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The growing indebtedness among Filipino teachers warrants an examination of whether they possess a clear understanding of debt concepts and how they make borrowing decisions. To date, little is known about the debt literacy and debt behavior of teachers. The study aimed to address this gap by using a descriptive-correlational research design and analyzing survey data from 480 public school teachers in Iloilo City. Results have shown that teachers have low debt literacy, averaging 1.66 out of 5 questions. They understood the concepts of simple interest and loan duration, but struggled with more complex topics, including compound interest, credit card repayment, and time value of money. Significant differences in debt literacy emerged across age and income groups. As to debt behavior, teachers tend to avoid expensive borrowing and show openness to seeking financial advice. The correlation analysis further revealed that teachers who are more debt literate are less likely to engage in high-cost borrowing and are more inclined to seek financial advice. These findings contribute to the scant literature on debt literacy and highlight the need to integrate debt management training into teachers’ continuous professional development. Collaborative efforts between the Department of Education, government agencies, and financial institutions should focus on sustainable financial education programs and prioritize support for vulnerable cohorts, such as retiring teachers and those from low-income households. Beyond education, policy support is needed to strengthen consumer protection, boost financial inclusion, and evaluate the adequacy of teachers’ salaries.

Using a discursive approach to understanding social identity, we examined constructed and shifting identities in written discourse and the political outcomes associated with the shift in identity construction. We specifically analyzed the fact-finding reports of the five bodies of inquiry created to probe into the (mis)encounter of the Philippine Government’s Police Special Action Force, Moro rebel troops, and private armed groups on January 25, 2015, in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, Philippines. The ferocious firefight that took the lives of 67 Filipinos occurred in the midst of peace negotiations between the government and Moro rebels. Results showed shifts in identity construction among three of the five investigating bodies in their reports. From their investigating body identity, the Philippine police and Moro rebels shifted back to their respective group identities; while the Philippine Senate moved from being an investigating body to being a critic to being a defender of the police and the country. Shifts in identity construction justified their intention to strengthen their reputation as pursuers of peace and justice, reinforce the integrity of their respective social groups, discredit their opponents, and enhance their credibility as protectors of the country. Findings lend support to the conceptualization of social identity as discursively produced and actively performed in written discourse. Implications of the findings to peace negotiations are discussed.

Millennials were once the newcomers of the job force, but nowadays they already compose the majority of the working population. Their sheer number matched with their alleged issues with commitment, loyalty, and job performance makes them an interesting demographic to analyze. This study attempts to understand the elements of Organizational Commitment and its relationships with selected personal, job, and company characteristics, as perceived by Ilonggo millennials. The Three-Component Organizational Commitment Questionnaire developed by Allen & Meyer (1990) was administered using a nonprobability sampling technique. The results showed that Ilonggo Millennials are averagely committed to their current organizations by performing their core responsibilities despite their frailty to leave their current employers if presented with better external opportunities. It is imperative for organizations to nurture Organizational Commitment to unleash the Millennials’ maximum productivity, tech-savvy skills, and collaborative nature. An efficient way to do this is to involve fulfilling compensation packages, health insurance benefits, work-life balance, flexible working hours, and career advancement opportunities. The incorporation of these workplace elements is expected to significantly improve llonggo millennials’ Organizational Commitment which will ultimately contribute to favorable work performance, motivation, retention, and career satisfaction.

The study explores beneficiary participation in the context of two Philippine development NGOs. The research investigates the levels of beneficiary participation based on a participation typology. It also aims to identify the perceived stakeholder classification of beneficiaries by the NGO board of trustees, managers, and beneficiaries themselves. Finally, it seeks to understand how the perceived stakeholder classification of beneficiaries affects beneficiary participation. Utilizing a qualitative design through a multiple-case strategy, the study reveals that beneficiaries participate through participatory levels of consultation and information, public involvement, and negotiation and bargaining. All the managers perceive beneficiaries as collaborators, and the beneficiaries share the same perception of themselves. The study shows the pivotal role of management’s perception in shaping beneficiary participation. Simultaneously, the beneficiaries’ selfperception as collaborators encourages beneficiary participation. These findings highlight the significance of leadership perception in fostering active beneficiary participation. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of beneficiary participation. It offers insights for NGO leaders in high power distance countries to reflect on the intrinsic dignity and agency of the people they serve.

Philippine indigenous games were once a popular pastime for Filipino children. It kept them active, mentally stimulated, and it maximized the benefits of play across multiple developmental domains. However, the rise of digital technology has shifted Filipino children’s interests from active Philippine indigenous games toward sedentary play on their electronic gadgets, exposing them to the risks of extended screen time and lack of physical activity. This study examined the benefits of playing Philippine indigenous games, as seen by Filipinos born in the 1980s, prior to the computer technology boom in the country. Using online questionnaires, perceptions of N=130 study participants, 56 males, and 74 females, with a mean age of 37.18 (+/- 3.32 Sd), were analyzed to establish if early exposure to indigenous Philippine games aided Holistic Development. Results confirmed that the games are 95.25% perceived to support Holistic Development, particularly in the Physical, 95.38%, Cognitive, 93.85%, and Socio-emotional, 96.54% domains. Furthermore, content analysis of the data showed that Philippine indigenous games fostered larger-than-game life skill applications, connectedness, and sexdifferentiated mental and physical strengths, including positive indications of academic success. Measurement limitations, notwithstanding, this study contributes to empirical knowledge establishing Philippine indigenous games’ support to children’s Holistic Development through growth-permissive contexts, cohort experiences, and normative history-graded influences. It offers an empirical basis for institutionalized restoration, promotion, and preservation of Philippine indigenous games while advancing health, culture, and heritage. Future studies are recommended to consider cross-sectional, correlational, and long-term approaches across regions, sub-cultures, socio-economic, age, and gender groups.

Microfinance rooted in the concept and practice of inclusive business (IB) has gained global recognition as one of the financial interceders fostering poverty alleviation and development. This paper presents the findings of a study that examined the delivery of IB programs of microfinance institutions (MFIs), which feature the inclusion of low-income communities in the market value chain. Focusing on the Farmer Integrated Development Assistance (FIDA), a microfinance program offering credit assistance to poor and marginalized farmers, the study assessed the conventions of IB as applied by the MFIs in assisting farmers’ associations; microfinance operations; and social entrepreneurship. A qualitative research design was used, and primary data was generated through key informant interviews with the farmer-beneficiaries of the FIDA. Study findings reveal the features of FIDA’s IB program, the extension of various microfinance interventions to farmer-beneficiaries, and challenges and success factors in microfinance delivery. The FIDA program’s success was mainly attributed to the MFIs’ ardent commitment to their mission of providing opportunities for inclusive business growth for the low-income farming communities. Results also show how social entrepreneurship was concretized in terms of improvements in farming skills and market linkages as well as increases in the level of productivity and income of farmer-beneficiaries. The study recommends a governance posture, i.e., collaborations between government and other societal organizations in the delivery of IB programs to target beneficiaries.