In this investigation, we explored the viability of a composite material consisting of cerium and bismuth oxides within a polymer matrix for radiation shielding applications. We assessed critical radiation shielding parameters, including the mass attenuation coefficient (μ/ρ), mean free path (mfp), and half-value layer (HVL), for varying concentrations of cerium oxide and bismuth oxide within the vinyl ester matrix. These evaluations were conducted using established computational tools, specifically XCOM and EpiXS. The outcomes of our study revealed a noteworthy enhancement in the radiation shielding capabilities of the composite material when compared to the bare polymer. Notably, at a photon energy of 1 GeV, the mass attenuation coefficient exhibited a remarkable 109% increase when the composite contained 40% w/v cerium oxide. This outcome underscores the effectiveness of cerium oxide as a valuable radiation shielding filler, particularly for mitigating higher-energy radiation, such as cosmic radiation.

The Philippines is vulnerable to the impacts drought, which resulted to millions of dollars of damages in crops and livestock. In this study, a combined drought index (CDI) was developed to monitor the transition from meteorological to agricultural drought. It combines monthly land surface temperature (LST), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and the three-month rainfall represented by the standardized precipitation index (SPI-3). This paper is part of the conference proceedings of the 43rd Asian Conference on Remote Sensing (ACRS 2022).

Air pollutants Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), Carbon Monoxide (CO), and Ozone (O3) from the Sentinel-5 Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) were analyzed in four major cities in the Philippines, NCR, Legazpi City, Cebu City, and Davao City. representing different climate types. This study provides insights on the effect of quarantine periods and meteorological factors over the course of more than 3 years to the decline and rebound of gaseous pollutants. This paper is part of the conference proceedings of the 43rd Asian Conference on Remote Sensing (ACRS 2022).