volume-20-number-1

Pages: 17–30 

Haze, driven by peatland fires, has been a dangerous ecological problem in Indonesia that has affected its social system and impacted the air of countries in Southeast Asia. As Niklas Luhmann explained, the social system could be disturbed by ecological problems, but its subsystems can also be seen in media discourses. This study, thus, aims to analyze the discourses presented in two local Indonesian media, Riau Pos and Pontianak Pos, about the haze disaster. Critical discourse analysis was used to analyze the discourses that are representative of subsystems. We also analyzed the correlation between discourses and peatland fires. The results show that there are nine subsystems affected by the haze disaster: economy, politics, law, science, education, religion, art, public health, and volunteerism. Of these, politics is predominant in the local Indonesian media. In addition, the number of discourses is in line with the fluctuation of hotspots. To conclude, the haze problems can be seen by understanding the discourses in local mass media that have described which subsystem is constructing the social system. Therefore, this study suggests decreasing the domination of politics and increase the role of other subsystems, particularly the subsystem of law, science, and education in the Indonesian social system. 

Keywords: ecological communication, haze disaster, local media, Niklas Luhmann, peatland fires 

Pages: 31–42 

Assimilating new English varieties in English language teaching (ELT) has been a pressing issue in applied linguistics and English language education today. Specifically, Philippine English (henceforth, PhE) has long been debated to be integrated into English as a second language (ESL) classes in the Philippines. The study investigated Filipino graduate students’ attitudes toward teaching educated PhE, and the notions of educated PhE about which they are ambivalent. Ninety- five graduate students taking doctorate and master’s programs (i.e., Applied Linguistics, English Language Education, English Language Teaching, Linguistics, and Reading) at a premier teacher education institution (TEI) in the Philippines participated in the study. Using a descriptive survey design, the study revealed that their attitudes toward teaching educated PhE were generally positive. On the one hand, results indicated their confidence in using not only educated PhE but PhE and American English (AmE); thus, hinting a pluricentric model of teaching ESL in the Philippines. On the other hand, findings also showed that they were undecided of some negative and positive notions toward PhE, positive notions toward AmE, positive and neutral notions toward educated PhE and AmE, and several Filipinisms. The study draws its implications for educational policies and English language teaching in the Philippines. 

Keywords: language attitudes, Filipino graduate students, educated PhE, teaching educated PhE, teacher education institution 

Pages: 43–52  

With massive forced displacement, hosting refugees has become one of the leading concerns for developing countries like Pakistan. In the given context, this article is an attempt to unfold the nature of the relationship between the Afghan refugees and their Punjabi host community. To understand, describe, and interpret the essence of the refugees’ lived experiences, 31 adult Afghan refugee scavengers were involved in this qualitative study through semi-structured in-depth interviews. The collected data revealed that while being in exile, the Afghans had formed new relationships with their hosts. These relationships were generally positive and reciprocal in nature. The Afghans confirmed the absence of discrimination and harassment from the hosts and highlighted both the monetary and nonmonetary help that they receive from the native residents at times. However, despite being in good terms, Afghan refugees reported restricted movements with the host community. The reasons were predominantly grounded in Afghan traditions of protecting the honor of the women and the privacy of the household by limiting the contact with native residents. It emphasizes the need to further enhance the interaction among refugees and hosts. 

Keywords: Afghan refugee, scavenger, lived experience, host community 

Pages: 53–65  

The decline of the U.S. and the rise of China have been one of the main drivers of change in the foreign policy of the countries in East Asia. Although having been often called “hedging,” recent developments show more variation in states’ response in the region. President Duterte’s leaning towards China, possibly in response to the economic opportunities given by the Belt and Road Initiative, has reversed the predecessor’s position. This poses puzzles that demand explanations beyond the state-level analysis. This paper examines what accounts for the shift and whether it is sustainable. Although the Philippines’ foreign policy has traditionally been driven by the ruling elites, the election of President Duterte in 2016 has drawn renewed attention to the public as one of the domestic factors that influence foreign policy. Duterte’s pivot to China appears to be conflicting with the general sentiments of the public about the U.S. and China, but in line with their aspirations for economic prosperity, considering the potential economic benefits that China can offer. This paper argues that recent policies can be explained by the dominant sentiment present in East Asia called “econophoria” (Buzan & Segal, 1994), which refers to the prioritization of economic growth to the point that legitimacy comes from rising living standards. It contends that econophoria is not something imposed by the state, but it is a choice by society as well. 

Keywords: Philippines-China-US relationship, hedging, South China Sea, Belt and Road Initiative, populism, public preferences and foreign policy, ASEAN 

Pages: 66–77 

Graduates in science and technology are in demand by establishments in developing countries; however, job-seekers are concerned about the prospect of insecure employment in the changing future careers because of imminent oversupply in the labor market. Self-assured graduates would be able to confront with the dynamic world. The focus of this study is to investigate relationships between the perceived-development of soft skills provided by educational programs in university and the likelihood to obtain a job after graduation. Data were derived from the Annual Graduate Survey conducted by the Office of General Education, King Mongkut’s University of Technology, Thailand, at the time of the graduation ceremony (six months after university course completion). Two cohorts of graduates (covering engineering, information technology, industrial education, science, and architecture) in the academic year 2016 and 2017 were included to be participants (n = 3,850). They were asked to reflect their perception of the extent to which they possessed soft skills during the period of degree programs. Results obtained by logistic regression analysis displayed significant personal attributes, communication, and learning skills that contribute to the likelihood to be employed after graduation. The perception of self-development supports individual self-efficacy to meet the challenges of job hunting. This study also indicates a small gender difference in the employment of science-tech graduates, that is, a female is more likely to obtain a job immediately after the completion of her studies. Interestingly, it is found that there is a non-significant relation between English skills and the likelihood to get a job in a non-English speaking country. 

Keywords: science-tech graduates, soft skills, labor market 

Pages: 78–90

The study aims to explore how economic experiential value, measured through consumer return on investment (CROI), affects attendees’ emotions, and these emotions affect their level of satisfaction. Moreover, the present study also examines how satisfaction influences attendees’ loyalty and their intention to recommend the event and the mediating role of loyalty on satisfaction-intention to recommend the relationship. The participants of the study were the attendees of Sisig Fiesta of Angeles City, and they were identified using a purposive sampling technique. A correlational-predictive research design was employed, and a partial least squares – structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was utilized to measure the parameter estimates. The findings revealed that CROI influences positive and negative emotions and satisfaction. Positive emotions were also found to be significantly and positively related to satisfaction. Moreover, satisfaction was significantly and positively related to loyalty and intention to recommend. A significant and positive relationship was also observed between loyalty and intention to recommend. The mediation analysis showed that loyalty acts as a mediator between satisfaction and intention to recommend a food-related event such as the Sisig Fiesta. Implications of the study and future research direction were also presented in the study.

Keywords: experiential value, consumer return on investment, emotions, satisfaction, loyalty, intention to recommend, food-related event

Pages: 91–108

Vulnerability to substance use disorders (SUD) vary across individuals; however, there is scant evidence examining how family support is associated with coping skills and substance abuse, especially among adults. This study described how family support moderated the relationship between coping skills and substance abuse among Filipino adults who used drugs. The social influence theory on drug use was used to guide the analysis of data from 340 participants from the Katatagan Kontra Droga sa Komunidad program, a voluntary outpatient substance abuse treatment program held in two cities in the Philippines. Participants answered a survey questionnaire measuring substance use dependence (SUD) symptoms, drug recovery skills, life skills, and perceived family support. Most of the participants were males and mostly used methamphetamine or shabu. Among those with SUD symptoms, moderation analysis showed that life skills were inversely associated with SUD symptoms. Family support moderated the relationship between life skills and SUD symptoms, suggesting that family support is most critical for those with lower life skills. The study concludes that life skills and family support are important factors that contribute to the treatment success among mild-risk persons who use drugs (PWUDs) in the Philippines and therefore need to be prioritized in treatment programs and health promotion initiatives.

Keywords: family support, moderator, substance use dependence, adults, Filipinos, life skills

Pages: 109–116

Thailand is already a top global medical tourism destination, yet it continues to improve its products and services intended for foreign medical tourists (FMT). Thailand’s 2017–2026 policy, aimed at positioning itself as a world-class medical hub, is geared precisely to ensure that the tourism industry is continually improved and that the FMT are always considered, for example, in terms of their repurchase intention. Repurchase intention is strategic to Thailand: it has implications for the repeat visits among the FMT as well as it is indicative of the industry quality, both of which have far-reaching consequences for the country’s tourist arrivals and revenues. Employing a structural equation modeling, this study demonstrates the effects of five factors, namely, customer expectation, perceived quality, brand experience, perceived value, and customer satisfaction, on repurchase intention among a sample of 600 FMT, who were recruited and interviewed at 16 hospitals in Bangkok. Results indicate that customer satisfaction has the foremost effect on repurchase intention, and followed, albeit with far lesser effects, by customer expectation, brand experience, perceived value, and perceived quality, in that order. In general, the five-factor model was found to have only explained 34.2% of the variance in the repurchase intention among the FMT interviewed. The model is subject to further testing and validation.

Keywords: repurchase intention, foreign medical tourists, customer expectation, customer satisfaction, structural equation modeling, Thailand

Pages: 117-134

Environmental accounting is an emerging topic of research around the globe, but little is known of its practice and importance in the Philippines. This paper aims to determine the effect of environmental accounting on firm profitability and firm value of 24 publicly-listed mining and oil companies in the Philippines from 2012-2016. Panel regression was utilized with cross-sectional and time-series data. Environmental accounting was measured as environmental accounting disclosures and environmental costs reporting. Profitability was measured as net profit margin and return on equity, whereas firm value was measured as Tobin’s Q. Moderating variables used were auditor-firm type, firm size, board size, number of years listed Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), and location. The major business implication concluded was that environmental accounting disclosure has no significant effect on either profitability or firm value, but when moderated by location, it has a significant effect on return on equity. Environmental costs reporting, on the other hand, has a significant effect on return on equity, but when moderated by firm size, board size, number of years listed in the PSE, and location has a significant effect net profit margin, return on equity, and Tobin’s Q.

Keywords: environmental accounting, mining and oil companies

Pages: 135–144

The concept of behavioral finance is becoming more recognized in the financial and investment environment. The concept of behavioral finance implies that investors do not necessarily make rational investment decisions. It argues that investment decisions are often influenced by emotional or other non-rational factors, leading to irrational investment choices. The study aimed to figure out how investors among different age categories make investment decisions based on behavioral finance biases and their level of life satisfaction. Behavioral finance biases seem to be largely responsible for this deviation in investment decisions. Investors among all age categories tend to have representativeness bias. Older investors were also found to be more satisfied with their life than younger investors.

Keywords:behavioral finance, age, investors, satisfaction with life

Pages: 145–158

Asian values, the aging population, and financial assistance programs for the elderly form the backdrop for this manuscript. The rationale of this manuscript is to analyze the unexpected findings from the research project “The Evaluation of Project Performance Supported by Older Persons Fund,” which indicated a connection between filial piety, family dynamics, and how family finances were spent and managed. The objective is to study this phenomenon in more detail to elucidate changes in family structures that are traditionally held as the lynchpin of Asian society. The manuscript applied two separate methodologies: Part A is a mixed methods methodology that is required for the objectives of “The Evaluation of Project Performance Supported by Older Persons Fund.” Part B employed the qualitative approach of case studies analysis and coding by Glaser and Strauss (2017). A total of 22 case studies were analyzed using this method for connections between filial piety, family dynamics, and family finances. The outcome of the coding analysis of the case studies was then subjected to further analysis using the concepts of phenomenology (internalization, externalization, intersubjectivity) as per the works of Berger and Luckmann (1991). The results suggest changing patterns of filial piety, namely, new dimensions of filial piety, lateral and diagonal family dynamics, and negative filial piety. From the standpoint of phenomenology, new identity formations, as well as the transition from one identity to another, are experienced by the elderly; internalization of changes that surround them financially leads to externalization of identities that are still capable and economically viable; flexibility of roles played within the family are subject to negotiations and intersubjectivity. Demographic changes bring added challenges to the management of the elderly, their finances, and their roles within the traditional family structure of filial piety.

Keywords: elderly, filial piety, family dynamics, Asian values, Thailand

Authors: Reynaldo Bautista, Jr., Rayan Dui, Luz Suplico Jeong, and Miguel Paolo Paredes

Research Brief

Year: 2020, Volume 20 Number 1

Pages: 159–170

Authors: Kwanchart Wongkhajornpaibul and Puris Sornsaruht

Research Brief

Year: 2020, Volume 20 Number 1

Pages: 171–183

Authors: Prithwiraj Swargiary and Amarjyoti Mahanta

Research Brief

Year: 2020, Volume 20 Number 1

Pages: 184– 190

Authors: Paneepan Sombat, Wornchanok Chaiyasoonthorn, and Singha Chaveesuk

Research Brief

Year: 2020, Volume 20 Number 1

Pages: 184–204

Author: Alvaro N. Calara

Research Brief

Year: 2020, Volume 20 Number 1

Pages: 205– 212

Author: APSSR Editorial Team

Data at a Glance

Year: 2020, Volume 20 Number 1

Page: 213

Author: APSSR Editorial Team

Data at a Glance

Year: 2020, Volume 20 Number 1

Page: 214