Category: NEWS & EVENTS

“In terms of projections, we hope na baka third week [of February] o sa March, bumaba ito (number of new COVID-19 cases). Hinihintay lang kasi natin ‘yong provinces,” said Jomar Rabajante of the University of the Philippines (UP) Pandemic Response Team.

(In terms of projections, we hope that by the third week of February or March, the number of new cases has decreased. We’re still waiting for the provinces.)

Rabajante said that currently, the bulk of new COVID-19 cases come from the provinces since the National Capital Region (NCR) is already in a “declining phase.”

Dr. Sanley Abila leads a team of researchers in the University of the Philippines Visayas who are studying the social vulnerabilities of the maritime seafaring occupation, as current conditions exacerbate mental health conditions of seafarers.

On Monday, the University of the Philippines (UP) revived Tsek.ph, an alliance of 23 academic, media and civil society organizations committed to identifying and flagging disinformation on social media.

First set up in 2019 during the midterm elections, the alliance was revived “to make it in time for the 2022 elections,” said project co-coordinator Rachel Khan, associate dean of the UP College of Mass Communication.

The Office of Counseling and Guidance (OCG) of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (OVCSA) is implementing “UPLB BARKada at CATropa” to support the psychosocial needs of UPLB constituents as well as provide them an alternative venue to de-stress.

“UPLB BARKada at CATropa” promotes social interaction between animals and humans to help alleviate the negative effects of isolation and depression.

The laboratory will open for a dry run at the UP-Mindanao campus in Davao, a move which officials say could expedite whole-genome sequencing and analyses of specimens taken from people who tested positive for COVID-19 in Mindanao

The Philippine Genome Center Visayas has already received its set of Next Generation Sequencers to capacitate the center for whole genome sequencing to detect SARS-CoV-2 variants in the region. PGC Visayas acquired the sequencers through the funding support of the Department of Budget and Management. Installation of the sequencers commenced last Thursday (Jan. 20) at the PGC Visayas Laboratories at the Regional Research Center of UPV in Miagao, Iloilo.

The University of the Philippines-Visayas partnership with Pascual Pharma Corporation focuses on generating better foods for better survival and therapy, particularly for those who are afflicted with disease (especially chronic or terminal diseases). The research and development project is expected to create food products that are easy to digest, appropriate for recovery, and will increase immune system responses.

The UPV Language Program trained UPV employees on effective communication in the workplace last year to enhance their technical writing and speaking skills.

The Philippine Genome Center continues to conduct genomic sequencing and expand its operations to detect variants of COVID-19 that are present in the country. It has already recorded more than 500 cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant.

The University of the Philippines Manila-Philippine General Hospital will provide assistance to the newly-established OFW Hospital in San Fernando, Pampanga, by training clinical and administrative personnel and assisting in processes related to the development of relevant clinical services.