SMN Digest December 2025

1. The Impact of ESG Practices on the Financial Performance of Publicly Listed Companies in the Philippines

Kyla Henrietta Guillermo

In more established economies, the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices into corporate strategies has proven beneficial for long-term financial growth and overall corporate development. However, in developing countries like the Philippines, the relationship between these ESG practices and financial performance remains vague. This study examines whether companies in the Philippines prioritize investing in ESG practices, given the evolving economic landscape. This study employs panel regression analysis, using fixed effect models and includes interaction terms to test moderating variables, and supplemented by descriptive statistics on 200 company-year observations of publicly listed companies from 2013 to 2022, sourced from the Philippine Stock Exchange website and the Thomson Reuters database. The study finds that ESG practices have a positive impact on financial performance. This relationship is positively influenced by a company’s visibility and negatively moderated by its organizational profile. These findings suggest that integrating ESG practices can offer long-term financial benefits, particularly when supported by strong visibility strategies and an understanding of organizational profile.

2. Aid for Livelihood Project: A Process-Documentation Analysis 

Rene Boy E. Abiva, Edison Diego, Luzviminda Bundoc, and Ma. Victoria R. Victa

Livelihood development in the Philippines focuses on empowering communities to achieve economic stability and resilience. Efforts often include skills training, livelihood diversification, and promoting asset ownership to improve living conditions. Community extension programs, such as those initiated by schools and local governments, play a vital role by combining resource management, sustainable practices, and skills development. These initiatives not only support local businesses and cooperatives but also nurture self-reliance and community well-being.

A strong example is the Talipapa Association, a partnership between the Manuel V. Gallego Foundation Colleges- Community Extension and Outreach Program (CEOP) and the Institute of Business Management which demonstrates how community-based initiatives can bring about real change. The group offers activities such as baking workshops and feasibility studies for a proposed community bakeshop, along with financial literacy training and micro-grants. With accreditation from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and support from various partners, the initiative continues to grow sustainably.

This project follows the Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) approach, which values collaboration, cultural context, and long-term impact. Tools like demographic profiling, SWOT analysis, and pre-tests guide well-targeted interventions. Training programs in food safety, quality control, and financial management address specific community needs and raise standards. 

Despite challenges such as limited resources and varying levels of community participation, the program adapts and endures. Through continued mentorship, funding support, and focused training, the initiative helps build stronger, more resilient communities. The Talipapa Association highlights how grassroots efforts can lead to lasting livelihood improvements and sustainable development.

3. The AI Study Habit Loop: Linking Tech Use, Time Management, and Self-Regulation Among Northwestern University Students

Dr. Eric S. Parilla

This study assesses how far artificial intelligence (AI) is used by Northwestern University students and how AI affects their time management capacities, with self-regulation as a mediating factor. The study is grounded in Zimmerman’s Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) Theory, with a backdrop of philosophical reflections that can be traced to Wojtyła on human moral action. It adopts a quantitative-correlational design involving 488 students from different colleges. Data were gathered through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and mediation analysis on Jamovi.

Results showed that students make average use of AI, with a mean of 2.75, especially in terms of content development and grammar checks, but did not use this as part of their daily study habits. While students generally showed high self-regulatory behavior in goal setting and reflection (̄𝑥=3.01), they scored lower in motivation and discipline. Perceptions of time management have an overall positive response. It has a mean of 𝑥̄= 2.98 with noted strengths in task prioritization and completion, but with weaknesses in scheduling and pacing. The mediation analysis then proved that self-regulation significantly mediates the relationship between the use of AI and time management, signaling that internal cognitive strategies enhance the effectiveness of AI.

This study concludes that although AI tools offer great support while learning, their potency can only be attained when the students embrace self-discipline and reflective engagement. Ethical responsibility and intentional modes of learning will not be substituted by technology. This result implies that institutions ought to pair AI literacy with self-regulated learning programs. Longitudinal and qualitative approaches may also help future studies understand more of such patterns in behavior alongside moral considerations of learning with AI.