Welcome to the second issue of Silliman Journal 2023! This edition presents five engaging articles, each delving into a range of subjects.  The issue opens with Dr. Florita Maslog’s, “Isolation of Phytochemical

Components Present in Philippine Morinda citrifolia Variety (PhilNONI).” Her study focuses on the phytochemical analysis of the local Morinda citrifolia variety, known as PhilNONI. It drew inspiration from a previous work in India, and it aimed to identify and isolate phytochemical components, which in recent studies have been associated with health benefits such as immune system enhancement and antioxidative properties.

 This is followed by Mary Joie Cruz and Serlie Barroga-Jamias’ “The Mistress is the Mastermind: Framing Women Involved in a Government Fund Scam by a Social News Network in the Philippines.” In their study, they analyzed 107 stories reported by Rappler and explored the framing of women involved in the Philippine “pork barrel” scam, an instance of discretionary fund misuse in Congress.  The third article investigated the strategies employed by former impoverished individuals to navigate and rise above poverty in Dapitan City, Philippines. John Wayne V. Jacinto used a grounded theory approach to write “Surviving and Overcoming Poverty: Experiences of Quondam Poor Individuals in a Philippine City.”

 The fourth article is “Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Women Engaged in Sex Work: An Evaluation of Source Interventions” by Mark Anthony Salve. Through this research, Salve aims to provide valuable insights for developing strategies to enhance the health and well-being of female sex workers.

 The issue closes with “Salin-dilang Pamana: Mga Pagpapahalaga at Kulturang Mamamalas sa Piling Kuwentong-Bayan sa Isla ng Olango.” Arnel T. Noval, Floran A. Taneo, Gwendolyn Inoc, and Abedigo A. Gaylan examined how culture is reflected in the local stories of Olango and how they are valued.

 The cover photo for this issue is courtesy of visual artist and fashion designer, Dan Ryan Duran. It is a snapshot of a sunset as seen in Antique Province’s Bugo Bridge that passes over Sibalom River.

Warlito S. Caturay Jr. , PhD