PUBLISHED RDEIs
Disaster Risks of the Seven Filipino-Spanish Churches of the Diocese of Maasin, Philippines
Raffy Andrew Garcia Loreto, Guiraldo C. Fernandez, Jr., Leslie Anne L. Liwanag, F.P.A. Demeterio III, 2021
SPAFA Journal
Abstract:
In the Roman Catholic Diocese of Maasin, on the island of Leyte, Philippines, there remain today seven Filipino-Spanish churches that are made of stone, mortar and wood, ranging from almost four centuries to more than a century old. The Island of Leyte, as home to 22 active and dormant volcanoes, as exposed to the atmospheric disturbances from the Pacific Ocean, and as bisected by the Philippine Fault Line, is more at risk to extreme natural hazards than an average Philippine island. By looking at the interplay between the resistance/vulnerability of these churches on one hand, and the natural hazards threatening these churches on the other hand, this paper proffers mitigating recommendations to the primary stakeholders with the purview of increasing the resilience of these same churches. The data on the resistance/vulnerability of the said churches were gathered through rapid survey, while the data on natural hazards were gathered through existing hazard maps and web applications. The methodology laid out by this paper can be a useful initial step for the conservation of heritage structures in developing societies.
Keywords: Heritage Structures, Diocese of Maasin, Filipino-Spanish Churches, Floods, Storm Surges, Volcanic Eruptions, Earthquakes, Storms
Study on the Implementation of a Campus Bike Sharing Program as a Sustainable Transport Mode: Case of Visayas State University
Ana Christy Andrin , Jazzy Gutierrez , Butch Oca , Hanzel Mejia, 2020
Philippine Transportation Journal
Abstract:
This study aims to evaluate whether or not a bicycle-sharing system is feasible at Visayas State University-Main Campus. The feasibility was determined by evaluating the feasibility criteria set which include technical and social aspect. Technical aspects include road safety, accessibility of roads to bicycles, availability of land area for operation, traffic study to analyze the roadway capacity, and proposed stations. The social study includes the determination whether the campus community has sufficient interest in a bicycle-sharing system to pursue such a program. The paper concludes that the bike sharing system proposed is feasible based on the criteria and that further studies regarding the operation and financial viability be explored.
Keywords: Bike sharing, Non-motorized transport, Campus transportation, Sustainable transport, Feasibility study
Effectiveness of Coconut Fiber Geotextile and Vetiver Grass as Bio-Engineering Technique in Mitigating Soil Erosion Along Bato-Bontoc Road
John Christian L. Gaviola, Bien Lio G. Borong, Shiela Mae R. Cutanda, Epifania G. Loreto, 2020
Journal of Engineering, Applied Sciences, and Technology
Abstract:
This study investigated the effectiveness and suitability of coconut coir fiber geotextile with different mesh sizes planted with Vetiver grass as a soil erosion control measure, conducted along Bato-Bontoc Road, Province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. The study was carried out by a 3x2 factor factorial experiment in Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Geotextiles with mesh sizes of 0.5x0.5, 1.0x1.0, 1.5x1.5 inches in planted and unplanted experimental plots, which has 7m by 1m dimensions, were considered in the experiment. To measure the decrease in topsoil, 12 erosion pins were forced drive into the soil in every experimental plot. No interaction was found between the geotextiles and the plant used. Based on the analysis of variance, there is a very highly significant difference in the soil erosion between planted and unplanted experimental plots. Vetiver grass is more effective in reinforcing soil and controlling up to 56% of the soil erosion than no grass at all. Geotextile with eye-opening sizes of 0.5x0.5, 1.0x1.0, and 1.5x1.5 inches can mitigate up to 65%, 49%, and 40% of the soil erosion, respectively. Thus, all sizes are effective in controlling soil erosion compared to the control setup and the 0.5x0.5-inch eye-opening size is the best among others.
Keywords: Soil Erosion, Slope Protection, Geotextiles, Coconut Coir Fiber, Vetiver Grass
Impacts of Different Rainfall Intensities on Key Traffic Flow Parameters at North Luzon Expressway Using Underwood’s Exponential Model
Hanzel N. Mejia, Ricardo G. Sigua, 2018
Philippine Transportation Journal
Abstract:
The study was conducted to establish a relationship about the effects of different rainfall intensities on key traffic stream parameters. Traffic data were gathered using loop detectors in NLEX for a period of seven months. Rainfall data were obtained from the nearest automatic weather station. Traffic data were segregated into different rainfall conditions: clear (0 mm rainfall/hr.), light (0.1-2.5 mm rainfall/hr.), moderate (2.6-7.5 mm rainfall/hr.), and heavy (above 7.5 mm rainfall/hr.). Regression analysis were done for speed-density and flow-density relationships using the exponential model by Underwood. The reduction in average speeds are about 5.34% under light rain conditions, 6.3% under moderate rain conditions, and 7.4% under heavy rain conditions. The average volume decreased by 2.92%, 10.62%, and 12.39% while the capacities reduced by 3.67%, 7.6%, and 17.44% under light, medium, and heavy rain conditions, respectively. Free flow speed and speed at capacity also decreased by 6.9-11.05% and 12.89-16.65%, respectively.
Keywords: Traffic flow, Rainfall, NLEx, Underwood’s exponential model