UPLB Master of Science in Rural Sociology

As part of the 𝐀𝐒𝐈 𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐧 𝟏𝟎 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟏𝟎 𝐒𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, the Agricultural Systems Institute (ASI) invites students, faculty, researchers, and development practitioners to the 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 of the series entitled “𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗮, 𝗞𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝘆𝗼! 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀.”

This seminar will critically examine how coffee consumption extends beyond individual preference and into broader questions of rural livelihoods, value chains, and community dynamics. It will explore how patterns of consumption influence production systems, how smallholder farmers navigate changing markets, and how coffee serves as a social connector within rural spaces.

The session will be led by 𝐃𝐫. 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐁. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐧, Associate Professor of ASI, who will bring insights from her expertise in rural sociology and development to unpack the intersections of agriculture, livelihoods, and social relations in coffee-producing communities.

🗓 Date: 𝟮𝟵 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 (𝗧𝘂𝗲)
⏰ Time: 𝟭:𝟯𝟬 𝗣𝗠 - 𝟯:𝟬𝟬 𝗣𝗠
📍 Venue: 𝗔𝗦𝗜 𝗟𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹, 𝗖𝗔𝗙𝗦, 𝗨𝗣𝗟𝗕
🔗 Registration: Scan the QR code on the poster or access the registration link (https://tinyurl.com/asi10for10ep3)

We invite you to join this engaging conversation as we rethink everyday practices and uncover their deeper implications for rural development and agricultural systems.

Coffee is more than a daily ritual; it is deeply embedded in the social, economic, and cultural fabric of rural communities. From production to consumption, coffee connects farmers, markets, and households, shaping livelihoods and social relations in complex and evolving ways.

As part of the 𝐀𝐒𝐈 𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐧 𝟏𝟎 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟏𝟎 𝐒𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, the Agricultural Systems Institute (ASI) invites students, faculty, researchers, and development practitioners to the 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 of the series entitled “𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗮, 𝗞𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝘆𝗼! 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀.”

This seminar will critically examine how coffee consumption extends beyond individual preference and into broader questions of rural livelihoods, value chains, and community dynamics. It will explore how patterns of consumption influence production systems, how smallholder farmers navigate changing markets, and how coffee serves as a social connector within rural spaces.

The session will be led by 𝐃𝐫. 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐁. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐧, Associate Professor of ASI, who will bring insights from her expertise in rural sociology and development to unpack the intersections of agriculture, livelihoods, and social relations in coffee-producing communities.

🗓 Date: 𝟮𝟵 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 (𝗪𝗲𝗱)
⏰ Time: 𝟭:𝟯𝟬 𝗣𝗠 - 𝟯:𝟬𝟬 𝗣𝗠
📍 Venue: 𝗔𝗦𝗜 𝗟𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹, 𝗖𝗔𝗙𝗦, 𝗨𝗣𝗟𝗕
🔗 Registration: Scan the QR code on the poster or access the registration link (https://tinyurl.com/asi10for10ep3)

We invite you to join this engaging conversation as we rethink everyday practices and uncover their deeper implications for rural development and agricultural systems.

We congratulate Asst. Prof. Raem Dominic S. Brion, faculty of the UPLB MS Rural Sociology program, for his recent appointment as the Secretary of the Philippine Association of Agriculturists, Inc. (PAA).

Asst. Prof. Brion was also elected Secretary of the Philippine Extension and Advisory Services Network, Inc. (PhilEASNet) last October 9, 2025 in the 2025 National Extension Conference in Cavite State University, Indang, Cavite.

We are truly proud of how you mainstream the field of Agricultural Extension within and beyond the university. You serve as an inspiration to your colleagues and students alike. Padayon!

(Photos from Asst. Prof. Brion's FB account)

Happy birthday to the critic, conscience and cheerleader of agriculture (and rural sociology)... mam gelia! The perfect queen this women's month. We miss you dearly.

I've got big news… we are expecting!

Not one. Not ten. But almost THIRTY absolutely glorious, gorgeous jade vine flowers are on the way at the UPLB ASI area!

These thirty turquoise showstoppers are preparing to steal the spotlight and make jaws drop. Stay tuned… it’s about to get spectacular.

P.S. Visit us soon and get to meet as well our great staff and know abt the Ms Rural Sociology degree that we offer (the only one in the Philippines)

(Photo from https://sl.bing.net/cPF0G7VCRtk)

Please check out this study led by Dr. Rodmyr F. Datoon, one of the faculty members of the UPLB MS Rural Sociology program. Ms. Jenny Mei Peroy, currently an MS Rural Sociology student, was a researcher in this study.

Congratulations, Dr. Datoon, Ms. Peroy, and the entire team!

𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊: The Philippines, with over 7,641 islands, faces a critical gap in defining and addressing the unique challenges of its small islands—areas often isolated, resource-limited, and highly vulnerable to climate change.

A new study led by Datoon et al (2025) developed the first comprehensive Research and Development (R&D) agenda for small islands in the Philippines, using insights from a multi-stakeholder national forum, desk reviews, and key informant interviews.

The study proposed a definition and categorization of small islands (micro-island, small island barangay, municipality, and province) and identified pressing research gaps, particularly in water, food, health, clean energy, and sustainable community development. It emphasized building institutional research capacity, promoting water-energy-food nexus approaches, and developing circular agricultural systems tailored to small island contexts.

By uniting science, governance, and community voices, this agenda serves as a blueprint for inclusive and sustainable development, empowering local researchers, policymakers, and communities to shape resilient small-island futures.

Explore how a unified research agenda can transform the Philippines’ small islands. Full study here: https://doi.org/10.62550/BR821037025

Faculty members from the Division of Agricultural Extension and Rural Studies (DAERS) presented their research at the Philippine Sociological Society International Conference held at Ateneo de Davao, Davao City, from October 1 to 3, 2025.

With the theme “Sociology of Crisis and Care: Navigating Tensions, Charting Alternatives,” the conference gathered scholars from across the country and abroad to explore how care, solidarity, and resilience emerge amid crises.

Dr. Sherry B. Marasigan, Dr. Rodmyr F. Datoon, Dr. Irene R. Tanzo, and Asst. Prof. Ma. Bernadeth-Laurelyn P. Pante presented their papers through a panel session entitled “Sociology of Hazards and Crises” on the second day of the Conference.

This panel presented a sociological perspective on the resilience and adaptation strategies employed by rural societies in response to natural hazards and various crises. The first two presentations exposed the “crisis of care” in vulnerable communities and how people in these communities navigate vulnerabilities despite scarce resources and limited capacities. Ms. Pante’s study on Aetas in a resettlement area in Zambales looked into the utilization of food security strategies during disruptions. Dr. Datoon’s study presented the unique challenges faced by small island communities and their resilience and adaptation strategies. Meanwhile, the last two presentations provided evidence of “care in crisis” through institutional mechanisms. Dr. Marasigan argued how value chain interventions in indigenous coffee-producing communities in Ifugao and Sulu serve as acts of care and resistance that promote inclusive development. Based on their study on credit assistance in Nueva Ecija, Dr. Tanzo determined how well-structured credit programs serve as mechanisms of economic care for rural households. Together, these studies contribute to the growing sociology of crisis and care scholarship, emphasizing how both informal community coping mechanisms and formal institutional responses foster care, solidarity, and resilience in rural societies.

Hope to see you all tomorrow, sept 24, 9AM at the ASI Lecture hall.

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