Jamlech Iram Gojo Cruz

Carl Angelo Angcana, Jamlech Iram Gojo Cruz

The internet folklore of the Cat Distribution System (CDS) humorously suggests that cats are "assigned" to people rather than intentionally sought. Beyond its playful origins, CDS reflects a culturally resonant way people perceive and engage in adoption, and this user context can guide the redesign and improvement of adoption systems. In the Philippines, where an estimated 13.11 million stray cats and dogs place the country sixth worldwide in overpopulation, this framing offers a novel way to rethink adoption platforms. We developed a prototype application inspired by CDS principles, focusing on features such as algorithmic matchmaking, community reporting, and proximity-based discovery. An initial evaluation with potential users (n=35) indicated that the system was positively received for its ease of use and its alignment with users' intuitive expectations, though participants highlighted areas for improvement in transparency of matchmaking and owner-adopter communication. The findings suggest that culturally embedded metaphors like CDS can shape mental models, making adoption processes feel more serendipitous and less transactional.

Eljohn Evangelista, Alyssa Cea, Axel Balitaan et al.

Effective hyperlocal communication is critical in the Philippines, where delayed or algorithm-filtered updates can leave residents uninformed about emergency advisories and community events. We conducted a user-centered study consisting of contextual inquiry and semi-structured interviews to identify four key barriers: delayed alerts, algorithm-driven noise, language gaps, and digital divides. Guided by these insights, we designed KUBO (Kumunidad at Balitang Opisyal), a prototype that integrates a home module for verified local government unit advisories and curated headlines, and a community module for resident-powered neighborhood reports and discussions. Using a within-subjects evaluation design, KUBO significantly reduced task completion times (p-value < 0.001), improved information recall on post-task quizzes (p-value = 0.010), and yielded higher user satisfaction ratings for ease of use, overall satisfaction, and perceived effectiveness compared to Facebook, the commonly used communication platform in the Philippines. These results demonstrate that a dual-channel, inclusive platform can substantially enhance real-time information access, comprehension, and civic engagement in hyperlocal settings.