The problem of visual pollution in the Philippines has been increasingly evident, and people are becoming aware of it. But to create effective solutions, a deep understanding of the problem should first be established. This paper was aimed to identify, analyze, and measure the visual pollution present in Intramuros, a heritage city in the Philippines that encapsulates the Philippine colonial architecture in the 1890s. The site is known for its preservation of its city image but also modern landscape changes. To achieve the goal, the application of the Indirect and Direct Method of Landscape Evaluation was executed. These methods led to two results: (1) the identification of components— which are landscape attributes and indicators, that make up a visual landscape; and (2) the understanding of how it is perceived by the observer through a survey and interviews, which are quantified by ratings. To further understand the relationship of indicators and ratings with each other, a series of correlational studies was done. This resulted to the establishment of Disturbance, Stewardship, and Image Rating as the primary descriptors of visual pollution. A weighted average formula was then established, which quantified the visual pollution of Intramuros through indicator values and response ratings. It was concluded that visual pollution in Intramuros, through research-based methodology, can be identified, analyzed, and measured. Specific viewpoints in the district were identified as unacceptably visually-polluted. Magallanes St. cor. Victoria St. in Intramuros had the highest VP Score at -4.886. Elements that contributed to visual pollution were also identified.

By accepting periodic flood as an unavoidable circumstance, urban communities in eastern Pampanga can adapt to flood flows from the Pampanga River better during high-intensity storms by creating a more ecologically-resilient multi-equilibria system of adaptation. A typical solution is to apply engineering solutions to flooding, resulting in a forced state of equilibrium that is ill-adapted to the changing forces of nature. By understanding the dichotomous theory of urban resilience to floods, strategies can be formed to assess and plan a more adaptive flood hazard management framework. To operationalize the theory, an estimation of storm-water and riparian alluvial flow is developed to understand the volumetric capacity of floodwaters natural floodplains need to accommodate flooding. The rational method of computing runoff is applied to the major watershed forming the flood-prone Pampanga River, determining the percentage of floodable area and moving ecological equilibria. This creates a better understanding of the distribution of flood by providing a baseline for the future planning of mitigation and adaptation urban strategies to flooding such as providing vegetated buffer zones, no build zones, and ground to building floor height.

Dumagat/Remontados belong to an indigenous community in Rizal Province, Philippines. Being the original inhabitants of the forest they have built strong ties to their lands as a result of living in the forest for generations. However, despite their rich knowledge in conserving and protecting their lands, these communities are still considered as an unimportant community in decision makings by lawmakers. Modern technology has made some of these communities leave the forest and settle in urbanized areas to find a better life. This research stresses the important role of Dumagat/Remontado’s Tribe living in the upper Marikina river basin protected landscape, in managing and conserving the forest. The study involves interviews with the Chieftains of five selected villages and members of Dumagat/Remontado’s tribe, site visits, and photo-documentations. Findings revealed all the communities still have strong ties to their traditional beliefs but communities that are still living in the forest and in their ancestral lands have stronger connections to their ancestral lands, traditional beliefs, and practices which have resulted in better management of the forest and its resources.

The increasing presence of online plant shops is continually captivating a larger community and casually changing the lifestyle and purchasing habits of people. Specifically, the availability of social media as a purchasing channel in this current pandemic enables a convenient means of buying ornamental plants. This paper aims at exploring the perception and experiences of South Triangle residents on online plant shops and the impacts of the pandemic on their plant purchasing habits and behavior. South Triangle, where informants were selected is the lifestyle tourism district of Quezon City. It is a typical urban community that has been affected by the pandemic and residents have resorted to online transactions. To achieve the goal, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven (11) key informants residing in South Triangle who identified themselves as plant parents. Interview data suggest that online plant shops are perceived and accepted as a convenient channel for purchasing ornamental plants, but informants prefer physical plant shops for quality checks and the tangible experience expressing both cognitive and behaviorist approaches to consumer behavior. Most of the informants began their plant hobby as a coping response to the psychological effect and recreational limitations of the pandemic. Results suggest a significant impact of the pandemic on online plant shop growth and the increasing number of plant parents. The notable growth of the ornamental plants industry now poses the question of how online plant shops will continually thrive in a post-pandemic setting.

The public’s demand for more open spaces as brought about by the effects of the pandemic has resulted in increased interest in an existing brownfield in La Union. The San Juan Municipal Cemetery is located along the National Highway, near the existing tourism destination of the municipality. Its presence has raised concerns about it being a visual blight as it is visible from the highway. According to the Comprehensive Land-Use Plan (CLUP) of the Municipality of San Juan, La Union (SJLA), the existing Municipal (People’s) Park is 11,500 square meters (sqm). The 2022 Area Requirement for SJLU’s recreational spaces is estimated at 30,907 square meters (sqm). However, the lack of recreational function and facilities of the San Juan Municipal Cemetery may lead to its removal from the total open space for recreational spaces, resulting in the reduction of the total area to only 19,407 square meters (sqm). This may affect the capacity of the municipality to provide for the residents’ recreational needs, forcing the residents to travel to other cities for their recreational needs. This leads to the examination of the function of memorial parks in their everyday function, their significance in the economic development, environmental risks, and tourism value for the residents. Using a descriptive methodology in gathering insights from the relevant Experts on culture, environment, culture, and tourism, the research found the necessity of converting this memorial park into a culturally-relevant space that reflects the identity of the residents while at the same time improving the tourism image of the municipality.