Posts by Collection

Maria: An Ode by the Mountains

2 minute read

Published: November 28, 2018

[POEM] Sharing this four-part poem I wrote years ago after visiting a place so vivid and pure it stole my heart in an instant. One moment I was simply gazing at a mountain peak, breathing in the stillness, and the next, my hands were furiously scribbling words I didn’t even know I had in me. I stared at them for a long while before it hit me—that I think I’d made poetry. I tucked it away and forgot about it. But now there’s this person, and as I read it again, I can’t help but wonder; maybe it was for him all along…

How come we are both?: The paradox between obesity and poverty

13 minute read

Published: May 17, 2022

[SCHOLARLY ESSAY] A seemingly contradictory phenomenon of the simultaneous prevalence of obesity and poverty in our population has taken hold across the world. Statistically, 2017 was reported to be the first year in a decade to record an alarming rise in the number of hungry people, according to the United Nations. Along with the rise in hunger, there has also been a continued aggressive rise in obesity. On the surface, this seems to be a highly unusual global phenomenon – an increase in global hunger with a simultaneous increase in global obesity. However, what is remarkable and counterintuitive is that the contradictory concepts between obesity and poverty can actually coexist within the same individual, family, or community – and practically a reality that is difficult to disentangle. Thus, it begs the question: how come we are both?

On World Microbiome Day 2025

3 minute read

Published: June 27, 2025

[ESSAY] I celebrate with microbiome scientists, workers, and enthusiasts across the world, and the breathtaking work they do every day. At this day and age, microbiome science continues to push the boundaries of what it means to do science. In health, food, environment, and climate. But to work in this field is to live with complexity every day. Studying it requires humility before nature’s complexity. As I worked through my own thesis, I finally understood where the shortage in interest often comes from: the scale of it all can be overwhelming. We’ve come a long way but it’s still a looooong way to go.

Muse and Musings

16 minute read

Published: July 16, 2025

[ESSAY] In this essay, I speak of the Muses not as distant, abstract figures summoned by the sheer labor of imagination; but as living, breathing presences. While literature named nine, I have met six. I will recount in the order I’ve met them: Uki, Pan, Sun, Ryu, Oni, and Red. To others, they might’ve seemed like ordinary human presences, unremarkable in the flow of daily rhythm, but to myself, each carries a quiet, transcendental power, in ways I am still learning to understand. This essay is, in some ways, an extended reflection on a thought I first shared in a tweet on X (formerly Twitter). Allow me to extend that narrative here and recollect my encounters with them, and how through their presence, I was transformed.

Portfolio item number 1

Short description of portfolio item number 1

Portfolio item number 2

Short description of portfolio item number 2

Molecular identification and hemolytic activity of four jellyfish-associated marine fungi from Cagbatano Bay, Pio Duran, Philippines

Published in International Journal of Biosciences, 2019

In the study, we preliminarily explored the potential of jellyfish-associated marine fungi for cytotoxicity indicators. Specifically, we investigated the presence of jellyfish-associated fungi and its presumptive cytotox potential for mouse erythrocyte hemolysis. Our findings showed promising results that these fungi could be a source of marine bioactive compounds for drug development. I’m happy to add that this paper is a product of my undergraduate thesis and is my very first scientific publication!

Recommended citation: Regalado RRH, Ramirez VL, and Membreve DMS. (2019). Molecular identification and hemolytic activity of four jellyfish-associated marine fungi from Cagbatano Bay, Pio Duran, Philippines. International Journal of Biosciences 15(4), 531-538. doi:10.12692/ijb/15.4.531-538

Descriptions of the antennal structures of the millipede Trigoniulus macropygus Silvestri, 1897 (Spirobolida: Pachybolidae) and centipede Scolopendra subspinipes Leach, 1816 (Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae) using scanning electron microscopy

Published in BU R&D Journal, 2020

This short communication delved into the intriguing differences in the antennal structures between two myriapod representatives, the millipede Trigoniulus macropygus and the centipede Scolopendra subspinipes. Using scanning electron microscopy, we uncovered the presence of two types of sensilla — tiny hair-like projections which greatly increases sensory reception — in both organisms and observed significant variations in antennal morphology. Our paper also revisited morphology as an equally dynamic discipline. This work represents another of our undergrad projects and has been published in the BU R&D Journal, the official refereed journal of Bicol University and a CHED-JIP recognized publication.

Recommended citation: Regalado RRH, Buiza MD, Ibay MCB, Ramirez VL, and Belasa AJN. (2020). Descriptions of the antennal structures of the millipede Trigoniulus macropygus Silvestri, 1897 (Spirobolida: Pachybolidae) and centipede Scolopendra subspinipes Leach, 1816 (Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae) using scanning electron microscopy. BU R&D Journal 23(1), 75-80. journal.bicol-u.edu.ph/document.php?id=69

The Bicol River Basin Project: Development of comprehensive early warning system for agri-fishery communities in the Bicol River Basin

Published in Partido State University Press, 2021

During my short stint as a Science Research Assistant back in 2019, I had the privilege of co-authoring a monograph resulting from a research collaboration with the Department of Agriculture Region 5 and DOST-PAGASA. The report provides an in-depth account of our efforts to develop early warning systems aimed at bolstering local agricultural resilience in the Bicol River Basin area, with a particular focus on assisting marginalized agri-fishery communities in coping with the adverse impacts of climate change. Our report offers a shared stakeholders experience in climate and disaster-resilient development and contends that such development is essential in ameliorating extreme poverty and achieving shared climate consciousness. The report draws on selected case studies to showcase promising approaches, lessons learned, and remaining challenges, thereby providing valuable insights and recommendations to stakeholders invested in this agro-watershed area.

Recommended citation: Laureta RP, Regalado RRH, and Baldo DEB. (2021). The Bicol River Basin Project: Development of comprehensive early warning system for agri-fishery communities in the Bicol River Basin. Partido State University Press, Philippines. ISBN 978-971-9911-69-2

Climate vulnerability scenario of the agricultural sector in the Bicol River Basin, Philippines

Published in Climatic Change, 2021

In this study, we investigated the climate vulnerability scenario of the agricultural sector and rural livelihoods in the Bicol River Basin (BRB) to projected changes in climate. By employing a vulnerability assessment framework, which included indicators such as exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity, our study identified hotspots of vulnerability within the area. In our projections, it suggest that there are significant regional differences in vulnerability across the BRB, with the central and northwestern towns expected to experience greater susceptibility to extreme weather events. These regional disparities in vulnerability underscore the need for tailored interventions to build resilience and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. We note that addressing this climate crisis is more political than it is scientific or economic.

Recommended citation: Laureta RP, Regalado RRH, and De La Cruz EB. (2021). Climate vulnerability scenario of the agricultural sector in the Bicol River Basin, Philippines. Climatic Change 168(1-2), 4. doi:10.1007/s10584-021-03208-8

Environmental mycology in the Philippines

Published in Mycology in the Tropics: Updates on Philippine Fungi, Academic Press, 2023

I’m super thrilled to share my very first book chapter co-authorship in this pioneering book reference for Philippine mycology. Our chapter specifically encapsulates the many facets of fungal bioremediation documented in the country, and provides a comprehensive list of isolates that can be utilized for future mycoremediation efforts on plastics, heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and agrochemicals.

Recommended citation: Guerrero JJG, Malonzo CA, Regalado RRH, and Doloiras-Laraño AD. (2023). Environmental mycology in the Philippines. In: Guerrero JJG, Dalisay TU, De Leon MP, Balendres MAO, Notarte KIR, Dela Cruz TEE (Eds.). Mycology in the Tropics: Updates on Philippine Fungi (pp. 235-268). Academic Press. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-99489-7.00010-X

Mycological biosafety and biosecurity in the Philippines

Published in Biosafety and Biosecurity: Practical Insights and Applications for Low and Middle-Income Countries, CRC Press, 2024

In this book chapter, we discussed (con)current strategies addressing biosafety and biosecurity challenges posed by mycotoxins, commenting on their ramifications across socio-cultural, medical, agricultural, and legal domains within the broader Philippine context. Together with professionals in agriculture, medicine and allied fields, we revisit policies, standards, and practices currently in place to prevent any mycotoxin-related incidences among the population.

Recommended citation: Guerrero JJG, Regalado RRH, Penicilla GLM, Malonzo CA, General MA, Junsay AT. (2024). Mycological biosafety and biosecurity in the Philippines. In: Guerrero JJG, Cena-Navarro R, Destura RV, De Leon MP, Notarte KIR & Balendres MAO (Eds.). Biosafety and Biosecurity: Practical Insights and Applications for Low and Middle-Income Countries (pp. 206–234). CRC Press. doi:10.1201/9781003426219-11

Draft genome sequence of Leptobacillium coffeanum (Cordycipitaceae, Hypocreales), a freshwater fungus isolated from Bohol, Philippines

Published in Microbiology Resource Announcements, 2025

Excited to share our new paper on the successful genome assembly of an aquatic fungus (emphasis on aquatic) isolated from a freshwater habitat! Our DNA analyses show it clusters with Leptobacillium coffeanum but forms a distinct lineage—pointing to the discovery of a potential new species of fungi. This was a fun and personal team-up with folks from UP Visayas and the Philippine Genome Center Visayas.

Recommended citation: Regalado JT, Javier MC, Velo J, Bagacay JFE, D. Opiña LA, Regalado RR, Lopez TA, N. Ferriols VME, Calabon MS. (2025). Draft genome sequence of Leptobacillium coffeanum (Cordycipitaceae, Hypocreales), a freshwater fungus isolated from Bohol, Philippines. Microbiol Resour Announc, e00138-25. doi:10.1128/mra.00138-25

BCAARRD Online Technology Dissemination and Training Series Season 2

Published: May 04, 2021

Our work in the Bicol River Basin Project was featured at the Bicol Consortium for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (BCAARRD)’s Online Technology Dissemination and Training Series Season 2, originally premiered last May 4, 2021 on Facebook Live. During this event, I discussed the climate vulnerability hotspots affecting agri-fishery communities in the Bicol Region, drawing insights from our downscaled region-specific climate model. The online format proved invaluable in allowing us to engage with a wider audience and extending the reach of our work beyond Bicol Region.

Teaching experience 1

Undergraduate course, University 1, Department, 2014

This is a description of a teaching experience. You can use markdown like any other post.

Teaching experience 2

Workshop, University 1, Department, 2015

This is a description of a teaching experience. You can use markdown like any other post.