under the newly established Negros Island Region). These stories
were collected using the life story approach and analyzed through the lens of queer formalism. As a potential literary text, the Negrense queer panalaysayon centers the narrator’s voice and the way their stories are told. A defining feature is the alternating use of ako (I) and ikaw (you) voices, allowing storytellers to express both their internal reflections and how others perceive them. This structure enables them to reclaim agency within narratives where they are often rendered passive or backgrounded. Instead
of following conventional narrative arcs with fixed beginning, middle, and end, the panalaysayon reflects an emergent structure. It aligns with the Self-Narrative Model, where narrators select life events and frame them in ways that capture both personal affirmation and struggle. What emerges is a hybrid form—oral, autobiographical, and potentially counternarrative—that demonstrates how queer stories can be told outside dominant, mainstream frameworks. This study does not oppose conventional narrative models but offers panalaysayon as an alternative path within queer storytelling.

Social, Health, and Financial Dimensions of 4ps An In-Depth Study of Beneficiary Perceptions

Llewellyn I. Prejoles — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, or 4Ps, despite receiving program benefits for a maximum of 13 years, still live in poverty, with 3.82 million, or 90%, of the 4.26 million household beneficiaries affected. Given this, a qualitative approach using in-depth interviews (IDIs) was employed to analyze the social, health, and financial perceptions of the
4Ps beneficiaries in the Municipality of Katipunan, Province of Zamboanga del Norte. Four themes emerged: positive educational and health perceptions, positive social perceptions through role performance, issues of economic sufficiency leading to problems of financial perceptions, and indications of dependency and mental mendicancy among other beneficiaries. Rethinking
the voices from the ‘4Ps’ beneficiaries, the paper calls for the government to help further beneficiaries shift from dependency to self-reliance. This can be achieved by enhancing the effectiveness of the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) and other 4Ps initiatives through increased economic opportunities and skills training, livelihood diversification, and a shift in mindset through values formation and empowerment programs.

Navigating the Challenges of Online Distance Learning: Silliman University Students' Coping Strategies and Psychological Well-being

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The study investigates challenges and coping strategies among college students during the rise in online distance learning, highlighting this demographic's limited knowledge of psychological well-being despite extensive research. A survey of 676 college students revealed internal and external challenges, primarily related to connectivity issues like limited WiFi access, slow speeds, and power interruptions. The top coping strategy was emotion-focused coping strategies, like taking breaks. The study found that
college students' psychological well-being is generally average or moderate despite their vulnerability to adverse mental health consequences in online distance learning

Mobilizing Communities for Mangrove Reforestation in South Negros: Science and Socio-cultural-based Approaches to Conservation and Management

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Mangroves are vital ecosystems that play a crucial role in climate change mitigation by sequestering significant amounts of carbon and in climate change adaptation by safeguarding coastlines from erosion and extreme weather events. Mangrove forests in South Negros cover more than 1,000 ha, which constitutes less than 1% of the total land area of the 11 municipalities, and have very low regeneration potential. The Silliman University – GXI Reforestation Project aims to plant 500,000 seedlings of
mangrove and beach forest species in 78 hectares located in five municipalities in Negros Oriental, and to monitor the rate of carbon sequestration in 1- to 5-year-old seedlings. The project uses integrated science and socioculturalbased approaches for mangrove conservation and management, including vulnerability assessments, baseline surveys to determine the community
structure of mangrove forests in planting sites, determination of baseline blue carbon in the sites, and capacity building and training for participating People’s Organizations (POs). Currently, the project is working with 16 PO partners, serving a total of 210 PO beneficiaries, with 74.76% of them being female community members. As of September 2024, a total of 141,296 seedlings of mangrove and beach forest species have been planted, with an overall survival rate of 67.28%.

The Use of Online Cheating Tools during Online Assessment in Philippine Private Higher Education Institutions

Jan Cynth L. Palama, Dave E. Marcial — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The transition to online learning has introduced significant challenges regarding academic integrity, as students utilize various online tools to circumvent traditional monitoring mechanisms. This study investigates the prevalence and types of online cheating tools used by Computer Studies education students during assessments in private higher education institutions in the Philippines. The primary purpose is to determine the relationship between online cheating tools and the respondents’ demographic, academic, and technological profiles. Utilizing a descriptive-correlational design, data were collected from third and fourth-year students via a self-administered survey questionnaire distributed online. The questionnaire included sections on demographic information, technological profile, and online tool usage during assessments. The results revealed that students admitted
to engaging in various forms of online cheating, with the most common tools being search engines, digital calculators, AI tools, and other software to access unauthorized online resources. The analysis revealed that students with higher technological proficiency were more likely to cheat, indicating a significant correlation between familiarity with online tools and the tendency
to engage in dishonest practices. Additionally, students who perceived online assessments as less engaging and challenging reported higher instances of cheating. The implications of these findings suggest a critical need for institutions to reassess and redesign their online assessment policies to combat academic dishonesty. Enhancing monitoring mechanisms, revising academic policies, and increasing student engagement through interactive and meaningful online activities are essential. Furthermore, promoting a culture of academic integrity by clearly communicating policies and consequences and providing support systems for students facing challenges in online learning is crucial. These measures could significantly mitigate the prevalence of cheating and enhance the overall quality and credibility of the online education system.

Conflict Management and Decision-making Styles of Faculty Members of a Higher Education Insitution in Laguna Province, Philippines

Carla Melodillar — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Conflicts in higher education institutions (HEIs) are common due to the interaction of diverse groups of people; therefore, conflict management is an essential activity to ensure that various HEI functions are performed effectively. Using a mixed-methods research design, the study showed that the most common source of conflicts in the HEI is task-related conflicts. In dealing with conflicts with subordinates, the majority of faculty members applied Integrating and Obliging conflict management styles, and fewer used Dominating or Compromising styles. In terms of decision-making, the majority of faculty members were rational and independent decisionmakers. Guided by the Dual Concern Theory and Choice Theory, it can be concluded that respondents tend to have a higher concern for their subordinates than for themselves when dealing with conflicts. Moreover, the infrequent occurrence of relationship-related conflicts in the HEI indicated that the respondents had a higher need for love and belongingness than for power, as they placed importance on relationships. It is further concluded that conflict management and decision-making styles are not zero-sum; each person can choose and control their responses depending on what the situation requires. Activities that foster relationship-building among faculty members in the HEI, as well as capacity-building initiatives to enhance problem-solving skills, are hereby recommended.