Urban voids in a city center or poblacion are a problem that can be viewed as a potential for development. The local government could provide solutions for these urban voids to positively impact a town’s poblacion district. It could increase socio-economic activity and attract more investors within the abundant commercial and institutional areas. 

Mr. Karl Wendel C. Magno gave these insights in his thesis, “Uncovering the Potential of Urban Voids in Davao City: An Analysis of the Poblacion District.”

The unutilized, underutilized, and abandoned land areas in a poblacion are types of urban voids. These are created by natural, geographical, political, economic, or sociocultural factors. High imposed taxes and community disputes are common causes of urban voids. He said that the majority of these factors arise from lapses between the community and the local barangay councils and may be solved through coordination and planning. 

He also recommended that local stakeholders study the ecological dynamics between the living inhabitants, the spaces, and buildings, how these elements co-exist, and their relevance to each other. 

Magno was one of the five presenters at the Research Colloquium 2023 of the Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning (MAURP) program conducted by the University of the Philippines Mindanao Department of Architecture on May 20, 2023, at UP Mindanao. Steven Adrienne M. Chua presented "Improving the Quality of Life in Phil. Navy On-site Housing," and Vherna C. Comagon on "The effectiveness of community-based conservation in Agusan Marsh." Aisa C. Samson discussed "Disaster Preparedness of Existing Land Use in Tandag City," and Rachel Mae P. Sitcharon presented "Management Regimes and Sustainable Structural Dimensions of Floating Houses in Agusan Marsh."

Zamboanga, its waters, and its people are the settings for UPMin Instructor Sigrid Marianne Gayangos’ first published collection of stories. 

“The tropical seas, the ocean, the waters, and vast archipelagic realms become sites of the unknowable, sometimes even forbidding places that refuse to give up their stories,” wrote fellow Mindanaoan writer Kristine Ong-Muslim in the foreword to the book.

“Laut: Stories,” Gayangos’ newly published book, features 13 stories set in the author’s birthplace of Zamboanga. Now based in Dumaguete City, the author was in Davao to meet her UPMin students, and the UPMin Department of Humanities took the opportunity to hold a book launch and author’s talk. 

The discussions touched on how the author began writing, her conscious choice to take inspiration from her roots, the process of revision, and the challenges that come with being a Mindanaoan writer.

“The stories contain the reality and experiences of interethnic communities. It taps into their political consciousness. It has queer and sociopolitical themes, and dives deep into the marvelous and fantastic,” said UPMin student Daryll.

According to the author each story has a different approach relating to how she understood water. “...there’s turbulence. It’s erratic, it’s unpredictable…it’s also scary—we never know what’s underneath,” she said. Despite these things, writing, she admits, has allowed her to explore the depths of water through the stories she wrote. 

Despite her works being categorized under speculative fiction, Ms. Sigrid expressed how it tackles realities that seem more familiar than readers think.

“Laut: Stories” may sound marvelous or nonrealist, but she explained that these were tales she grew up with, coming from a long line of fisherfolks, and were what helped shape her stories. 

During the talk, she expressed how seven of the stories were “major overhauls” of her thesis collections, while the six other stories are new. 

The UP Mindanao Department of Humanities held the book launch and author’s talk for “Laut: Stories” by Instructor Sigrid Marianne Gayangos on 4 May 2023, moderated by Associate Prof. John Bengan. The book is published by UP Press and is also available online.

Twenty UP Mindanao students of the Biology 151 (Wildlife Studies) class under Dr. Jayson Ibanez served as public advocates for the appreciation and conservation of unique and imperiled species of flora or fauna in the Philippines. The students delivered their advocacy before students from 21 Davao Region high schools at the "Sarimbuhay Davao Region Wildlife Quiz Bowl" on May 27, 2023, at the Mapua MCM Auditorium. Each student introduced and described a particular Philippine species in the form of a Speed Talk for about two-three minutes each with an accompanying visual aid. The talks gave the audience an experience of a tour through the Philippine biodiversity landscape.

John Ricky Garcia for the Tamaraw

Xester Kemp Urbano for the Rufous Hornbill

Ira Brian Cabuenas for the Philippine Flying Lemur

Rian Mar Pueblo for Guttman's Stream Frog

Arth Bryan Estrella for the Philippine Warty Pig

Angelika Mae Taclendo for the Mindoro Bleeding Heart (bird)

Jerico Alfred Buen for the Philippine Eagle-Owl

Ernesto Guillen IV for the Visayan Spotted Deer

Reitchvon Christian Lagura for the Philippine Bulbul (bird)

Kim Dimple Rendon for the Palawan Peacock-Pheasant

Dolens James Inigo for the Philippine Slow Loris

John Paul Pineda for the Mindoro Crocodile

Nicole Phoebe Valenzuela for the Giant Softshell Turtle

Bianca Estavas for the Philippine Pangolin

Angela Jinon for the Northern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat

Mayneylefer Sundano for the Large Flying Fox

Darryl Dave Bolofer for the Mindanao Flying Dragon

Vernie Clare de Guzman for the English Orchid

Ilamay Joy Yangurin for the Golden-Crowned Flying Fox

Rayven Jay Lopez for the Winghead Shark

The University of the Philippines Mindanao is poised to devise a stronger response to effective management of existing diseases and emerging health threats in Mindanao as a newly-appointed regional hub of the UP Resilience Institute, UP’s center for comprehensive disaster risk reduction and management.

Biomathematics expert Prof. May Anne Mata said establishing a disease watch and analytics unit in UPMin aims to harness this UP constituent university’s expertise in mathematical modeling, data analytics, and genomics to address public health concerns.

UP’s Board of Regents recently approved in its 1378th Meeting the establishment of UPMin’s Center for Disease Watch and Analytics (DiWA) as a regional unit of the UP Resilience Institute.

In her letter to former UP President Danilo Concepcion and UP Resilience Insitute Director Mahar Lagmay, Prof. Mata said, “Mindanao has experienced long-standing neglect, slow economic development, and poverty due to political conflicts. With this context, a resilient public health program is a challenge. 

Mindanao needs a hub or satellite for health resiliency, and establishing UP Mindanao’s Center for Disease Watch and Analytics (DiWA Center) is essential to maintaining our active partnership with Local Government Units and local agencies for public health and disease management. 

By being a satellite and hub of the UP Resilience Institute, UPMin’s DiWA Center can sustain and expand the scope of its research initiatives and technical services to its stakeholders in public health governance. This is through knowledge generation, sharing, services, and technological innovation. Its ultimate goal is to build health-resilient communities in the entire Mindanao.” 

The DiWA Center began as the DOST-NICER Center for Applied Modeling, Data Analytics, and Bioinformatics for Decision Support Systems in Health (AMDABiDSS-Health), which focused on generating solutions to strengthen the local responses to COVID-19. 

The center developed the Disease Watch (DiWa) app, an online planning tool for pandemic management. The DiWa app featured dashboards for risk management, vulnerability scoring index tools, risk maps, and molecular community trackers. The DiWA app proved its merit by assisting several Mindanao regions in their campaign against the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“The Department of Health’s (DOH) regional officers have expressed their desire for UPMin’s continuing technical assistance,” said Prof. Mata. 

DOH-XI Regional Director Annabelle Yumang signed an agreement with UP for the use of the DiWa app on November 28, 2022.  

DiWA Center’s programs address the sustainable goals of good health and well-being, sanitation, fostering innovation, building sustainable communities, poverty alleviation, and partnerships for the goals.

Meanwhile, UPMin has developed new degree programs related to public health, such as Data Science, Sports, and Human Movement Science. In addition, it has continuing research in health communication and a prospective medical education program. 

Top image: The logo of UPMin's new Center for Disease Watch & Analytics